Chimaek in Manchester

First time having Korean Fried Chicken and all I can say is............ Amazing! Stayed at the Holiday Inn literally across the road, read the reviews and thought I'd give it a go. Honestly it was the nicest fried chicken I've ever eaten. The food was fresh, hot and the coating was so crispy!!!! Never had Korean food before so I wasn't sure on the glazes or dips, but I ended up going with the honey/garlic glaze on the fillets, and a soy/garlic glaze on the drumsticks, glad I did as both were delicious. If you're in the neighbourhood and you like Chicken, you have to check it out!

Came here twice in 2 days when visiting Manchester. Had the thighs on their own the first time and thighs with rice and curry the next time. Chicken is superbly crispy and the portions v generous for the price.

Etchi Mehmet provided excellent service, with Yusuf standing out for his professionalism and attention to detail. His friendly demeanor and dedication made the experience smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone seeking top-notch steak day out.

I haven’t been there bit I took their food as takeaway and it was the best curry sos I have had in ages. Chicken was nice and crispy and rice was really nice

If I could leave zero for service I would the food was nice but they missed numerous items in our order I rang the establishment to explain the missing items and they told me to come back to the restraunt to show them the bag by this time i was eating chicken so I asked would they make it fresh because I don't want dead food and they unwillingly refused stating we can have the same food plus the missing item top food staff are not compliant so zero for atmosphere because the people who work there make it

Food is incredible! Really great place to see friends, love that they changed the table layout so you don’t have to climb over the benches to sit compared to previous visits. Stew could’ve had some more ramen but was delicious! Staff are really helpful :)

Genuinely the best halal fried chicken I've had. The wings are large and juicy, yet have the crispiest outside. And the customer service is the best too - they'll always notice if we need help with the army stew or need more sauce, and sometimes they'll even give an extra chicken piece! I really recommend getting the soy garlic sauce and the sweet and spicy sauce for the chicken. The army stew was slightly too salty but the fries and potato tornadoes are great. Words cannot describe how much I love the chicken here. In addition to this, they play kpop music videos (from bts to nugu groups) on two screens, and provide free napkins, gloves, ketchup and pickled radish.

One of the best small food spots in Manchester. Even as a vegetarian, the combo of a sweet potato croquette burger, tofu skewer, and fried vegetable dumplings is incredibly delicious. Service is great and friendly, and I love just sitting and eating and watching K Pop music videos on the screens.

Tasty and fresh food plus it’s in my building 😍

The definition of average. Chicken was standard fried chicken with a bit of sauce. Overpriced and over hyped. Save yourself £30 and go elsewhere

Pleasantly spoiled and therefore can’t wait to return to the establishment.

Fresh high-quality food, Ice cold beer, a good range of items and friendly service. I’ve been to Chimaek a few times now and every visit has been great. The best KFC I’ve had in the UK. It’s quite expensive but the portion sizes are very large! I struggled to finish a 4 piece with rice (and can eat a lot).

Food was decent but expensive. Burger was okay.

I’ve ordered the chicken take away, and I’m not sure why the chicken smelled bad. It smelled really bad as u eat it and it was raw.

I ordered a 25 pound unit of Budae Jjigae and it felt a bit different from the Korean-style Budae Jjigae. It felt like it was not Budae Jjigae but spicy kimchi udon soup with ham in it. There was no rice and you had to pay 3.5 pounds for a bowl. KPOP songs often appeared on TV. Big Bang and New Jeans. ,I liked that they gave me chopsticks as if I was listening to a bulletproof song.

