Baekdu

Baekdu is a authentic Korean restaurant in Manchester. It started a few years ago in a place on the edge of Shudehill. It’s a simple place with a few table and chairs without any funky décor or decorations. However, the food here is pretty authentic. The first we visited was back to a few years ago and we went for the hotpot. We tried the Haemul-​Tang, which was a very spicy big wok with plenty of seafood. My friend enjoyed the spicy seafood so much while I was not quite impressed to be honest because the cod seems coming from the freezer. The tasty of this dish was very good though in a Korean spicy style. The BBQ beef is awesome and it is my favourite Korean dish all time. The taste of this part of the beef and cooking technique made the taste perfect. Many friends were fond of this place and we always revisit from time to time, which gave me the opportunities to try the different things on the menu. I know no all the western is the fan of Kiamichi, but come on, Kiamichi pancake was a classic and you shouldn’t miss it. This one wasn’t that smelly anyway. The sushi in this Korean restaurant was actually very fresh and decent. We usually go for the assorted sushi plate with 10 pieces of salmon, squid and prawn sushi and another Eel sushi. Tiger Prawn tempura was one of the best tempura in town and it is a must if you want to try this restaurant. The Fried meat/​vegetable dumpling came in 10 pieces and I was a little disappointed with them because it tasted like came from the supermarket frozen pack. Rice dish is another classic Korean dish and there are a few various selections from the menu including Tofu, beef/​chicken or seafood etc. in Baekdu. I love Bibimbab (the rice dish with an egg on top) and you can feel the taste coming to you when you mixed the chilli sauce and stirred into the meat, veggies, rice and egg in the earthen bowl. For the noodle and soup dishes, I had tried a few and personally I would avoid them.
About the drinks, there are nice soft drinks like Korean yogurt drinks, Aloe Vera and other funky fruit drinks. Or you could go for the Korean green tea or brown Tea, which I really like since they are so much rich in flavour compared to other places you can get from Asian Restaurant.

mmm Spicy hot:

I have always been curious of this place next to Shude hill bus station…
SO I decided to pop in a few months ago and have been frequenting it since…
I admit when you walk in for the first time you might find it a bit hostile. especially if you don’t come with a fairly large group. I was the only Caucasian .and I don’t know it lacks ambiance?
Once you are seated by the hard working waitress, it can take awhile for her to take your order, because she seems to be the only one there waitressing: p
The food isquite reasonably priced, the starters range from gyoza dumplings to sushi… I usually get these. especially the sushi platter to share…
The main tasty dishes this place has to offer are in its mains… I have had both the spicy tuna and squid served in a earthenware bowl… and its not for the faint hearted…
It is one of those spices that builds, but it is über tasty! They also serve these large soup cauldrons with numerous ingredients for £24 .ideal for a large group. I have yet to try one of these!
The drinks menu offers sake, which they have been out of stock when I have come to order it… plum wine. and various other Korean drinks which you fetch yourself from the fridge.
I was torn with giving this place 3 or 4 stars. the Korean food is fantastic and the only Korean place I know so far… I just think the it could do with a make over in its appearance as it feels a little. clinical?
I did however see a sign today saying it was closed until 20^th August… so perhaps they are warming the place up with some new décor?

When I think back to my younger fussy with food self, I see it as a massive wasted opportunity in terms of all the tasty food I could have been eating over the years. I’d like to think that I’m now pretty open minded and consciously go out there looking for all sorts of new things to try! To be honest though it may even have worked in my favour as I’m still trying new cuisines and foodie experiences at the grand old age of 32!
And with that I went for Korean for the first time last night (I’d had Korean BBQ in Thailand a few years back but that’s a totally different kettle of fish) and have to say I was super impressed with the options available!
Stupid me had the biggest lunch ever so I wasn’t massively hungry when I sat down at 630pm for dinner but I did peruse the menu and got more and more hungry as I read the tasty options and smelt the food coming out of the kitchen. In my new quest for Korean knowledge I noticed a lot of clay pot dishes, hearty stews, some cross over dishes with Japanese and lots and lots of noodle options.
I went for the sashimi and udon noodles which had an incredible kick to it, not melt your face off hot but a really pleasant buzz which could have been a mix of wasabi and sriracha sauce combined — it was really good and the salmon was excellent (£9.50) — I also had a bottle of the Korean beer ‘Hite’ which for £2.70 wasn’t bad value if not something I’d rush out to buy a case of — it went down well with the food!
Baekdu’s staff were very friendly and the setting is definitely more ‘efficient’ than cosy but that’s no problem with me — it does what it does and it was a really pleasant experience. Looking forward to going back and diving in to the menu further!

