28/02 – Tuesday Goodie Bag

This week’s Tuesday Goodie Bag features

BaoBun Deluxe

Since opening its doors last year in Ballyhack, BaoBun has become synonymous with high quality Taiwanese Street Food, & now, the reinvented “BaoBun Deluxe” features an exciting new menu, table service, a terrific drinks list, & great options for vegans & veggies. We started our lunch with a couple of quirky cocktails; a spicy Kimchi Cosmo, & a smooth Vietnamese Espresso Martini. We ordered a selection of dishes to share, including Popcorn Cauliflower with Ponzu, Tempura Squid with wasabi tartar, & a refreshing Chilli Soy Cucumber Sesame Salad. The Bao are light cushions of steamed dough- the Roast Duck Bao was a delight. Even the burgers feature toasted sesame Bao Buns. We had the Panko Halloumi with slaw & a chilli mango chutney: crispy, cheesy & satisfying. 

BaoBun website HERE

Previous BaoBun Deluxe review HERE

General Merchants East

Renowned for its legendary All Day Breakfast, General Merchants on the Upper Newtownards Rd really is hard to beat. We had never tried the intriguingly titled “KFB”; Korean fried broccoli with spicy sweet potato hummus on Zac’s bakehouse sourdough. Topped with spinach, eggs, Korean ketchup & sesame seeds, this was honestly one of the tastiest brunch dishes we’ve had in ages. And the special of Mushroom Bolognese, a trio of mushrooms with wilted rocket on sourdough with poached eggs & Parmesan, was also hearty & flavourful. 

General Merchants website HERE

Previous General Merchants post HERE

Mike’s Fancy Cheese

Mike’s Fancy Cheese on Little Donegal St, an absolute treasure trove of delicious Irish cheeses, is one of our go-to shops when we need to create that unforgettable cheeseboard.

We picked up some tangy Ballylisk Single Cream Brie, a buttery, sweet Durrus, a sharp & bouncy Emerald, some salty Carraignamuck, & Mike’s very own legendary Young Buck. We paired these fantastic cheeses with a lovely pot of Erin Grove Caramelised Red Onion & Redcurrant Relish, & some charcoal, beetroot, & oat biscuits.

Mike’s Fancy Cheese website HERE

Restaurant Reviews NI