Chimaek used to be amazing when I was a student back in 2019-2020. Since then I’ve moved to Birmingham and miss chimaek. I visited today after ages and ordered the drumsticks. Firstly, the cost is exorbitant now which is expected with cost of living. But they don’t give the pickled radish anymore as free side as they used to. Not like they used to give a jar of it either previously. You need to pay for pickled radish now??!! Also £3 for sauce on side???!!!! You must be joking. The cost would still have been justifiable if the chicken was not so greasy af!!! Omfg!!! Chimaek I knew used to serve THE BEST fried chicken without any grease and oil falling on my tray. Now it’s soooo oily omg it actually gagged me and made me sick. I could not finish it! Maybe increase cost by almost 50% in 4 years but keep the quality of food? Will never come back! Yuck

Thr lunch menu used to be great value for money but what used to cost about £6.50 - £7.00 now costs about £12 which means the place is now good as opposed to great. The quality of the chicken is now good, rather than great too. I regularly get warm, softer chicken as opposed to hot and crispy, so that's a shame. It might be once a month now as opposed to once a week.

Staff very friendly, place looks very nice inside, food is quite expensive one reason that i lowered the rating by 1 star, otherwise pretty decent place, i will definately be back, thanks again to the lovely ladies working there for looking after me. Good womans :)

Consistent. Delicious. Cheap. Easy. Available. What more can I say? A uni student's staple, and amazing with beer.

Amazing food quality and quantity at a relaxed and stylish venue!

Literally the best KFC in Manchester

The fried chicken is okay, and the 22-pound military hot pot is just a more luxurious boiled ramen. This is the most delicious and expensive ramen I have eaten in so many years. Definitely recommend, and made me decide to eat less Korean food in the UK in the future.

I got a delivery and when it came all the food was cold and super oily. I couldn’t finish my meal as i felt sick from the oil. Fries were £5 i was expecting a big portion but was less than a normal mcdonalds portion, cold and tasteless, just full of oil. Do yourself a favour and buy a bag of oven fries to cook at home. Chicken was cold and oily with no taste. The potato twirls were also same, just an oily mess. Would not order from them again. It was very pricey and portions tiny. Even if the portions were big you will not be able to finish as you feel sick from the tasteless oily food.

My favourite place in Manchester. Can't wait to go back.

Delicious chicken, friendly staff, excellent price chicken

The chicken was good but I think the main star was the kimchi! absolutely beautiful! Looking forward to visit again!

Top quality fried chicken... Washed down with ice cold beer... food delicious.. staff helpful and friendly... Will definitely visit again !

Quick service for takeaway of 4 wings. Wings much bigger than elsewhere (kfc etc.) Amusing young woman behind counter checked that I really wanted pepper sauce. Hot, she said. Hot! She was correct, but enjoyably so. Moist chicken, crispy coating, enough sauce for a real kick. Use a spoon for just the sauce and wait for eyes to water. Maybe not suitable if on a date, but I enjoyed it. Will be back.

Great experience and nice food :)

CHI for Chi-cken MAEK for Maek-ju, which means "beer" in koean. There has not been much service as you are being buzzed when your order is ready before you pick it up at the counter. The people at the till were polite and professional, I guess, although I would have expected a more welcoming attitude as we entered. It looked more like a fast food restaurant, so perhaps my expectations were too high. However the food tasted great. We had some beer and deep fried chicken thighs with soy garlic sauce. Atmosphere was trendy and vibrant, with K-pop music in the background. We surely come again.

I love their food eapecially the army stew!Service was quick and place was clean and cozy! The drinks were a little bit pricey but in general nice place for a meal!

It says that I opens at 12 but when you actually get in tables are not ready for the customers. Some staff are rude. They make mistakes which is can happen but they don't apologise and even talk like they are right and on top of that they talk in another language between themselves. Very unprofessional.

Ordered on Friday had food poisoning since

Could have less of that korean pop music

they gave me chicken but i’ve got beef for them- cos them corndogs were nasty, not to mention the ‘potato swirlers’ which i’m convinced are fried till there’s no potato left in. there’s less grease in dixy chicken. waste of money. nice wrap tho

Amazing restraunt with great food.

Always the best chicken Even if its more pricey its worth it to indulge yourself from time to time

Worst fried chicken I ever had.. I ordered honey garlic and sweet & spicy.. the sauce is awful and terrible… chicken corn dog is fine…

A little bit overbudget. Meaning that your average student cannot afford to go every other day. But a must go destination every month. Good food and good food and good food. Nothing else

Best Korean fried chicken in Manchester, and they always give you +1 chicken from what you ordered!

