Fried Chicken, Oozing Bechamel & Grilled Cheese: Visiting Manchester's Parmo Specialists At Their New Gaff

Never been blessed by the opportunity to shove a big, hearty parmo in ya gob? Then something has surely gone wrong in your life and you should listen up. With the closure of shipping container and street food destination, Hatch, the purveyors of this mighty fine dish have high-tailed it over to Electrik's kitchen space. So, we thought it best to check out Parmogeddon in all their glory.

Our review of the chicken at Parmogeddon Manchester? All kinds of crispy.

Now, I'll level with you and admit that this ain't my first rodeo - Parmogeddon has made many a trip to my door courtesy of Uber Eats. Yet the thought of tucking into these beauties fresh as can be had me on the tram to Chorlton in a jiffy. Friendly neighbourhood bar Electrik welcomed us in warmly with their stripped-back space and a table at a comfy leather booth, where we quickly ordered drinks from the extensive craft beer list: a pint of Deya Brewing Company's Bang, Bang, Bang From The Bass (£6.20) for the both of us.

While this juicy pale ale went down the hatch easy, it was time to peruse the menu. My other half chose the salt and pepper parmo (£14.50). Not to be confused with the Italian parmigiana, the Teeside speciality of fried chicken, rich béchamel and a cheese pull-worthy grilled top had been made ever the more tasty by the warming Chinese seasoning alongside fried peppers and onions. A sure-fire hit. In the spirit of trying something new, I veered away from my usual mac 'n' cheese parmo to grab the mac and cheese butty (£13) instead. Original, right? Here, the crispy yet tender meat was slapped between two buns and had indulgent truffle macaroni bursting out the sides, all topped off by garlic sauce and some much-needed zingy slaw for balance. It's fair to say, this heavenly burger will now be my go-to order.

It's not just the signature dish that slaps on the Parmogeddon Manchester menu. 

While both of our mains had plenty of very moreish fries included in the price, we still wanted to push the boat out (and our stomach capacities) with some sides: the Buffalo honey chicken wings (£6), which could've done with a bit more meat on, and a parmo bao (£5.50). While the latter was delish, I thought it would've been a nice touch to include a choice of sauce and filling like the full-sized version, as when you got a mouthful without any béchamel-cheese combo it was a tad dry.

Rounding off our experience? A couple more drinks courtesy of the lovely team from Electrik. We got another Bang, Bang, Bang From The Bass (£6.20) for him (yup, it was just that good) and a salted caramel martini (£10.50) off the cocktail chalkboard for me - the ideal after-dinner treat boasting a mix of Havana, Irish cream and flavoured syrup. It was very hard to resist gulping this beauty down quickly, but I was conveniently distracted by the start of Quingo (a pop culture quiz with bingo, if the name didn't give it away) to wind down our evening. 

Electrik's drinks aren't to be missed either. 

The DesignMyNight Digest

We're pretty sure Parmogeddon is home to the best chicken parm in Manchester. Why? Not only is that combo of creamy béchamel and gooey grilled cheese already a winner, but they've really nailed mixing it up with different flavours and burgers too. Equally, Electrik make the ideal hosts thanks to the chilled-out atmosphere, refreshing craft ales and insane cocktails.

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