The highlight of Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester: Venezuelan food?!?
Located near the heart of the city, Piccadilly Gardens is a 1960s concrete jungle with a splash of green. When we visited, there was a artistic feature as part of Manchester International Festival called "Big Ben Lying Down" - an odd feature that had was made of a number of political books.
Piccadilly Gardens is certainly not attractive and lacks charm, however it is home to a fantastic little street food market. Vendors include:
- Desserts and pastries
- Chinese and Japanese food
- Caribbean food
- Venezualan food
This United Nations of a street food market filled the air with delicious smells and the Venezualan food was the most notable on offer.
I have not step foot on the South American continent and neither have I ate much food from this part of the world, however Mia's Arepas are a unique offering that can't be found elsewhere in Manchester and are rare in much of the UK. Arepas are similar to bread made from gluten free maize dough, and then filled with a meat, salad and guacamole.
Expect a wait when visiting Mia's Arepas, on both occasions we waited for around 15 minutes for the food - which is quite a long time for street food - but the wait is well worth it. Mia and her colleagues at the street food stall are very chatty, and will happily talk to you about Venezualan food, culture and more whilst you're waiting - creating a happy, positive atmosphere. The bread is created freshly for every customer whilst the meat is also cooked on the spot too, versus other street food joints that always pre-prepare food that is not the freshest. This creates a piping hot Arepa that is flavourful and full of good quality food that is extremely satisfying.
I tried another Arepa, of Peruvian type this time, whilst back home in London and it did not match the Manchester Arepa one bit! If you are in the area, drop into Piccadilly Gardens and give Mia's Arepas a visit and you will not be disappointed - they're a good price, extremely tasty and filling. Muy bueno!