So, this was my first proper taste of Korean, and it was a great way to get into it. I can safely say that after tonights experience I’ll be going back for more.
We were seated nice and quickly, and they didn’t mind putting a table together for the six of us who were dining, the waitress was lovely and friendly, so definitely a thumbs up for the warm welcome.
I was boring, and went for a diet coke, but a couple of the group went for green tea, one of the cups of which was served in brilliant Winnie the Pooh mug; so, for the rest of the meal I got Eeyore looking wistfully at me!
Whilst we went for some dishes off the starters, we got these to come along when they were ready. I went for the fantastic Meat Dumplings. These have an astonishing resembalance to Gyoza, but were fried, rather than steamed, so there was an amazing crispyness to them. I also got to share a Nokdu-​Bindaeddeok; a mung bean, pork and kimchi pancake. This was crispy and soft and brilliant!
I also had (although even by this point I was already getting pretty full) the Dolsot-​Bibimbab. It’s kind of difficult to describe this, but I’ll do my best. It’s a bowl full of rice, veggies, chicken (or beef, your choice) with an egg on top. The idea is that you mix it all together to get a full meal in every mouthful. The spicyness of the sauce that they put on it, along with the sheer number of flavours from the carrot, mushroom, spinach, egg and chicken, makes this just wonderful. It is huge though, so I (to my eternal shame) ended up leaving about half.
There’s so much more on the menu that I’d like to try that I’ll be making another trip soon.
The restaurant itself isn’t particularly fancy, think somewhere between lower end restaurant, upper end food court and you’ll be in the ball park. This doesn’t take away from the experience though, and in some strange way enhances it. I’d much rather that they focus on making great food that interior decorating!
If you’re in a rush, they will do take away, and if you’re not in the mood for anything too filling, there wouldn’t be anything at all wrong with getting a couple of starters — they’ll more than make a meal. I’ll be doing just that next time I’m Baekdu way at lunchtime.

If I fancy going out for Korean food in Manchester then Baekdu is where I’d take friends — what it lacks in ambiance (It’s got a distinctly canteeny vibe to it), Baekdu makes up for in smashing Kimchi Pancakes, Bibimbap and dumplings.
There’s quite an array on the menu, from the ricey mixed bowls of Bibimbap to the comforting spicy stews of jjigae (I think that’s what they’re called at least) and even some sushi thrown in too, which I’ve not actually tried.
The thing I really like about Korean food is the spiciness of almost everything I’ve had and the comforting nature, which I guess is a result of living through very cold winters.
Anyway, Baekdu is probably the best Korean I’ve had in Manchester, the quality of the food is better than Koreana, just off Deansgate and it’s cheaper too.

After visiting this weekend I’m afraid I have to take a star back from Baekdu, for the simple reasons of poor service and lack of ambience.
I visited with family on Friday night, expecting the place to be buzzing with people as it has been on my previous visits. The last time I came there was laughter, music, and candles on the tables (a simple touch which makes any establishment feel a little cosier). On this visit the place was pretty much empty, starkly lit and with no music to drown out the incessant hum of the refrigerators.
Service was slow and clunky. The waitress who served us was very sweet, but she had little sense of urgency and it took a long time for us to order. There was a mix up with one of the dishes, and the chef had to come and tell us that what we had just eaten were meat, rather than vegetable, dumplings. Noone in our party had a problem with this, but it is a fairly substantial mistake to make.
The food was delicious as usual, and for this I would return to Baekdu (make sure to try the potato cake and fried tofu starters). If they up their game and make some simple improvements like adding music and sharpening service, this would be a truly wonderful city centre spot.

