We’re always on the look out for people doing something special in parts of Greater Manchester that don’t get enough love. So when we heard good stuff about Popchop in Eccles, we headed down to see what all the fuss was about.
Turns out, all the fuss about this Hong Kong style curry spot is well deserved. From the outside, it looks like your regular Chinese takeaway spot, inside it’s minimalist, with just a couple of tables you can pull up a seat at. But owner Samuel is serving up a 40-year-old family recipe pork chop curry dish that’s been ranked as one of the top 10 best pork chop dishes in Hong Kong by Time Out magazine.
Popchop owner Samuel’s dad runs the Sun King Yuen curry restaurant in Hong Kong which is famous for its pork chops. There are framed pictures all over Popchop’s walls of his dad getting busy with his wok. Young Samuel learned from the master how to make the incredible curry sauce which is served with a super crispy breadcrumbed pork chop.
Samuel and his wife moved to Eccles two years ago and opened up Popchop in July 2022. Since opening, locals have been queuing down the street with dishes reportedly selling out fast. It’s no surprise when you learn the history behind the food and the love that goes into it.
The pork is marinated for four hours in a homemade spice mix before being breaded and deep-fried. Samuel says the base paste for the curry is what makes the difference, with his family using the exact same methods and techniques as are used by their family back home at their restaurant Sun King Yeun in Hong Kong. It’s all served with soft potatoes on a bed of white rice. If pork’s not for you, there’s also a chicken version of this dish.
Popchop’s menu is simple but effective. It’s the kind of place that does just a few things but does them really well. Any foodie knows these are often the best places. As an international port of commerce, Hong Kong has taken influence from surrounding countries like Japan, Korea and other Southeast Asian cuisines. Salt and pepper wings are served in a classic Hong Kong style, without using pepper, chillies give this dish its oomph. There are sweet and spicy Korean wings, as well as Tokyo fried rice and a classic pad thai. But it’s that crispy pork you want to get your chops around for a real taste of Hong Kong if you can get it before it sells out.
Popchop is open 5-9pm Wednesday to Sunday.
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Eccles Restaurants Takeaway
