Welcome Back to the Bombay Club

I stopped by Bombay Club with a friend of mine to explore a new restaurant. It’s been a while since I’ve sat in a restaurant where each new dish is a surprise – both visually and in flavor. Takeout just doesn’t have the same excitement. I’ve had Indian food many times before, from home-cooked to fine dining, but I love trying new places because it opens up my palette to new ideas.

We let the waiter suggest what we should get and we sat back to enjoy the conversation. 

My friend who is Nepalese should get half the credit for this article because he gave me so many insights during our meal. Like when our first dishes came and we took our bites he mused, “this is good for an Indian crowd and an American crowd.” It wasn’t too spicy, but it was still full of flavor.

The Reshmi Kebab was deliciously flavorful. Some kebabs come with bite-sized cuts of meat, but these were ground up so that all of the flavors could soak into every bite. This one has a slight spice to it, and the lemon on the side is the perfect complement to balance everything out. There is a delicious scoop of mint chutney sitting in a little bowl just waiting for a cool dip.

The Fish Vepudu was another great starter that I loved. I think this dish highlights what Bombay Club does really well. The fish was soft and cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The flavor builds up with each bite. And the slaw on top is crisp and refreshing. It’s rare that you have a dish that gets better with each bite and a nice crescendo at the end.

For the main course we got the Shalgam Gosht and the Tandoori Salmon.

The Shalgam Gosht was a savory lamb dish with loads of sauce that had hints of cinnamon and cardamom. Perfect for dipping our naan. There were chunks of potatoes that burst with sauce when you bit into them. It’s typical to find cardamom in Indian dishes like this. It’s one of the main spices in garam masala spice often used to seasons meat and vegetable dishes, and in hot beverages such as masala chai too.

The Tandoori Salmon was another hit. The salmon was cooked perfectly. Soft and tender with a light sauce on top and dripping down the sides. Drops of lemon added a nice acidic bite too. And the light crust on the bottom brought it all together.

I asked my friend why there are so many slow-cooked dishes in India (and in turn deliciously tender meat). He said that in India they traditionally used cow manure as fuel for cooking, which burns slow and cooks the dishes over long periods. A fun fact, but don’t worry that’s not how it’s cooked here…

Next, we got all the desserts on the menu: Gulab Jamun, Rice Kheer, and Mango Panacotta.

The Gulab Jamun was the flashiest of them all. To me, it’s like a bite-sized moist cake surrounded by honey, but it’s actually Paneer (cheese) that’s been fried and placed in a bed of simple syrup. The simple syrup has been infused with rose petals to give it a distinct freshness. A few small, deliciously indulgent bites.

The Rice Kheer is one of the simpler dishes on the menu, but it’s great comfort food. It’s like cereal with little rice puffs that have been cooked for so long they start to break down and become something new. The process dissolves the outer starch layer and creates a consistency similar to risotto.

The Mango Panacotta is light with the right amount of mint. It’s like flan but better and creamier. On top there’s a nice burnt crisp garnish that adds a nice crunch. It’s a nice endpoint to clean the palette after a big meal.

We had a great experience at The Bombay Club. The service was wonderful and we left satisfied. It’s a little more classic compared to a place like Rasika (which is more experimental), but that doesn’t mean it’s like every other Indian place. Everything was flavorful here, cooked very well, and elevated. And I have to mention that the naan was great. I kept wanting more, but maybe that’s because I’m a glutton for delicious bread. I look forward to returning soon!