I’ve been looking at Baekdu quizzically every since I landed in Manchester some weeks ago — namely because I could never properly tell if it was open or if it was still actually Baekdu. I’m glad to confirm both questions in the affirmative!
I love Korean food, and in California (and even New York), the large Korean communities there provided countless options for amazing Korean dining. There is something great about sitting with a bunch of your friends grilling beef, chicken, and squid with an array of banchan (side dishes) at a Korean BBQ restaurant, knowing full well you will all smell like a campfire by the time you leave.
Baekdu is not one of those places, however, in case you were worried. :) It’s a simple, spartan Korean restaurant on Shudehill, just up from the Arndale and Shudehill Exchange.
THE MENU
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The menu offers mostly Korean dishes, but unnecessarily throws in sushi and some other Japanese dishes (probably to cover its bases). It offers a fair share of starters, soups, rice dishes, grilled meats, seafood, etc.
THE FOOD
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I started with the kimchi pancake, which was fairly heavy given how fried it was, and didn’t offer even a hint of kimchi (spicy hot pickled cabbage). Was a bit underwhelmed, unfortunately.
I then followed that up with dolsot bibimbap (
), which for me is comfort food — reminding me of a friend who made great bibimbap at home. It’s basically a rice dish cooked in a hot earthenware pot that is coated in sesame oil (so the rice sizzles), along with vegetables, beef, an egg, and red chili paste. This dish was good. Not the best, but still solid in taste, although I wouldn’t have minded even more chili paste. It wasn’t really spicy at all. Then again, I eat fire, so take that with a grain of salt.
To drink I had a big serving of Korean brown tea. Tasty.
THE SERVICE
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Friendly, pleasant, and prompt. No complaints here.
THE PRICES
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Pretty reasonable. My total for a starter, a main, and tea was £14.
THE CONCLUSION
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Baekdu is a good place for newcomers to Korean food to try out a whole array of dishes. The atmosphere is not intimidating at all, so don’t hesitate to ask questions about dishes you’re not familiar with.
As for me, Baekdu is solidly good, but not great. Although to be fair, I am only at the tip of the iceberg menu-​wise, and will definitely return sometime to try their galbi (bbq ribs), and hopefully up my ratings then.
Over 3 stars, but not quite yet 4.

I had crispy vegetable dumplings (£4.50 for ten pieces) and vegetable tempura (£7.50 for around eight pieces). The dumpling filling seemed mainly to be tofu; the tempura were red pepper, sweet potato and carrot. Both dishes were OK, and came served with soy to supply needed saltiness. Presentation feels quite elegant and traditional, with metal chopsticks, a long thin spoon and beautiful glazed tableware.
I’m still just beginning to get a feel for Korean food and what the vegetarian options might be. I felt the menu here lacked vegetarian options and also the necessary interpretation for those new to Korean food. OK, so there wasn’t a problem when I asked for vegetable-​only instead of the listed mixed tempura, but needing to ask for vegetarian customisation of practically any dish on the menu becomes a bit of a chore. And I don’t think it fair to serve a dolsot bibimbap without offering an explanation of how the dish is supposed to be eaten.
The Korean waitress was very sweet and helpful, and the dynamic looking young cooking team visible at work in the semi-​open kitchen also added to the warm atmosphere. But I would like to see the team more empowered to apply any Korean cooking technique to any ingredient in their store cupboard to satisfy customer requests.
I recently watched a Korean movie — 3Iron — and the Korean style of dining seems to be for a large array of small dishes to be brought to the table at the same time, many of which appeared to be vegetarian or customisable to be so. Someday, I hope to experience a vegetarian version of a Korean banquet cooked to my taste.

After being badgered by a friend, we visited Baekdu on a rainy Sunday. On arrival, the place was empty, but shortly after filled up a little (everyone else there was of Oriental stock and seemed very familiar with the menu).
Small, with maybe 30 covers, the atmosphere of the place was OK, but felt a little more like a takeaway than it should. BTW there was no freezer by the entrance as you might have read in reviews elsewhere, and no odd smells.
The 6 of us shared a table below a painting of the mountain from which the restaurant takes its name, and started with a round of brown tea: a ricey-​flavoured tea which was new to me, and pleasant enough.
The menu is fairly large and heavy on meat as you might expect, although they accommodated the two vegetarians on our table well: don’t be afraid to ask for vegetarian variants of the dishes.
For starter I had the Kimchi pancake, which was nice and fluffy although I’m not sure the inimitable personality of Kimchi came through well enough (I’ve had great Kimchi in a Korean BBQ place in the US before). It’s essential to have these with soy.
I’m assured that the sushi (California rolls, amongst others) was surprisingly fresh and tasty.
Most of our main courses were served in hotpots brought to the table. Whilst a few of us had a beef & rice concoction, the variant I choose came uncooked (including egg on top), which I hadn’t expected. Given that the bowl was still very hot on the bottom, though, I cooked it myself by swirling it around somewhat. I’m still not sure if I was supposed to do that or if the components on top are designed to be raw (as a huge carpaccio fan I’ve nothing against a bit of raw beef).
Mine also came with the tasty chilli sauce on the side, instead of on top as others. I’m a fan of hot food, but this wasn’t too spicy for anyone at our table.
The beef dish was an unusual taste, but one I liked; difficult to describe, bold and perhaps lacking in subtlety, but satisfying. I admit I’m not that used to Korean food, so I’m keen to go back and explore the menu a little more.
Prices are cheap, and service is friendly and efficient.
They don’t do puddings at all, although my friend swears by a sickly-​sweet can of cinnamon something as a suitable replacement. I’m not quite so sure: perhaps skip dessert this time or do the American thing and go somewhere else.