Inside the first restaurant to open at Trafford Centre's huge new food court

The first restaurant inside The Trafford Centre's revamped food court has opened its doors and is already attracting queues.

We reported last week how the former China Town area has reopened after a big budget makeover - with a whole host of new restaurants set to launch there.

The first is from Indian street food connoisseurs Chit 'n' Chaat, who opened on Friday in the passageway, which is one of the main routes through to The Orient central food court.

Read more: Huge new Trafford Centre food court opens after big revamp - all the restaurants confirmed so far

The award-nominated restaurant first opened its doors on the Curry Mile in Rusholme back in July 2020 and also has venues in Cheadle, Deansgate Square and London.

Its menu, which includes a wide variety of curries, noodle dishes and breads, has become a firm favourite amongst Manchester foodies and the new Trafford site is 'a dream location' for the brand, founded by Sagar Modha and Satish Kumar.

With backgrounds in business and food, the pair are both passionate about the industry and 'wanted to provide something that was missing in Manchester which was authentic Indian street food'.

The menu, which features Chit 'n' Chaat favourites as well as some new dishes for the new location, includes everything from the popular Dahi Puri - crispy puffed balls filled with potato, chickpeas and onions - to Indo-Chinese dishes like Chicken Hakka Noodles, the Paneer Tikka Burger, Chicken Kati Roll, curries and more.

The place was packed out for its first service on Friday as shoppers flocked to sample the unique offering.

Founder Sagar Modha said: "It’s been a lot of hard work, persistence and perseverance to get into The Trafford Centre and to see it be welcomed with such a great response has been fab to see."

The revamp has given the space a bright and modern new look, with a new circular entrance feature, a statement pink cherry blossom tree that runs across the glass roof at the mall and the floor dominated by a new Chinese lattice tiled design.

The pink theme is continued in the décor along the route, which will soon play host to a string of new food and drink operators.

The full China Town area, which is to be given a new name by shopping centre bosses, will be formally launched in the new year. But some other restaurants are due to open here before Christmas.

The new restaurants include hit Manchester Chinese restaurant and food hall Hello Oriental, which will open its second venue after the success of its first in Manchester at Circle Square.

Also announced is new high-end Japanese Peruvian restaurant Nichi. It is taking over a 3,000 sqft restaurant space offering sushi, Wagyu, and tableside flambé. The venue will also feature resident DJs as well as an omakase tasting menu.

Also announced to take over a unit inside the new Upper Orient space will be independent bakery and kitchen Blanchflower, known for its popular sites in Altincham and Sale. The new Blanchflower will not be opening until the new year though.

A Trafford Centre spokesperson said: "We’re continuously looking at ways to enhance our food and beverage offering, so we’re delighted that the area on the Upper Orient, previously known as China Town, is now fully open again for our guests to walk through.

"With a completely new look and feel, we look forward to unveiling more about this area and its restaurants in the new year."

Centre director Simon Layton said: "Chit ‘n’ Chaat's arrival at Trafford Centre boosts our dining scene with authentic Indian street food. We're thrilled to welcome them and believe their delicious menu will quickly become a favourite among our visitors."