“One Paneer Tikka Masala, Vegetable makhanwala and 5 Rumali Rotis”, the words that would probably set the mouths watering of many Indians. People call India as the ‘land of spices’. Coming from that very own land I have developed a kind of expertise in distinguishing the good from the bad in Indian cuisine.
When I came to Atlanta the thought of even having Indian cuisine never crossed my mind as I had a lot of things to get adjusted to. As I got accustomed to the surroundings I started to sense my hunger for Indian cooking. That was what brought me to start searching for the various culinary delights that Atlanta had to offer.
It was then that I came across Café Bombay while randomly searching through the net. What caught my attention in a list of about 50 restaurants? The number of branches that it had all over the US ranging from LA to Pennsylvania. So my friends and I decided to give it a try and fulfill our urge for Indian food. We had two encounters with the restaurant both unique in its own way.
The first time that we went turned out to be a disastrous journey. Being lost in the middle of nowhere searching for the restaurant on a tiny map provided by Google turned out to be less of a trip and more of a tiresome walk. We left home at 2 and reached there at around 3:30. Finding the restaurant was a feat itself. From the outside it seemed to be quite dull with plain red bricks that held it together and tinted black windows, which kind of lowered our spirits then itself. When we entered we were greeted with “WERE CLOSED”. Cursing for being late we started to leave when the waiter there asked if we would like a take away buffet. Without thinking much we chose whatever was available. We finally decided on Navratan Korma, Palak, Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala and butter naan. While waiting for the order I just glanced around. Even though on the outside it seemed extremely dull and boring, the inside proved to be quite a visual treat. Ornate Sculptures with beautiful paintings and well decorated hallways transported me back to India. Beautifully arranged wall hangings greatly increased the ambience of the place. Walking in further there was a huge room with pillows in the centre and stools and small tables near the wall which gave the restaurant an ancient and artistic look.
This sort of arrangement seemed quite interesting. I think it was arranged in such a way to give the guests a choice of how they would like to eat; in a classic, modern style or the more comfortable, around the table gossip style. While all this was going through my head the food arrived. The waiter generally started a casual conversation and asked where we were going to eat this. After saying probably just outside as hunger had overcome convenience at that time, unexpectedly the waiter suggested why not eat here. Quite shocked but happy about our luck we readily accepted.
His service turned out to be top notch. Coming after the closing time didn’t seem to bother him much. While serving he gave a few anecdotes of his own which lifted my mood as till that point I thought that the day was destined to go bad. The Navratan Korma is a dish where vegetables are cooked in coconut creamed sauce. It had thick gravy which it is well known for, and the coconut cream in it gave it its tingling sweet taste but at the same time the spices in it kept it at a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. However the palak turned out to be a dissappointment. Usually palak is cooked with a little amount of gravy which is made by adding cardamom and chilli powder for its hot flavor. However the palak served here turned out to be dry and bitter probably due to the excessive salt. The naan was soft, tender, hot and crunchy at the end, just the way it’s supposed to be. It was followed by Biryani. Steamed and cooked with fresh vegetables, mixed with cucumber yougurt, it turned out to be extremely splendid. In between the waiter tried his best to entertain us; being the only people in the restaurant I figured he was bored too.
The second time we went prepared with the bus routes all mapped and noted down. We reached perfectly on time as we planned. The place was fairly crowded so it wasen’t easy getting a good table. I decided to study the menu as a restaurant's class can be easily judged by its menu, well according to me. The font also plays an important role in attracting the diner and the menus here did so. It was unique and distinctive as it incorporated a wide spectrum of the flavors of India. They even had a wine section which catered to fine diners probably. I settled on the Punjabi Aloo Chaat, which is a mixture of potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions, for the appetizer. The waiter this time was in hurry; expected during rush hours. Giving a brief account about the days specials he took our orders. One of the customers even had a little tiff with the waiters about the service which led to a few raised eyebrows among the crowd. There was an apparent lack of waiters which seemed to cause a lot of distress. After what seemed like forever we were served with the appetizers. Hot and sprinkled with enough spice it tasted just right to start the meal. It was followed by Vegetable Kadhai and Shahi Paneer with butter naan. Being aware of the misfortune of tasting the palak earlier I ordered nothing with palak in it. The tastes were enthralling. On the side, the pickles and lemons only added to the divine experience. While eating it with the soft butter naan there was a sort of explosion of various tastes in my mouth. The sourness of the lemon, the tenderness of the paneer mixed with tomato gravy and the spiciness of the herbs and vegetables of vegetable kadhai, all in all blended perfectly with each other. After satisfying ourselves with the main course we decided on munching down some Peas Pulao which is rice sprinkled with peas and turmeric with raita on the side. The rice turned out to be quite bland which spoiled the taste. However good the raita was it couldn’t make up for the rice. I left a little room in my stomach for desserts. Hoping that it would turn out to be good I ordered Gulab Jamun, my all time faviorite. The gulab jamuns were tender and sweet and you could even smell the freshly prepared dough. They turned out to be extraordinary.
In all the best dishes to be looked out for are Shahi Paneer, Navratan Korma, Aloo Achari, Paneer Amritsari Tikka and Vegetable Biryani and for dessert you can't go wrong with gulab jamun. The ambience makes up for most of the drawbacks of the restaurant which include slow service and a few badly cooked meals. During both my visits I came to know both the sides of the restaurant. With a little more research I found out that belly dancing takes place on Saturdays and Sundays which definitely increases its glamour quotient. It’s worth the money and serves as a quick getaway from the American life, into the vibrant Indian life.
★★★
Café Bombay
2615 Briarcliff Rd
NE Atlanta,
GA 30329-3112(404) 320-0229
The name of the restaurant really me shocked me. It can't be English！ I like the way you described food and it makes me really want to try it. You also did a good job introducing Indian food. The experience of seeking for the reataurant was written in a funny manner, but it'a a little distracting.
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