Bondi Bowls, a fast food spot inspired by the health-conscious takeaways of Australia, is about ready to open its doors at Kampus.
The business is already a firm favourite amongst Mancs after its time spent at Escape to Freight Island, the now-closed street food village Hatch, and on delivery platform Deliveroo.
And now Bondi Bowls is ready to launch a dedicated restaurant space within the garden neighbourhood at Kampus.
This new Manchester restaurant does a good job of recreating the sunnier climes of Bondi Beach, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows, white walls, and a giant mural of the world-famous beach on one wall.
To celebrate its launch on Monday 9 October, Bondi Bowls will be giving away 100 free bowls to the first customers who head down from 11.30am.
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Its menu features flavour-packed salad bowls, like a Caesar Bowl, a Mexican Bowl, and a Poke Bowl, each one customisable with protein-packed add-ons like charred salmon, watermelon sashimi, and tofu.
The vegan-friendly offering also includes Acai Bowls and fresh smoothies.
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Bondi Bowls has opened at Kampus in ManchesterBondi Bowls has opened at Kampus in Manchester
There are taps pouring locally-brewed kombucha from Laid Bear, and All Press Espresso coffee.
You can even buy little jars of their homemade ingredients, from salad dressings to baked coconut to chilli crunch to granola.
The business was founded by Jamie Tones, who took inspiration from his years spend living Down Under.
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Jamie said: “We’re on a mission to challenge perceptions of ‘fast food’ and give people on-the-go choices that are healthier, and packed with flavour and vibrancy. It’s something Australia does really well, but is somewhat lacking in the UK – even in major cities like Manchester.
“Opening a new Bondi Bowls home at Kampus is an absolute dream. Our base of customers has grown so quickly and we’ve been floored by how supportive they’ve been. We love our new space and can’t wait to welcome people through the doors with our 100 bowl giveaway.
Bondi Bowls has opened at Kampus in ManchesterBondi Bowls has opened at Kampus in ManchesterBondi Bowls has opened at Kampus in Manchester
“Our new home will be a welcoming space, where people can spend time and eat in or grab and go – with our stacked menu of Bondi favourites and some new additions. We’ve got loads of exciting link-ups in the pipeline for those wanting to make healthy changes in their life, starting with hosting the great people at Manchester Run Club for their weekly run and social.
“Kampus is the perfect fit for us, with its foodie credential and focus on wellbeing, our offer really complements that of our inspiring neighbours.”
Manchester Run Club will soon meet at Bondi Bowls for a five-week period, where every Tuesday people can have a go in a pop-up sauna and cold plunge.
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Adam Brady, from HBD, said: “More and more people are focusing on every aspect of their health and wellbeing. That’s really resonated at Kampus, with our bootcamps in the garden, rooftop yoga and the Love From sober celebrations set to open in the Bungalow this October.
“Bondi Bowls is a stellar addition to the neighbourhood – a real Manchester success story that’s quickly gained a loyal following. We can’t wait to see the doors open on what will surely become a go-to favourite for those fed up with the daily pre-packed supermarket sandwich.”
To claim a free bowl at Bondi Bowls’ launch on Monday 9 October, sign up here and make sure you’re one of the first 100 people through the door from 11.30am.
Bondi Bowls will be open Monday – Saturday, 11am-8pm.
Viral Korean street food brand Bunsik is coming to the Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
Korean street food brand Bunsik is branching out, with a brand-new restaurant confirmed for the Trafford Centre.
Set to open later this year, the London-born brand will be bringing its viral Korean corn dogs – with cheese pulls that stretch as far as your arms will go – to the huge shopping centre.
As well as that, Bunsik is famed for classic Korean street food dishes like ttekbokki, crispy fried chicken, and kimbap.
The Korean favourite already has a popular site over in Manchester city centre, opening up on Piccadilly Gardens back in 2023.
Bunsik is set to open in the Trafford Centre’s The Orient food hall in June, taking over the old Shere Khan unit.
It joins other recent openings like Joe & The Juice, Jerk Junction, and the brand-new Eastern Garden dining area which is home to Blanchflower, Chit n Chaat, and Hello Oriental.
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Bunsik to Trafford Centre this summer.
“It’s a brand that brings something fresh, fun and exciting to our food lineup, and we know our visitors are going to love it.”
Korean corn dogs from BunsikThe existing Bunsik at Piccadilly Gardens
Jae Cho, founder of Bunsik, said: “We have been truly overwhelmed by the incredible love and support Manchester has shown us since we opened at Piccadilly Gardens.
“Seeing so many people enjoy our food every day gave us the confidence to believe that Bunsik could truly become a nationwide brand.
“It confirmed that the UK’s love for Korean street food is even stronger than we imagined.
“With that same energy and confidence, we are now thrilled to bring Bunsik to the iconic Trafford Centre. We hope our new home becomes just as beloved a spot for everyone in Manchester and the surrounding areas. We can’t wait to welcome you all very soon!”
We’ve found some of the best Chinese food in town – being served out of a snooker hall
Danny Jones
Yes, you heard us right: we’ve stumbled across one of our favourite new places for Chinese food just on the outskirts of Manchester city centre – it just so happens to be served out of a best-in-class snooker hall.
And that really is just the tip of the iceberg here.
Some of you may have heard about and/or seen it already, but we’ll admit we were a little late to the party when it comes to Club 200, a.k.a. the pool, snooker, darts, mahjong club and more, which has so many different things rolled into that it’s really more a Russian doll than a Chinese restaurant or sports venue.
The hook speaks for itself: a place where people spend just as much time practising with chopsticks as they do their cues, as it really isn’t a gimmick, as some pessimistic folk would have you think – the food is banging and so are the vibes in general.
Not only is this quite literally the best snooker club in Manchester – complete with everything from classic American billiards and Chinese 8-ball to king-size snooker tables that the Ronnie O’Sullivan has played and won on, to a special AI system you won’t find anywhere else – it is SO much more than that.
Whilst the backroom was packed with everyone from casuals to those looking to get their pro certification via the official Q Tour, and lads in the front were practising their arrows, as co-owner Simon admitted they get almost just as many darts regulars these days, a storm was cooking up in the kitchen.
It would be unfair to say this place doubles as a bar and restaurant, because we really couldn’t get over how well put together this menu was.
‘Café 200’s food offerings involve classics like fried rice and chow mein dishes, to the kind of sides you could expect from your local Chinese chippy, but it’s even more authentic exports that really impress.
For instance, the beef ho fun seemed to be a big hit with everyone; we loved the salty seafood udon as well (a great chew on those noodles), and we know plenty of people still searching for proper Hong Kong-style French toast – they might just find it here.
Speaking of the special administrative region, which has a twisting and turning but nevertheless rich culinary culture all of its own, that last dish had us hopping with joy.
You’re looking at baked Portuguese rice: a Macau speciality rooted in the region’s colonial history.
We’ve never quite had anything like it before, even in all of our years eating this kind of cuisine around the 10 boroughs, but we haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
And then there’s everything else they do, from karaoke and bingo nights to catering for birthdays and other functions, or even just serving as a cool, somewhat tucked-away spot to watch the footy and other live sport come the weekend.
You can tell this place has built up a real community over the last 18 months or so, and while the food speaks for itself, it’s the sheer abundance and variety going on that makes it especially charming to so many.
Speaking of jack-of-all-trade venues, we stumbled across a similar multi-talented one over in Salford not so long ago, too…
Daisy Jackson -
5th October 2023 
