Friday, 6 November 2015

Getting Hot Hot Hot With Spice | Bundobust Menu Tasting - Leeds

Meow!



I got invited to try out Bundobust's new menu this week and I thought I would tell you guys all about it.

Bundobust is a vegetarian Indian restaurant. There is one within Leeds and one within Manchester that I know of. The whole concept is based around casual indian food that caters for the people within the world who doesn't eat meat.

It was our first time within Bundobust and after some great directions from Kel as it has become a tradition that I end up getting lost when it comes to trying to get to events from Leeds Train Station. (We realised that it was literally about a two/three minute walk from the station...) We had no clue what to expect when we finally came to the restaurant but out expectations were met via the sheer beauty of the interior of the restaurant. The glass doors that you entered via, the seating, the candlelights, the wallpaper, pictures, everything just looked so beautiful especially at night which is when we went.

We were allowed to try all five new dishes which are also gluten free and a cocktail each (myself and Luke went like per usual) but also like per usual we didn't really know what was fully going on so we got told something totally different (it got sorted out as we talked to a lovely member of staff who I can't for the life of me remember the name of) so I ordered a Mango Lassi for myself and Luke. I love mango anything including mango body butter so I knew that I would instantly love this. It was like a mango milkshake which would be great with the dishes as lactose/dairy is meant to cool you down after anything with a good hit of heat in. The pistachios that were on the top of the drink gave some texture to the drink which was lovely. I think if anything flaws had to picked out then all I could say is maybe some pieces of mango to make extra amazing!



The first dish that we tried was Paneer and Mushroom Tikka. This consists of Paneer, Mushroom and Peppers marinated in yoghurt curd and tikka masala which is then barbecued and served with a combo of a unique ketchup and a spinach chutney. If you don't know what Paneer is then the best way to describe it is the cousin of Halloumi. It's one of those cheeses that doesn't melt due to the water content and instead browns when it has been cooked. I loved the look of this dish when it arrived at our table. The paneer gave a slight salty edge to the dish where as the peppers contrasted this via their sweetness. The textures within this dish were amazing as well as the softness of the roasted pepper against the crispy edges of the paneer were amazing. I love Mushrooms and I think that their texture being very close to meat makes any meat eaters that go very very happy. I nearly ate it all but due to my stomach not liking lactose a lot couldn't cope eating any more of the Paneer after a while.



The next dish that we had was Tarka Dhal with Rice. This dish consisted of a mixed lentil curry cooked with an oil tempered with cumin, garlic and chilli which is served on basmati rice. I'm not a big fan of lentils but it gave such a good texture to the dish which meant you got a little bit of a bite with the smoothness of the oil tempered sauce. The heat was there but it wasn't too much for me but I love Fresh Ginger and Garlic so that's probably why. It was definitely warm but a dish that is amazing for when it's cold outside. The rice gave a fluffy texture to the dish and honestly if you didn't have the rice with the dish then I don't think it would be as good. It's infused via the curry and is just delicious.



The next dish that we tried was the Punjabi Kadhi. This is a warm Yoghurt soup cooked with Onions, Coriander Seeds and Ginger and served with Gobi Bhaji Dumplings. I loved this. The coriander seeds gave a distinct flavour to the soup which made me love it. I graze on a full bunch of Coriander when it's in front of me because I love it that much. The Onions and Ginger were there but it was an overwhelming sense of them. It just gave a subtle hint to the dish. I'm not used to a Yoghurt soup but it's something different but at the same time I suppose it's just like having coconut milk in a curry dish. The dumplings gave some texture to the dish and I loved them. I think that they might have been a bit better on the side rather than on top just because different people (me and Luke) have different opinions of how much of a dumpling should be submerged in a dish.



The next dish that I had was Biryani Bhaji Balls. Make all the innuendos you want because I know what you readers are like! Arancini meets biryani. Fried rolled rice flavoured with whole spices and rose served in a richly spiced tomato sauce. Oh my god, I loved these balls. The crispiness of the outside contrasted with the fluffiness of the inside. Just bliss. Luke doesn't like Arancini so he tried and then went nope but I kept eating them. The spiced were there but they weren't in the face and nor was the rose. (If it was then it would have probably reminded me of a bath bomb and I love bath products but not that much to start eating them for tea.) The sauce was incredible. The spices in the sauce made it incredible. I could have eaten more and more of the balls and the sauce. A great hybrid of dishes and cultures.



The last dish of the new menu that we tried was Chole Bhatura. Chickpeas in a rich onion and tomato sauce which is served with a soft Indian flatbread. The chickpeas were gorgeous in this dish. They gave the dish its filling nature. The sauce was delicious but it had a lot of spice which after all the other dishes meant that I could only eat so much of it. I love a good onion and tomatto sauce though. I seriously do. The flatbread was amazing though. I think I could have eaten loads of this for the whole night. They were the perfect thing to dip into the curry as it was just soaking up all the gorgeous juice.



All of the dishes were amazing in their own right and honestly they will all warm up you during the colder months even if its just via the warm tomato sauce thats served with the Biryani Bhaji Balls which could be shared between two with drinks for a catch up. Bundobust is an amazing place if you want something warming, love Indian food or are looking for something new and exciting, It has a great price range for food and drinks.

Have you tried any of the new dishes at Bundobust? Have you ever been to Bundobust before? Let me know in the comments down below! I can't thank the staff at the Leeds branch enough for being so kind and amazing. I hope to see you next time for another blog post.

Meow!
Jamie x

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