Yakisoba

This is probably the worst restaurant in Manchester. Food was very bad. There wasn’t anything good in that restaurant.

I enjoyed my meal here, I came with a friend and we shared the Steamed Assorted Dumplings Platter and then I had the Char Sui and Roasted Duck Noodle Soup. The meal was good although next time I will probably skip the duck as I found it to be very salty. Overall the meal was very reasonably priced and fairly good, the staff were good and service was polite and all in good time, they warned us that we would have to wait for the steamed dim sum, but to be honest I expect this and also it did not seem to take all that long (maybe more to do with the lovely conversation, but who knows, always good to catch up with friends).
Overall worth a visit although I have had better, I think this is a good alternative to going into town, for something simular.

We last went here on New Year’s Day having spent a fair while wandering round Chorlton trying to find somewhere that was open, serving food and had room for 6. Something which proved quite difficult. Happily, Yakisoba had plenty of room.
6 of us shared dumplings to start which were very good. For mains I had teriyaki beef steak which I have to say was very good. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals very much too. There was a bento box served between the courses which was a nice touch but it could have been brought closer to the mains I think. When one of the mains was brought out the waitress quite amusingly fumbled the rice onto the table and then swept t up with the lid of the box… she took our jokes and the whole situation in good humour and quickly brought a replacement. Another slight gripe I would have is that there was a fair few minutes between the first and last main coming which given the restaurant wasn’t that busy, perhaps could have been a little better, although having never worked in a restaurant in any capacity I’m less than qualified to really judge this.
The final bill came to around £25 each including 2 or 3 drinks each which I have to say is pretty good. I’m torn between giving Yakisoba 4 or 5 stars and even though I’ve put 4 I mean 4.5 (take that scoring system!) as its good and I’ll probably be going again, but I don’t want to rush back really soon which I think I would be if I was inclined to give it 5. Would still very much recommend.

I didn’t set out to go to Yakisoba. We ended up going in here after wandering around Chorlton for the better part of an hour on New Year’s Day, trying to find somewhere which was both open and still serving food. We actually tried to go to Double Zero, which is practically next door, but as there was another 20 minutes until they opened which would’ve meant standing outside in the cold we went elsewhere and arrived at Yakisoba.
The restaurant itself is a bit narrow, but there’s room inside for a decent amount of people — say 30 – 40 or so. We were a group of 6, which wasn’t an issue as they weren’t very busy. Unlike other restaurants serving Asian food, Yakisoba had already provided cutlery on the tables as well as chopsticks so you don’t have to make that embarrassing admission that you can’t use them.
The menu is pretty extensive, with a selection of starters and sharing platters, but practically everything comes with a bento box with a range of accompaniments for a larger main dish. We ordered three of the mixed dumpling platters to share between us, and for a main I went for the Kare Katsu Chicken, which came with steamed jasmine rice as well as the bento.
The mixed dumpling platter had 10 dumplings (2 of each of the five varieties), as well as some dipping sauces such as sweet chilli and soy. I liked all the dumplings, which were filled with a variety of meats and fish, and the sweet chilli sauce was great.
There was a little bit of a wait between the bento aspect of the meal arriving and the main dish following it, but that wasn’t too bad. One of our party had a little mishap where one of the staff dropped a portion of rice on the table, which we made a little bit of a joke about and the lady who was waiting on our table took it in good humour too.
The Kare Katsu was a hearty portion, and I mean hearty. The chicken was crispy and perfectly cooked without being dry, and the katsu curry sauce was fantastic. The chicken pieces were huge too, which made it interesting eating with chopsticks but I enjoy a challenge and it also stopped me from basically inhaling my food. The rice was good also, but I think sticky rice would have been my preference — especially for eating with chopsticks. The others went for a range of different bento meals, including the teriyaki beef steak and the duck in red thai curry, all of which looked delicious and went down well.
They have a decent range of drinks as well, including Asian beers like Kirin Ichiban and Tsingtao as well as wine and spirits.
Overall, even though we didn’t set out to go to Yakisoba I’m quite happy that we did. Some of our group couldn’t finish the meal, due to the size of the portions not any issue with quality, so if you’re after a hearty meal then this place will provide. At £25 each for a starter, main and a couple of drinks each including a tip it’s also not going to break you financially either. If you just wanted a main course, all the bento boxes were around £9−12 and would make a good meal on their own.
I’d certainly be happy to return to Yakisoba in future.

A couple of friends and I wanted a decent feed after a day spent helping them move house to Chorlton, so we had a wander down Barlow Moor Road to see what was on offer.
Initially choosing the new Caribbean place, The Drop, we quickly left once we’d been told by other diners that they’d been waiting two hours for their food!
Thankfully Yakisoba was right there and so we gave them a try. I’m really glad we did as the food was lovely; their menu is varied and appetising. I love places with open kitchens, it somehow makes you feel like you’re no longer sitting in the UK.
After sharing a platter of starters between us, we each ordered a Bento Box which, together with your main course, comprises an assortment of salad, vegetable miso soup and steamed Jasmine rice.
I ordered the Teriyaki Fillet Steak (grilled slices of fillet steak with ginger, rice wine and soy sauce). The sauce was particularly rich but when ‘diluted’ in the rice made for a delicious and hearty dinner.
A thoroughly pleasant evening and I’d definitely eat here again if I was in this neck of the woods.

