Kong's NQ in Manchester

Stopped in at Kong’s NQ for lunch while transferring between Piccadilly and Victoria, and I’m so glad I did. I was in a rush to catch a train, mentioned it to the team, and they couldn’t have been more accommodating - food came out quickly, bill sorted straight away, super friendly service. I had the signature chicken sandwich and it was unreal. Perfectly fried chicken thigh, crispy chicken skin crackling (game-changer), punchy sriracha slaw, tangy pickles, and a rich burger sauce that tied everything together. Portion of seasoned fries was huge and really well done - easily one of the best value plates I’ve had in a while. Massive portions, spot-on flavours, and staff who genuinely care about the experience. Whether you’re grabbing food on the go or sitting in with mates, this place is an absolute must.

Best chicken burger around! Having indulged in the excellence of Kong's Signature Sandwich a couple of years back I've been meaning to go back for another fix for a while. It is practically faultless from the hefty crisp and tasty chicken thigh, to the sweet pickles and and fresh lettuce trimmings. Perfect amount of burger sauce, soft sweet bun, chicken skin crackling for added crunch and an addition of a hash brown (my recommended extra!). I'd say I enjoyed the burger more last time but that was because it was a new experience and more so because I doubled the chicken! I didn't on this occasion to leave room for some wings. I had the Tito Pizza ones which were nice and crisp still even with the generous covering of marinara style sauce. Plenty of pepperoni and salami bits too. Really enjoyable. The place is hugely popular and for good reason! Staff were a delight to add further to a fantastic eating experience. Latest visit: I've been blown away by Kong's chicken burgers a few times before but I was excited to try some new additions to their menu. I went for ribs and chicken strips. The Vimto sauce on the ribs was tasty and despite being fairly subtle I did pick up a blackcurrant flavour. I think I'd have preferred the BBQ sauce though because that's my goto choice. The meat was beautifully tender and paired nicely with the refreshing sriracha slaw. I upgraded my fries to Parmesan & Basil mayo ones. The flavours were great but the fries were mostly cold. I should have said something I guess but I was starving from the fairly lengthy wait and fries can't really be heated up effectively anyway. I had the strips with the Bombay topping. The sauces were delicious and just as I hoped they'd taste. The chicken pieces were very big and cooked nicely. The coating could've been crispier. It had parts that were super crisp but most of it was quite tough to bite through. The coating also didn't really have any seasoning so I'm glad there was plenty of sauce covering them. I enjoyed these but I've had much better in Manchester. Everything was enjoyable and a fun mess to eat too but didn't meet the levels my previous visits. Quite pricey too but probably not much different to similar places in fairness. The service was stellar though and the place is pleasant. 1st visit (Dog Bowl): Unbelievable chicken burger. The signature sandwich was an absolute banger! Huge juicy thigh in the most deliciously seasoned crispy coating. Doubling up was a brilliant decision. Fries were bog standard but were salted well and crispy. Taken me a while to try Kongs out and I'm delighted I finally have! The staff were a real pleasure too.