ONCE upon a time it would have seemed unseasonal to celebrate Christmas with an Indian feast. Even the furthest flung Raj outposts would source an indigenous turkey to roast and conjure up a substitute stuffing in the absence of sage and chestnuts.
Manchester 2017, going on 2018, is less hidebound by culinary tradition (at least in the run-up to the Big Day). Hence, ToM’s final meal out of the year was to sample the Bundobust Christmas Menu, whose only concession to trad musts was the presence of Brussels sprouts in the bhaji.
It really has been the Year of the Bundo with hardly any visitor finding fault with its craft beer/Gujarati veggie formula. Nominated in six categories at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards, it could have won any, but left it until cliffhanging last to scoop Best Restaurant.
Maybe that was a mite controversial, given the food is served in (biodegradable) throwaway tubs and it is essentially a bar. That bar was thronged on a Christmas week evening and so we abandoned plans for the full festive dinner and nibbles (£15, supp for pud) and settled for sampling the two key dishes.
Sprout Bhajis (£4) combined the little green cannonball with broccoli and onion and flavoured them with some of our favourite Indian spices, fennel, ajwain and chilli. As we’ve come to expect the gram flour batter was beautifully crisp. Only complaint – there wasn’t enough tamarind and plum chutney (or it had dried up under the pass heater as we waited to be squeezed onto one of the long tables).
Festive curry (£6.50) showed what immaculate spicing can do for a cluster of root veg – parsnips, carrots, potatoes, courgettes and French beans. A rich tomato/coconut broth helped, too and a tub of cumin-scented rice to soak it all up.
We decided against a closer of Northern Bloc coconut and caramelised almond ice cream because the beer was kicking in. We resisted the temptation of the 11.8 per cent Cloudwater Christmas Cake Imperial Double Stout. We’re saving that one for Christmas.
Bundobust, 61 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2AG. 0161 359 6757.