The food here is one of the best I have ever had, I can’t really complain about it. I would say that the customer service could be better, but it didn’t really affect my opinion on the place as I would definitely go again, and I can understand that it is quiet a busy place! The atmosphere is quite nice, and the place has a cool vibe. Would definitely recommend!!

We had soy garlic chicken tenders and a pint of Asahi in a frosty mug - it was absolutely unbelievable. Do NOT miss!!!

Best corn dog and skewed fish balls I've ever had. I'm looking forward to come back and try their hot pot next

If you like fried chicken, a visit to chimaek is a must... The chicken was delicious and the ice-cold beer even better ! The service from the staff was exceptional! Will definitely be visiting again, next time we are in Manchester.

I got a take away today, half way through eating my meal on my lunch I found and almost ate the longest black hair that had somehow got into the sauce. Not only this gross find I also found was charged twice by the restaurant and was told it’s a mistake from my bank and take it up with them. Hygiene and customer service are horrendous, please avoid as the couldn’t have cared less if they tried when I went back to complain.

Food is amazing and worth the price, and the atmosphere is so lovely! Halal options and relatively quick service as well, and O would 100% recommend the chicken

Very disappointed. Spent 30 pound but tasted like KFC. This was once my fav fried chicken place in mcr, they used to coat the chicken with hot delicious sauce, now it’s just cold dips in pots, the chicken was double fried in the past and really crispy now looks like a single coat isn’t very crispy at all. Guess this is they way they cutting costs? Your losing loyal customers as well unfortunately.

Quality has gone downhill 😢 I was obsessed with this restaurant. I thought it had the best fried chicken in the whole of Greater Manchester. Chicken was always piping hot and crunchy and crispy. But sadly it’s no longer the case since after the summer break. I came back twice since they re-opened after the break, but both times I was disappointed. The chicken wings are just lukewarm. The batter is slightly hard. The price has increased and no longer matches with what’s on the display. And they charge a whooping £1.20 extra just to have the sauce separately rather than directly on the chicken. 50p maybe I can understand, but £1.20 for a tiny plastic pot?!

Great service by Dali and amazing steaks

Good food and exceptional service from the staff Chor Ki, thank you!

The food was horrible. Army stew was absolutely disgusting, we came as 4 people and found it hard to finish. We got halal version but even non halal version half of it was cabbage. The broth is what made it taste horrible. Fried chicken for that price is disgusting. Hot pepper sauce was not it. Chicken itself had no taste. Online reviews and videos are lies. Do not go and waste ur money there. I'm a women that's true to her word. Other than that atmosphere was nice and cozy and food came early but doesn't conpare to the food.

Great chicken, possibly best in Mcr

Best fried thigh chicken all over Manchester

K pop playing, chilled nice atmosphere. 4 piece wings with spicy n sweet sauce taste great, chicken cooked to perfection, nice crisp and taste well balanced. Asashi served cold from tap. Korean cooks and staff. Highly recommended for a an relaxed anju experience.

I do never never never order any food in this place. Dirty food and arrogant attitude to the customers. So fxxking disgusting experience. You should shame on your restaurant and close it ASAP!

La nourriture est bonne mais chère pour ce que ça vaut... Autrement dit, vous trouverez la même chose pour moins cher.

The star of the show was undoubtedly the perfectly crispy and flavorful fried chicken, which was a true delight to savor. The array of delectable sauces, ranging from classic to spicy, added an extra layer of deliciousness to the experience. Highly recommend the fried tofu ! It’s 11/10 !!!! You can avoid other side dishes like corn dog or fries, they are just average.

Don’t go taste so bad chicken was pink

~Staff are very kind and helpful and their recommended combos are to die for. Don't miss out on this chance. Grab it with both hands and take a bite. 10/10 would recommend and come again

The best chicken place in Manchester by far. Nowhere else even comes close.

