By now, you’ll be familiar with Bam Bu Ku, we’re sure. O Beach’s baby sister just across the way, is the family-friendly beach club that puts guests in a chilled-out, tropical paradise on San Antonio’s promenade.
What might surprise you, is that as well as being a great place to work on your sun tan and listen to some cool beats, Bam Bu Ku also offers a wide-range of wholesome treats. And the menu isn’t limited to Mediterranean fare, but instead goes right round the world and back.
Sound interested? We certainly were, so an invitation to sample the menu was gleefully accepted.
Are you a resident on Ibiza? From now until the end of summer, you can take advantage of Bam Bu Ku’s €20 day pass. Just bring along a work or rental contract as proof.
Afternoon in the sun can really only call for cocktails - and what better way to get started? Pirates amongst us are stolen by the rum-potent spiced swizzle, but if you're more a tequila kinda guy, then the Mexican tiki, served in skull goblet, might be more your fancy?
Meanwhile, the basil fizz is one for the gin lovers with a herby twist, while the pisco sour pairs the sharpness of lime with the frothiness of egg white.
Of course, that's just touching on Bam Bu Ku's signature range. If you want to keep things traditional, all the old favourites such as daiquiris, mojitos and piña coladas can also be found.
Moving onto the solids, three starting dishes to send your tastebuds into overdrive.
The first sees succulent pieces of diced tuna tartare arrive on a basket of pureed avocado and topped with cress, while the next is the roasted aubergine with tahini and sprinkled with almonds. In a frenzy of forks, both are devoured. Say no more.
Finally, an office favourite, the South American import ceviche. It’s a dish we’ve tried a lot, at many restaurants, and the standard has been set high.
We consider ourselves firm but fair critics, but Bam Bu Ku’s is up there with the best of them. Perfectly cured fish and lots of heat coming from the citrusy marinade, beautifully presented with a sweet potato crisp.
It’s so good, we make a request for spoons to finish the juices - every last drop.
Ideal for sharing, the peking duck tacos are the first of the mains. The soft-shell Tex-Mex favourites are filled with moist duck and crunchy salad and come with the choice of sweet chilli sauce or the sweeter mango dip. It really feels like a cross-pollination of Asian and Central American cuisine but in an organic way, that never feels too forced.
Like the sound of this? We recommend Mex-i-ku, Bam Bu Ku’s Saturday night dining experience. Reservations recommended.
Another mouthwatering main pulls together national dishes from Spain and Italy, amalgamating them into a Mediterranean hybrid. The paella style risotto tastes as good as it looks and it smells great as well, with big chunky prawns and more modest mussels and squid cutlets.
All eyes turn to the grilled sea bass next, Bam Bu Ku’s best seller, we’re informed.
A few mouthfuls in, it’s clear why. Accompanied by Ibicencan potatoes, padrón peppers, tomatoes on the vine and black olives, the well-seasoned, crispy-skinned fish is a headline stealer worthy of the tag ‘catch of the day’.
By the time the pad Thai comes out, we’ve already had our fill. But a few noodles more won’t hurt.
Mexican, Chinese, Peruvian, Thai, Spanish and Italian - we make that six countries from four continents - and that’s just the ones we tried. Bam Bu Ku really has put its arms around the globe in forming its menu and none of the dishes will disappoint. Worldies, the lot of them.
That variety comes in very convenient, especially amongst larger groups who might not necessarily always agree on what to eat!
Do we have room for dessert? We always have room for dessert. What better way to cleanse the palette, than a platter of fresh tropical fruit? Dragonfruit, passionfruit, figs, mango, melon, blueberries, cranberries and a variety of grapes come piled high, but not for long.
Even if you didn’t want to have a full sit-down meal, this sizeable sharer is ideal for chilling out by the pool and picking at whilst you bathe.
If, after those deadly cocktails, you feel a bit fearless and got a bit of bravado about you, then you’re duty bound to put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is and try the Flowrider - and we want to see some showboating.
Don’t get over cocky. Remember, the bigger the ego, the harder the fall! But bragging rights are up for grabs if you nail it in front of your mates. Every holiday needs a hero.
