10 Years Of Bundo Menu

We love a curry over at RoM HQ, and one of the city's favourite is the always fabulous Bundobust.  The combo of quality Indian food along with a proper pint is hard to match, and the guys have pioneered this in both Yorkshire and also on this side of the Pennines, for the last 12 years (10 years in Manchester). 

So based on that, it was an absolute treat to be invited down to Bundo's press and influencer menu relaunch last week down at their Manchester Brewery outlet.  It's our very favourite branch as it happens, and is where the beer is brewed for the whole Bundo portfolio, so it gets no better than this in terms of beer quality.  Down the team headed to find out more, first hand.

We settled in with a couple of those top quality pints, or half for one of our lighter weight team mates.  It's just always an unfalteringly solid pint, and knowing that it's travelled just metres to fill your glass is an added bonus.

Food wise, the team at Bundo have spent the last 2 years travelling in India & The UK, from Bangalore to Bradford, to Ludhiana to Leicester, to get a true feel for what Indian communities are cooking up, both at home and on the streets of India, to bring a fresh new menu to their restaurants across the North of England.

As a result of what sounds like lot of graft and obvious 'research', the guys have launched the biggest shake-up to their menu since they first opened in 2014.  The menu offering features greatest-hits, new and improved old favourites, and brand new dishes inspired by India’s most vibrant street food.

The exciting new menu makes their line-up of dishes even better for sharing with a group which is exactly what we did on this banquet of a lunch, creating the truest ever expression of the Bundobust experience!

Expect to find the perfect bite-sized Vada Pav Sliders, which have been completely redesigned with an emphasis on sharing, which you can add to any meal.  The newly added and melt in the mouth Galouti Kebab was a real highlight with it's buttery soft texture and huge flavour.

And then, not forgetting the return of a true Bundo classic - the Pav Bhaji.  Theres not much that's not already been said that I can tell you about this absolute icon of a dish.  It's stood the test of time on Bundo's menu from day one.

And we are pleased to report that the iconic Okra Fries and Paneer Tikka are sticking around despite the menu revamp. Imagine the uproar if they ever tried to take these off.

Behind the scenes, the Chefs have delved through the archives of limited edition dishes and one-off specials, picking out customers' most loved recipes, and used that as inspiration for brand new dishes, like the zingy Masala Makai Ribs and the Indo-Chinese inspired Manchurian Wings.

Price wise, it's all super reasonable too. Customers can enjoy the Best of Bundo by choosing a pre-picked Combo, with an option to order the whole menu for £134 with the famously indulgent Bundo Combo, which feeds up to 8 hungry diners.  We can absolutely verify the accuracy of this!

For those after a quicker/slimmed down option, then Bundobust’s Lunch Express deal will also feature 2 brand new dishes for those looking for curry in a hurry.  It's available Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 4pm for the bargain price point of just £11.25.

Drinks wise, things are equally as impressive.  Those beers, made onsite sit alongside new cocktails & mocktails that put an Indian spin on your favourite classics!

A brand new beer will be joining the award-winning  core line-up.  Chacha is a decadent Chai Stout brewed with oats, roasted malts, and Bundobust’s own blend of warming spices. Joining the likes of Python Premium Lager, there's now also Peela Pale Ale and the Ekla Single Hop IPA, featuring as a permanent keg on every Bundobust bar.

And whilst we didn’t order any on this occasion, if cocktails are more your thing then try the new Mango Martini, Ginger Paloma, or Chilli Pineapple Soda mocktail.  We are assured from surrounding tables that they are all superb.

It was an absolute feast for everybody in attendance and having the opportunity to meet and have a proper chat with owners Mayur and Marko, was also wonderful.  We admittedly slipped into fanboy mode and asked the guys to sign an anniversary cartoon for us to hang on the office wall, which over the years has become a bit of a library!

Bundobust's vibrant new menu is available now, so book your own table to experience the new Bundobust menu.  It's easy to see why Bundo has become such a well-loved brand on both sides of the Pennines.

**Our experience was gratefully comped **

Bundobust x Madre

A dream collab last night at Bundobust Brewery, who've announced a collaboration with the superstars at Madre to create a series of specials which offer the best of both worlds, from two iconic operators! 

We were invited down to sample the entire collab menu, plus a couple of must-order Bundo classics which were thrown in for good measure!  So, what's on the collaboration menu?

Naanchos (£5) started us off strongly and was an inventive play on everyone's favourite Mexican side dish, Nachos, only made with crisped, flattened naan bread chips.   Waves of flavour were delivered with some chaat masala spice, a zingy salsa verde, tamarind, onion and chopped coriander, with a cooling curry leaf crema, all finished with pickle masala.

Tikkadilla (£8.50) came as a pair of corn tortillas, filled with super earthy oyster mushrooms which had been marinated in black salt, tamarind and lime and Salsa Norteña.   They were filled with a red tikka sauce and oozy Oaxaca cheese for that 'quesadilla' nod, finished with green salsa.  These came with a simply stunning Desi Birria sauce for that obligatory dipping.

Masala Chimichanga (£8) was a spin on a TexMex classic. A caraway seed tortilla stuffed with lemon rice, Oaxaca cheese, and a veggie curry.  The whole thing is then rolled and fried to golden perfection, then topped with more cheese, a biryani sauce. Green salsa and Achari Pico.  This was the unanimous table favourite on the evening, plus two of our reviewers visited a couple of days after we did and also agreed that this is the standout dish of the collab!

Birria-ani (£8) is the Bundobust x Madre remake of a classic biryani and whilst being possibly the most discreet collab dish in feel, was still utterly delicious.  Marinated jackfruit with chipotle paste, saffron, fried onions with a blast of freshness coming from some mint.  This was super fragrant and delivered an explosion of flavour.

And finally, Corn Chaat (£6.50) was another group favourite.  Fresh sweetcorn and black beans dressed in lime and Mexican spices, served with corn chips and a curry leaf crema.  This was so refreshing and texture laden.

And the collab doesn’t end with the new dishes. There's also some newly curated cocktails and a specially curated beer to enhance your experience.

Avocado Lassi (£4.50) is the beloved creamy Indian favourite, only made with avocado and lime for that Mexican twist.  Absolutely delicious.  If sweet drinks aren't your thing, then how about a Sanja Mexican Lager (£6.30 a pint), which is Bundobust's own brew with a dark golden colour and rich, malty flavour, it's the ideal match for the special dishes. Our next round of tipples was a Cashew Colada; with the same familiar coconut and citric vibes as the classic pineapple version, but this time using superb quality Ojo De Dios Mezcal and cashews.

And finally, we decided to end on something light and refreshing.  The Roasted Pineapple Fresca (£9.50) worked a treat, again using Ojo De Dios Mezcal, with the effervescence of some London Essence Roasted Pineapple Soda, brightened up with a hit of lime.

So, the special Bundobust x Madre dishes all deliver huge flavours and a marriage of spices which works amazingly well. The range of matched drinks is also on point and tie in with the food absolutely perfectly, all wrapped up with the same vibe that you've come to know and love whilst at Bundobust.

**Our experience was gratefully comped **