Tornado potato is 6 star quality - light batter and crunch texture. Also corn dog was lovely, not doughy, crisp batter with a juicy hot dog. If you like to have a beer - it's served in an amazing ice cold glass, incredibly refreshing. 4 Chicken wings were massive and krunchy. Plump fish balls on a stick were fantastic too. Great spot in Manchester city centre.

Great food, lovely staff. Non-stop K-pop.2 out of 3 ain't bad

I have order 6 chicken Pieces from this place and this is what I have found. A chicken that is not good for human consumption! What a shame that you care less about your food safety!

Commenting specifically on the salt and pepper potato tornado. Tastes like old oil has been used to cook and also, salt and pepper means the lightest salt and pepper coating. Not the delicious salt and pepper dressing I was expecting (like salt and pepper tofu). Disappointing and greasy with very little seasoning.

Love the chicken here with a beer :) (chimaek means beer with chicken)

不是正宗的韓式炸雞。炸雞皮酥脆，但肉的部分吃起來不多汁且調味不足，honey garlic 味道很普通（略苦）與炸雞不搭，不值得加價購買。部隊鍋量很多，煮到最後湯頭偏辣，韓式麻糬很好吃，其他的部分就是一般的火鍋料。服務一般般，員工們看起來很厭世。

Good authentic Korean fried chicken alongside with other Korean dishes available (snack bites, noodles and even soju etc.). The batter is definitely crispy and the portion is good. A variety of sauce options are available. A few seats are available in the restaurant, and you can also reserve a table if needed.

Not bad but they’ve got nothing on Kim’s over in Glasgow

It's a bit cramped with the Covid-19 style table dividers in place, but they serve great fried chicken with Asahi.

Chicken was sticking to the bone, almost impossible to pull of without crunching on something. The crust was not crunchy at all and so thick on the chicken it was almost impossible to eat both at the same time (also SOAKED in fat). Sweet and spicy sauce was literally just hot sauce. The fries are super soggy and don’t taste like anything except for soil (??), ketchup is super cheap and the lemonade is out of the tap and tastes like chlorine. The gloves, provided so that you don’t get your fingers dirty have tiny little holes so that you still have dirty fingers in the end if you don’t double glove and rip apart at the smallest inconvenience. Unfortunately very disappointed and just too expensive (20£ for 6piece chicken thighs, fries, a soda and a lemonade) The only good thing we got was the Volvic water bottle.

Pretty poor and overpriced. Chicken was crunchy on the outside but sloppy and sickly beneath. Would not recommend.

Best fried chicken in Manchester hands down! The chips however are average but certainly not frozen (like other reviews have suggested) Be warned (if you're not good with spice) some of the sauce options are very spicy but if you're like me and enjoy spice you won't be disappointed. The staff are usually really good at pre-warning you about spice levels as it's not always clear from the menu.

Bought 15 piece chicken and was delicious!! The customer service was great the only downside is not enough fries

The food in this restaurant is pretty epic. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here. Just a couple of small suggestions they could clarify that you have to order first and then sit down. It was my first time at this restaurant so that caused a bit of confusion. The menu items tasted great just a bit pricey. I would recommend this restaurant because it is very delicious and pretty quiet which I like.

Wanted to see what all the fuss was about so visited...i would recommend this place.. the food was delicious but not the best I've ever tasted! Would definitely visit here again if I'm in the area... but probably wouldn't travel expecially for it

Delicious and mouth watering, good portion of food. I recommend to my family and friends. And the good news is that IT IS HALAL.

I am a fan of chimaek, I regularly go there for dinner with my family and always satisfied with their food especially the fried Tofu. I ordered some takeout yesterday but I was so disappointed, as you can see in the picture, the tofu was extremely small, all we could taste was the outlayer starch. I think they need to improve on the quality of it. The only relief was that the chicken was as nice as it always.

