The start of the year may have so far brought with it lots of snow and rain - but there’s a place in Manchester that aims to transport you to the white-sand crescents of an Australian beach with its food.
Superfood fast food joint Bondi Bowls first opened in Manchester over a year ago and has become popular for its range of bowls featuring grains and proteins promising something wholesome without cutting out on flavour or personality - all inspired by food you’d find served up on stalls and bars on the outskirts of Bondi Beach.
So, with the combination of the terrible weather and a need to start 2025 a little healthier than it has been for me for the past couple of weeks, I headed into their Chorlton Street location, situated within the KAMPUS neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Gay Village, on a midweek lunchtime to give it a whirl.
Walking into the store, and after receiving a warm hello from a member of staff, the first thing that hits me is the eclectic menu - with pictures of bowls featuring a brightly-coloured assortment of ingredients - staring back at me.
Its menu features the likes of the Mexican bowl, featuring black rice, mixed beans, sweet potato, tomatoes, charred corn, onion, coriander and spiced coconut with a chipotle mayo dressing, and the Caesar bowl, featuring dressing alongside lettuce, kale, tomatoes, sourdough croutons, spinach and spiced coconut, alongside a choice of proteins at extra.
But there’s one thing that immediately grabs my attention and its not even featured within the main section of the menu. Priced at £4.50, the ‘Fire’ soup bowl is an entirely enticing option considering the icy climates outside - featuring carrot, ginger, paprika, cumin and lime, with spiced coconut, coriander and Roquito peppers.
Heading to the self-order counter, it's an instant selection for me but the price point leaves me contemplating whether it’s a meal in itself or not. Whilst there is the option to add in extras like tofu (£1.50) or chicken (£2.50) to pad it out a bit more, I decide to get it on its own and order another bowl alongside it - just for good measure.
Running through the list, I’m half-tempted by the Katsu bowl (a classic) but ultimately opt for the Korean Bowl purely due to its colourful aesthetic on the menu. The bowls are priced from £7.95 to £9.90 based on size with proteins, like I just mentioned, added at an extra cost. I go for tofu with it.
The Korean Bowl features black rice, kimchi, wakame, kale, edamame beans, pickled cabbage, golden beets, carrot, coriander, spring onion and sesame seeds, alongside a dressing and, unbeknownst to me at the time, a 'gochujang' hot sauce.
Adding a can of still water to my order, I then take a seat as the servers prepare my meal in front of me. Within minutes, it’s on my table - looking colourful and smelling great.
Of course, the first thing that hits me is the warmth of the soup - both in smell and temperature. Whilst I was a little apprehensive about how spicy the soup would be. It’s got a kick to it, for sure, but it’s actually manageable in terms of my measly spice tolerance.
Despite being named Fire, it was more about the flavours offering a comforting sense of warmth - the sweet peppers mixing nicely with the coconut flakes and the paprika spices.
It’s delicious and I waste no time lapping it up in great measure to the point that I pretty much forget about my other meal now waiting at the side for me. The little Roquito peppers - a chaotic mix of sweet and spice - are the true highlight and elevate things.
Tucking into my Korean bowl, I realise its immediately more spicy than the soup. Not realising it had a hot sauce in it, the heat certainly comes as a bit of a surprise to me. Spiciness aside though, there’s a lovely blend of flavours - there’s the crunch of the edamame beans and beets, alongside the warmth of the delicious black rice, with a salty tang to proceedings thanks to the kimchi and wakame seaweed.
Tofu can sometimes be a bit bland for me, but here, it’s really nice and soaks up the flavours it comes served with - working as a perfect companion. The pickled cabbage also adds another depth of flavour to things too.
However, I’ve got to admit, it’s a little too spicy for little old me. Whilst I power through - mainly due to my love of the mix of grains within - it’s something I can’t see myself ordering again, and I immediately regret not ordering the Katsu bowl or the original Bondi Bowl.
For those who like heat, I can imagine it’s not even the hottest thing they’ve had - it’s just a bit too close to the line in terms of my own spice tolerance, and I’ve made my peace with the fact that I can barely handle a Jalapeno these days.
But, hot sauce aside, the flavours in the bowl are fresh, tasty and wholesome. It’s a nice mix of consistencies and they all balance each other out well.
I was perhaps a little too greedy with my order too. I wasn’t able to finish both bowls at lunch, but it meant I could soldier on with the Korean Bowl when it came to teatime.
But it’s that Fire soup that will have me coming back - especially if the further snow warnings are anything to go by. And the soup itself would have been more than enough for me with a bit of chicken or tofu added in (you could also choose BBQ prawns, roasted salmon, or tempah if you wanted too).
For anyone in the city centre looking for a lunch that's certainly more aesthetically-pleasing than a supermarket meal deal, Bondi Bowls is certainly an option to consider - and make sure you give that soup a try too. it's certainly enough to temporarily make you forget you're in a rain-soaked Manchester.
Bondi Bowls is at Kampus, 57 Chorlton Street, Manchester, M1 3FY.