I love this place. They specialise in bento boxes, a classic Japanese style of working lunch or dinner served in compartmentalised lacquered serving dish, an oriental ‘tiffin’ if you like. Your main dish, in a bowl (in the case of this visit: Red Hot Sichuan lomen noodles and Buddha Delight noodle soup with shiitake mushroom and tofu. Hot, sweet and sour, and earthy and savoury respectively with the best miso soup starter I’ve had). The bento sides are salad, fruit and nuts. Service is fast, quality is great and the portions are almost too big! The wine quality is also surprisingly good and affordable. Well worth the visit and the return.

Three and a half stars for cheap food presented nicely in bento boxes and reasonably priced.
Another place I have been meaning to get to due to the rave reviews on Unilocal.I came here for lunch and the closed sign was still up but we could see staff in red tshirts walking around and there were chairs and tables outside.
After asking whether they were open, we were placed in an odd alcove. Not sure why I seem to be placed in corners. After being seated we weren’t given much time to look at the drinks menu and we asked for our drinks order.
The menu seemed delicious and there was soo much choice of food which sounded delicious. When the food came, it looked delicious and the presentation was good and it tasted very fresh and well cooked. The own downside was the miso soup which had far too much flavour which was an overkill. I think they used too much msg as four hours on, my mouth is still watering.
Maybe it was a wrong time to come to the restaurant as the staff were having their lunch and they were noisily eating their lunch and all speaking cantonese which ruins the authenticity of the place.
I would come here again as the food and presentation was great (except the miso soup) and the price isn’t too bad for what you get.

I like Yakisoba in Chorlton when we’re in the area and have a hankering for some asian food. In fact I can’t think of many other restaurants in the area with similar dishes.
They specialise in Bento boxes, which are cooler versions of the old lunch plates I used to have at primary school many moons ago, but Yakisoba’s menu is pan asian really, with Chinese, Thai and Indonesian influenced dishes quite prominent alongside the Japanese where the restaurant takes it’s name.
There’s nothing particularly authentic about the dishes, but every time we’ve been it’s been a pleasurable experience, there’s something ace about a bento box that makes it feel like you’re getting a lot for your money, and they are good value overall, with a large main dish, noodle or rice-​based stir fries & soups alongside a number of little nibbles (I always immediately go for the cashews covered in sesame seeds) and miso soup, it gives you a whole meal with contrasting tastes and textures for around a tenner.
The food tastes fresh and full flavoured, on our most recent visit the seafood in my wife’s dish was of excellent quality, especially the mussels, with a rich, spicy broth and lovely slippery noodles. There’s also a couple of interesting tweaks on the menu like the fried sushi rolls which we often get and eat too quickly resulting in a burnt mouth.
It’s more than your run-​of-​the-​mill place, the quality of the ingredients and execution is superior to that of similar places like Tampopo & Wagamama, the authenticity isn’t there but when it’s a reasonably priced interesting taste I don’t think it really matters.

Well, as far as Asian Fusion goes, this is a lot better than Tampopo. Great value and great flavours in the teriyaki steak and spicy chicken (the latter a massive portion). Some of the elements of the bento box — the slightly stale prawn crackers, the salad featured my nemesis iceberg lettuce — were a bit limp, but it’s a fun and different dining experience. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go here but if I were in Chorlton it would definitely be on my list. Quite noisy so not the place for quiet chat/​romantic date. Service was friendly.

There’s a sticker in the window stating ‘People love us on Unilocal!’ Well where Unilocal goes, I shall follow.
The restaurant itself is cute, although it’s narrowness makes it feel a bit pokey, and we were crammed awkwardly into a corner. Staff were friendly and attentive.
We completely over-​ordered. Portion sizes are staggering. Don’t be like us. We got a dumpling platter and won tons for a starter. The dumplings were good. Some were better than others — the one that came in a separate dish with fresh ginger was delicious.
I had Vietnamese beef and rice noodle soup. This came with a bento box, with a fish/​potato/​tofu cake (not sure) in place of the usual miso. As mentioned, the portion was so big I was slightly terrified. The soup was delicious, with chunks of beef and delicious veg. The noodles however were so-​so and although I enjoyed this dish I don’t think I’d ordered it again. My boyfriend ordered teriyaki steak which was a smaller portion but tasted incredible and came with rice.
Overall I loved it here and would happily head back! A great little place on Barlow Moor Road.

