Featured Image Credit: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Topics: Restaurants and bars, UK Food
Ben Williams
Topics: Restaurants and bars, UK Food
Erling Haaland isn’t just considered one of the best football players in the world - he’s known as the greatest Norwegian contender, ever.
With all that power comes some major influence, with budding sportspeople copying his meditation techniques and trying to eat like him, too.
Earlier this month, the 25-year-old published a vlog-style video on YouTube which documented him slipping a spoonful of maple syrup in his coffee, and picking up steaks, milk and honey from a local farmer.
When he’s not training for Manchester City, the striker is known to let loose at clubs in the city, such as MNKY HSE, and to dine out at Ad Maiora, a local sandwich shop whose customers include Phil Foden and Pep Guardiola.
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Now, there’s another Manchester-based eatery where you can pick up a ‘Haaland Special’ - and it’s in Chinatown.
You wouldn’t necessarily expect a Premier League giant to stroll in for a weekend bite, but that’s exactly what happened when Haaland made a surprise appearance at Happy Seasons, one of the city’s most beloved Chinese restaurants.
It was the kind of casual drop-in that gets fans whispering before anyone even has time to pull their phone out, and with Haaland standing at an unmistakable 6ft 4in, the whispers didn’t last long. Staff were left stunned as the Manchester City star walked through the doors following his team’s 3-0 win over Liverpool.
What happened next has quickly turned into one of Manchester’s most talked-about recent foodie moments. After the visit, Happy Seasons shared a snap of the striker for Instagram, along with noting his order, and that’s when everything snowballed. Haaland didn’t choose anything off-menu or particularly experimental.
Instead, he went straight for a comforting triple roast meat dish: roasted duck, crispy belly pork, and a second style of pork, the kind of plate you’d expect a hungry footballer to demolish after a match.
The restaurant soon realised fans were already asking how they could get their hands on the exact same order. So they gave it a name: the Haaland Special, sharing it in a follow-up post.
While this selection of triple-roasted meats with rice has already been part of the restaurant’s menu for years, it didn’t stop customers from beginning to ask for it under its new name, with one person commenting online: “I’ll take the Haaland and rice.” Another added: “I want to try the Haaland special”.
As for the staff, they certainly won’t forget the moment anytime soon. As reported by the Sun, they said: “As big City fans ourselves, our jaws just dropped the moment he walked in”, adding that “Haaland did order the roasted duck and crispy belly pork.”
They even confirmed: “So, as funny as it sounds, if you ask for ‘The Haaland Special’ you’ll get exactly what he ordered.”
It’s no secret that Haaland’s appetite is the stuff of legend among those who know him best. His Norway team-mate Josh King once summed it up perfectly, saying: “He’s just a freak. I’ve never ever seen anyone eat as much as he does.”