Some closures hit harder than others, and when The Thirsty Korean shut its doors on Manchester Road earlier in 2024, regulars were left nursing more than just withdrawal from cold beer and addictive spice. It was a sad goodbye to a spot that had quietly become one of the city’s best under-the-radar hangouts, with a menu full of punchy flavours and real personality.
Mostly, thanks to its charismatic owner Eunji Noh. Pleasingly, she wasn’t down for long. Just a few months on, she’s relocated to a bigger, brighter space on Wilbraham Road — specifically, the old Pot Bellied Vietnamese site — and the next chapter of The Thirsty Korean has well and truly begun.
The new venue is a step up in more ways than one. A larger kitchen has opened the door to a deeper dive into Korean culinary tradition, with Eunji promising lesser-seen dishes alongside a few returning classics. Her signature fried chicken remains a keystone on the menu, but what surrounds it is now an even more intriguing exploration of flavours and textures.
The new menu leans into the breadth of Korean cooking, notably seafood as well as meat and vegetarian dishes. Take the dubu duruchigi — slabs of tofu cooked in a fiery sauce — or the gently spicy jjimdak, braised chicken thigh served on glassy sweet potato noodles. There’s grilled mackerel with a tongue-tingling rub, and a chijeudongaseu pork cutlet that steals the show: flattened, stuffed with molten cheese, and deep-fried to a golden crisp. Each dish feels thoughtfully curated, designed to push diners beyond the expected bibimbap and bulgogi, while still remaining grounded in comfort and warmth.
With a focused drinks list to match — think craft beer and Korean soju — The Thirsty Korean is back, bigger, better and more flavour-packed than ever.
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