A new bistro and bakery has opened in Oldham and I went down to try it out.
Wonderlust Bistro Bakery on Library Lane has only just surpassed its two-week birthday and already promises to rival some of the greats in the baking scene across the region.
Run by a local family, Saarah Chowhury (the baker), her brother, Mohammed Chowdhury and their mum, Shelley Rahman, who has worked for years in the textiles industry, the three have pooled their skills and resources together to build Wonderlust from scratch.
I popped by for a visit on Saturday, February 4, and was blown away by the decor, the friendly staff, the bistro's big plans and, more importantly, the food.
The building and decor
You can't miss the building. Not only is it gigantic with ample parking and a huge seating area, but the street is warmed by a purple glow - the Wonderlust sign - and its impressive artwork that hugs the entirety of the building.
The art pays homage to the family's Bangladeshi heritage, and of its staff and cultural roots in Oldham.
Shelley said while she dreamed up the concept for the art, they hired different local artists to bring the vision to life but said she was delighted with how "uplifting" it is.
Even a floral seating area is in the lobby, where customers were taking it in turns to take snap a pic for their social media, has been designed by a local artist.
It took the family 18 months to transform what was once a derelict-looking warehouse into this swanky space and the attention to detail from the bathroom to the bakery certainly doesn't go amiss.
Staff and atmosphere
Walking in, I'm immediately greeted by friendly staff who wait on you hand and foot without being too nearby when the face-stuffing commences.
Upbeat pop music was played out in the plush restaurant and it became progressively busier as I started to tuck into my delights.
The food
I was initially drawn to Wanderlust for its bakery, which all started four years ago when Saarah started selling her bakes from Instagram during lockdown through a hatch.
The family then decided to take the plunge and open the bistro with Saarah's cakes remaining centre stage.
@theoldhamtimes There’s a brand new bakery in town! Read our full review on The Oldham Times to find out more about what we thought.. #Oldham #cake #foodie #foodtiktok #bakery #cookie #foodreview ♬ Good Vibes (Instrumental) - Ellen Once Again
However, the bistro also serves up an impressive breakfast and brunch menu, Sunday roast, hot and soft drinks as well as mocktails. (Alcohol licence pending.)
From speaking to head chef, Lee Bamforth, I get the feeling French toast is another Wonderlust speciality and a glance at the toast menu has everything from S'mores (with two slices of brioche bread smushed together with Nutella, marshmallow, chocolate sauce and chantilly cream) to a Kinder hippo French toast and more for £12.
I was then slightly envious of the table next to me which had a generous stack of S'mores French toast to tuck into - but that was until my array of cakes arrived.
After consulting with the baker behind the masterpieces, and learning she too is a self-confessed chocolate addict, I opted for the Nutella stuffed chocolate cookie with vanilla ice cream.
The cookie was a melt-in-your-mouth marvel of chocolatey goodness - warm, sweet, and huge with chunks of chocolate in each bite.
To wash it down, I could've gone with Wonderlust's speciality hot chocolate (which I spied comes with a generous serving of whipped cream) but dared to be adventurous and went for the Candy Floss mocktail.
The mocktail, described as 'sparkling and sweet with a fluffy treat', lived up to its pink promise with a bubblegum taste and sweet and fruity mix which somewhat cleansed my palate for my next course.
I then tried a pistachio 'Paris Brest', which I've never had before and can only be described as a piece of patisserie art.
It's inspired by the French dessert made of pastry and cream, only Wonderlust went the extra mile with the green pistachio sauce, pistachio pieces for added crunch and chantilly cream oozing in, on and all around it.
Drunk on chantilly cream by this point, I was embarrassingly too full to even attempt the chocolate eclair, but this was kindly boxed up for me to go.
I noticed a few other tables had the same idea - a good sign that the restaurant doesn't scrimp on servings any less than it does on standards across all its dishes.
More than just food
The Bistro has grand plans in action, too, with a fully equipped beauty salon, barbershop, therapy room and events space, which is adorned with contemporary artwork on the ceiling, just upstairs.
Outside, large shipping containers are being transformed into a garden to grow fresh produce for the restaurant while the 'Tiffin Box', a mobile food truck, is situated in the car park where they hope to sell picky bits in the summer and which may be used as some sort of drive-by ordering point in future.
Meanwhile, a garage sits in the corner where Mohammed tells me they hope to bring a valet service exclusively to Wonderlust customers.
What this means is that, in theory, you can pop to Wonderlust, indulge in good quality food, get your hair done, enjoy a massage and leave satisfied with a sparkling car to boot.
Final verdict
Wonderlust has burst onto the scene and will rival any bakery and bistro in Manchester city centre. It's a real asset to Oldham.
The family clearly love what they do and take pride in their craft, each one having an individual role to contribute to its success.
@theoldhamtimes Look at the pure majesty of this cookie that has been lovingly baked in Wonderlust Bakery, Oldham 😍 #manchester #oldham #cookie #foodtok #baking #manchesterfood #foodie #chocolate ♬ Cookie - Jeff Kaale
Art is poured into every fabric of the restaurant, right down to the building design, menu creation and the food itself.
If you're looking for a place with the Instagram factor and great food at a reasonable price, Wonderlust is the place for you.
I'll definitely be back for a try of the French toasts next time.
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