Went with a friend today. Very unimpressed. Chicken was very plain barely any sauce, waiter was very rude - gave us very bad treatment, we asked the people next to us whether it would be okay to remove the barrier to which they were fine with and agreed because it was extremely dark. If I wanted to eat in the dark I’d eat under my duvet cover. The waiter then came and told us off when the people next to us couldn’t care less. She said ‘other customers are eating’ as if we aren’t PAYING customers too. She also asked my friend to stand up from her seat with no explaination and then proceeded to move the bench whikst she was eating?? With ZERO explaination. What kind of customer service is this??? Seems a bit prejudice if you ask me. really put off and annoyed by this and would not reccomend.

They give you a lot less curry on dine-in than with a take away and when you tell them, they would blatantly lie and say the portions are the same when it is clearly not. Price has gone up but they have also removed the drinks from their meal deals.

Asked for a takeout box …. 50p apparently and it was that thin my food fell through it. Oh and it’s £2 if you want a sauce.

Simple restaurant but the fried chicken was really good. Wished the still sold the beer tower though.

The food is very nice I’ve tried the kimchi burger and the Korean fried chicken they were both so good. It’s normally affordable but with inflation prices have gone up but you can’t blame the people so it’s alright. Edit: I tried the corn dog from here and I didn’t like it it was very oily and made me feel sick most of the food is still nice though would still recommend!!

Awesome chicken, k-pop on the TV . Chicken is so tasty and well cooked , great flavours and fast service too. The tornado fries are like a single potato spiralled onto a skewer and so crispy they're basically same texture as actual crisps. Definitely recommend

Pretty mediocre for the money, just like dixys chicken with sauce on for £12

Food was undercooked, smelly and disgusting. Chicken drumsticks inside was black and smelly, Wings were undercook, potato tornado was too greasy. 2 shrimps for £3.50 😂. We just ate chips and left everything. £40 for all this was overpriced and wasted. Never recommend anyone. Please safe your money and stomach

I asked if they could put the sauce on both sides of the chicken but the staff said that they only do one side with little sauce even though I have paid already for the sauce! Why to pay 1£ extra so that I have the sauce only on one side of the chicken ? You just lost a customer. There are other Korean restaurants which provide better services and value for their customer.

Chicken, damn good chicken. Did I say good chicken... because they have good chicken. And kimchi and stuff but they have good chicken.

I recommend to try their sweet and spicy sauce If you order their wings/ chicken. in terms of their fries is just a standard fries, no flavour in it.

Fantastic, tasty and generous portions. Loved it here.

When I first came here it was great but now the prices have increased and the quality of the food has gone down. I ordered 2 different flavours of the chicken which is extra when adding sauces and they were stingy about the amount on there. I used to crave the picked radish also but when I came I think they gave me the remaining of an old batch mixed with the new one. You could tell because the old batch tasted fishy whereas the newer one is what I usually like. I’d come back here again but only if it is how it used to be in the past.

Lovely as always but too much ginger in the hot pepper sauce recently 😞also the chips are hollow in the middle, please switch to fluffier chips

Bang average food at best. Nice atmosphere though.

Ordered the 15 pieces with fries and 3 sauces. It came out nice and hot. The chicken is always good here. I think the variety of sauces is a little lacking though.

Had the best spicy and crunchy chicken 🐔 😋

It's good and I finally found a place with traditional Army Stew. And they support Hongkongers too! 香港人加油！

非常差 炸鸡鸡肉没有味道 酱非常油腻 服务态度非常差 而且价格很贵

Our go to place for korean chicken. Always taste fresh and great..staff are always accommodating

Amazing place to eat and the chicken is very tasty and full of flavour. If you love your fried chicken, this is the place to be.

Price of the Extra Sauce can be reduced, Can try to keep the atmosphere clean and in the combo in which they are providing they are charging extra 50p for the sauce but they can keep sufficient sauce for that amount, it is my humble request. Atmosphere can be somewhat changed and if we order through deliveroo or other apps they can at least tell the deliveroo person to take the disposable gloves to be delivered along with the food. Thank you. Otherwise the food quality is good and the staffs are good

Took my daughter here as a treat as she likes Korean culture and food. Opted for the sweet and spicy chicken wings and fillets with a soft drink. Very tasty chicken and admittedly, a tad spicier than we both expected......hence eye watering!! Lovely experience and we will be back.