Food
Going through the pages of Bombay Borough's menu is like taking a tour through India. It has quite the variety, with dishes from different parts of the country – from small plates, street grills and curries to large platters, bread and desi-style cocktails.
[Apologies in advance for the not-so-great pictures. We weren't allowed to use our cameras due to the new security policy at One Galle Face, hence had to rely on our phones.]
We started off our meal with a plate of Aanardana Tikka Paneer (Rs. 1100). There were five cubes of paneer marinated in a cocktail of spices, including the special ingredient – Anardana; a ground variety of pomegranate seeds sourced from Uttaranchal in the southern Himalayas.
It was delicious. Absolutely creamy and milky, the paneer was of high quality, and had the perfect touch from the oven. With a little bit of green chutney, this is a good pick you need to get things started before the mains arrive.
The Mutton Dum Biriyani (Rs. 1850) had a complex of spices that instantly grabbed our attention with its irresistible aroma and later on, the incredible flavour. Potli Masala is the secret ingredient here, which is also a bouquet garni – a bundle of herbs that's being used during the cooking and taken out prior to consumption.
Beautifully brown from the outside and pink-ish from the inside, the lamb was so wonderfully cooked, had a very soft texture, and fell apart so effortlessly. No boney bits, or gristly ones, just sizeable chunks of well-marinated meat buried within the fluffy basmati rice.
Lavished with spices and grill-kissed to perfection, the pieces of chicken in the Chicken Tikka Butter Masala (Rs. 1450) were soaking up the flavours of the gravy made with Punjabi Makhani sauce. You don't even have to try the gravy to taste the rich flavour profile of this dish, because the flavour is packed into the meat.
Light red in colour, this one is sweet, spicy and has a subtle tang. It's a treat to the eyes, as much as it is to the tastebuds.
We paired it up with Chur Chur Paratha (Rs. 295) and Amritsari Potato Kulcha (Rs. 295). Both rotis were superb, but also quite small in size.
The red-hued one is the Chur Chur Paratha – a hand-crushed, layered roti that had a lovely crisp, a little bit of flaky quality, and a buttery touch to it.
Stuffed with a fiery potato mixture, which resembles the tempered potato we make at home, the Amritsari Potato Kulcha was soft and had a nice crunch around the edges.
Our dessert was this Anglo-Indian Bread Pudding (Rs. 950). Delightfully golden brown in colour, it was served warm, and the drizzle of Vanilla custard certainly boosted it to the realm of the truly spectacular desserts.
Drinks
We picked a couple of cocktails to sip on, as we indulge in our meal – Jamun Bazaar (Rs. 1300) and Chowpatty Beach Lolly (Rs. 1200), which arrived with a small helping of fried peanuts.
The Jamun Bazaar had the kicks of Gin, swirling around with Kala Khatta, a sweet and tangy sherbet made with blackberry (Jamun) and Himalayan Pink Salt. It's quite refreshing, and if you love fruity cocktails, this is a good bet.
However, the showstopper was this Chowpatty Beach Lolly – a funky twist to your classic Margarita. Featuring the usual elements – lime bitter, a generous amount of Tequila in a salt-rimmed glass, this one also has an orange-flavoured ice lolly dipped into it.
The end result is a citrusy Margarita, or a boozed-up ice lolly. Either way, fantastic!
Ambience & Service
The ambience here is a fusion of sophisticated fine dining and chic, casual dining. Plentiful with comfy seating arrangements, it's simply elegant, warmly lit and comes with a botanist-inspired bar in the middle.
Friendly and well-versed, you can count on their staff to provide you with accurate details about the dishes on the menu.
Conclusion
Bombay Borough lets you catch a glimpse of the unique regional ingredients in the Indian culinary fare in the most interesting way, which isn't something that you come across every day. However, it's quite expensive. Our total was almost Rs. 10000 with service charges and taxes, so make sure you check your wallet before stepping in.