Me and my friends go to Yaki Soba quite often and it’s definitely our favourite place in Chorlton. It’s great value for money as for around £9 you get a bento box which consists of a salad, miso soup, prawn crackers, honey and sesame coated cashew nuts and two pieces of fruit. You choose the main course from the main menu, it comes with a side of noodles or rice and it’s all included in the price. They also do freshly squeezed juices-​the carrot and ginger is delicious! On the other hand the service can be quite slow and some of the waittesses a bit rude-​hence only 4 stars.

delicious spicy food I had vegetarian pad which included a bento box. The meal was very nice but so big I took my portion home! The restaurant was quite noisy and busy but the food arrived fast and everyone enjoyed it, the total bill for 4 including drinks was £55 which is a bargain as the food was so filling with leftovers for lunch tomorrow :) I will return here again…

Exceptional quality, value, flavour
8.50 for a Bento box and an enormous portion of very tasty food. I love this place, and cannot believe the price. When you compare against other Bento places in Mcr this place becomes an incredible bargain. I can’t over state the quality. Fragrant, flavorsome, tender meat, generous portions. Just amazing.

Love this place, the food is delicious. They serve each main with a bento box full of prawn crackers, sesame cashews, fruit and miso soup. My main nasi goreng was extremely good. The prawns were massive and the portion quite large, not bad for £9. The restaurant is fairly small and has a good atmosphere. Service was quick and efficient. Probably one of my favourite restaurants in Chorlton.

Good for: Bento, restaurant standard take-​away, cheap eats
Bad for: Food poisoning. Just once.

If you’ve never tried Japanese food before, this is a good ‘starter point’ restaurant not too pretentious and a good variety of food. If you’re a bit more of a ‘foodie’ it might not be the best or most authentic Japanese experience but you’ll find the food is quite tasty and the portion size good. Good mix of vegetarian and meat-​eater options.
Worth booking in advance as was quite busy last time we visited.

This place ROCKS for two reasons.
The first is that the place is cheap as hell.
The second is that the portions are friggin’ enormous and you can take them home with you! They box them right up those boxies.
Before the main course you get a small box filled with spicy prawn crackers, miso soup (as I wrote that I could taste it, it is probably the nicest miso I’ve ever had) salad, fruit and candied cashews. By the time you’ve sampled the salad and crackers and soup the main course arrives in a large bowl full of awesomeness. The dishes are so salty and sweet and perfect. And the chicken is really tender and delicious.
The only down side to it is that if you sit by the door it is well draughty yo.

I’d always thought the name of this restaurant odd, considering it shares its moniker with the chicken and shrimp noodle dish at Wagamama. And Pan Asian cuisine can be off-​putting due to the idea that it’s trying to do far too much at once. But remember that Tampopo successfully manages such a feat, and do give Yakisoba a go because it’s muchos delicious.
As well as traditional Bento boxes you can get delicious little steamed or fried bites from the Oriental Tea House menu, served for grazing in smaller portions and light bites such as tempura and soups. The prices are insanely reasonable, a trademark of good Chorlton eateries. When I rocked up the food tasted oh so fresh and wholesome, not to mention tasty, I almost forgot it was good for me.
I’d say if you’re lucky enough to live in Chorlton this is a great restaurant to have as one of your locals.

I definitely agree with Kirsten. This is a particularly good Japanese restaurant beaten in Manchester only by the 4 restaurants of the Samsi group, Sapporo Teppanyaki and Tokyo Season.
What makes it particularly good in my opinion is that it is good on both the sushi and main meals front, and this is unusual in my experiences of Japanese restaurants. Even the Samsi restaurants clearly make sushi the central attraction.
Price wise its very good, at under £8 for a bento box, which is of ample size. Its around the same price range as Little Samsi, which is in the same area. If you just want sushi and sashimi I would direct you towards Little Samsi in Withington rather than here, but if you want a more varied Japanese meal, then I’d give Yakisoba the nod. They also serve alcohol where Little Samsi do not, making Yakisoba (just about) the premier Japanese in South Manchester.
In terms of dishes, I would particularly recommend the Red Hot Sichuan Lomen which is gorgeous chicken and aubergine in a yellow bean chilli sauce. Mmmmmm!

My housemates had given me mixed reviews of our local Japanese (and Chinese and Thai) restaurant Yakisoba. I just had to try it for myself. On seeing the menu — a very wide mixture of dishes from dim sum to stir fries sushi to noodle soups — I had a feeling that this place would be a disappointing jack of all cuisines and a master of none.
How wrong I was! My boyfriend and I both opted for a Bento Box — a wooden tray divided into little compartments with miso soup, salad, a main course and rice/​noodles and a delicious fruit salad. For £7.95 each this was great value for money. The service was a little slow, but the food arrived cooked to perfection so it was worth the wait.
Comparable to Wagamama in restaurant style, food quality and price, Yakisoba is the only restaurant of its kind in Chorlton and is consequently often packed out, but fear not Japanese lovers — they also have a takeaway service.