Salt and Pepper Okra Fries, ‘Prawn’ Gobi Toast and Gobi Manchurian are all back by popular demand on the Bundobust menu this spring.
Indian street food and craft beer favourite Bundobust are consistently killing it with their specials.
In fact, we're constantly on the edge of our seat to see what brilliance they're going to come up with next. So when we heard that they were bringing back their Indo-Chinese specials, we were absolutely over the moon.
Ever since we got our chops round their 'Prawn' Gobi Toast in 2022, we've been dreaming about it ever since.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The entire selection of Indo-Chinese specials are a celebration of flavours, textures are absolutely not to be missed. So, let's get into it.
Inspired by Kolkota’s Chinatown district, each dish has been specially crafted as an homage to this legendary collaboration of flavours, and sealed with a signature Bundobust twist.
Crowd favourite Gobi Toast features deep-fried pav soldiers topped with garlic and ginger minced cauliflower, crusted with mixed sesame, and served with a new Szechuan mayo dipping sauce.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
In a proper clash of Northern titans, the Salt & Pepper Okra Fries are a spicy celebration of the great Chinese chippy - crispy okra, tossed generously with peppers, onions, chilli flakes and soy sauce. Absolutely delicious and completely addictive.
Bundobust's take on fried rice is the new Chow Chow, a half-rice-half-noodle stir fry topped with caramelised garlic and Desi chilli crisp - utterly delicious.
You can also get your hands on new kids on the block Corn Ribs and Chilli Paneer, fantastic additions which we've been craving a taste of ever since we tried them.
You can order these specials separately alongside your other Bundobust favourites or you can enjoy the Indo Chinese Combo for 2 where you get all the specials for just £35. It's a no brainer really isn't it.
The specials are on from 4 March to 14 April 2024, you can take a look at the full menu here.
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Team behind Headrow House and Belgrave to take over and reopen Woodside just one year after opening
Clementine Hall
The foodie-favourite restaurant and bar is now under new management.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that Woodside has sadly been closed for a few months.
We certainly have, and ever since December we've had a Woodside Sunday roast-shaped hole in our hearts that's been gasping for one of their glorious Marmite glazed parsnips.
But luckily, it has now been confirmed that Woodside isn't going anywhere as Superfriendz, the team behind Headrow House, Belgrave and many other top Leeds spots will be taking over. Hallelujah.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Woodside opened at the end of 2024 from the owners of The Brunswick and The Melbourne.
Labelling itself as a 'neighbourhood eatery and bar', Woodside quickly became a favourite amongst Leeds foodies and was known for its smoked meats, great cocktails and stellar Sunday roasts (do I need to talk about the parsnips again).
The menu was fresh and innovative, with oysters topped with kiwi granita and an incredibly garish banana split standing out as highlights.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We hope that the new management continues to maintain Woodside's brilliance, but mainly we're just so glad that it's sticking around.
Superfriendz take care of a whole host of spots in the city, including proper Leeds favourites Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Waterlane Boathouse.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Woodside said: "After a longer-than-expected winter break, Woodside is back and will reopen on Thursday 19th March!
"Your favourite neighbourhood bar and eatery returns with the same warm welcome, but an all new management team.
"We can’t wait to see you so keep your eyes on our socials for news on great food and drinks, big screen sports, quizzes and more.
"We’d also like to thank Sam and the original team for all the hard work that went into setting-up the venue. We hope we can do it justice."
Clementine Hall -
6th March 2024 
