Bombay Bistro: a spicy taste of India
Print Edition
THE dining and drinking scene of Yongfu Road might have changed with the closing of the Bikini sandwich shop, the sophisticated El Coctel lounge and the underground dance club Shelter, but there is one more reason head to the tree-lined road: Bombay Bistro, a recently opened Indian restaurant.
Owner Sameer Kalia, without a food and beverage background, took the second-floor space that formerly belonged to Spanish restaurant Bocado and made magic turning the venue into a space with a hip, intimate ambience.
“I came up with the concept for Bombay Bistro on a visit to India a couple of years ago,” he said.
“Seeing the changes in the culinary cultures of Delhi and Mumbai was extremely inspiring for me. I’ve noticed a lot of the new and popular chef-driven restaurants were serving up their takes on classic Indian dishes.
“However, instead of just being standard fare, they seemed fresh and exciting because they used quality ingredients and had a well-thought out presentation,” Kalia said.
India’s vibrant culinary scene has inspired Kalia to open Bombay Bistro in the former French concession, a place he hopes will change the ordinary concept of an Indian restaurant.
“Our goal from the very beginning was to think through what makes a butter chicken or rogan josh what it is, and produce the best versions of those classic dishes,” he said.
“We wanted to make Bombay Bistro a good place to have a few drinks, that’s why we’ve really put a lot of effort into our signature cocktails inspired by Indian flavors.”
Kalia has lived in Shanghai for more than a decade and has always felt that the simple intricacies of the former French concession complement good dining.
What sets Bombay Bistro apart from the other Indian eateries is its inventive menu. “We’re trying to sell reiterations of the same tired, mundane dishes. Our chef from the popular restaurant Olive in Mumbai created our menu and you would find it difficult to come across what we serve in any other Indian venues in China,” he said.
The restaurant is pretty packed on weekend nights.
I chose had a late dinner reservation and started off with their creative cocktail: Sharabi Lassi. It’s the alcoholic version of the national yoghurt-based drink, mixed with Malibu, Baileys, mango and sweet dahi (yoghurt).
I liked the fact the Indian spices such as cumin and saffron have been incorporated: a good way to begin the evening.
I chose the Soft Shell Crab “65” (98 yuan/US$14.6) and Bombay Chaat Medley (78 yuan) as the small plates.
The portions were actually not small. Kalia considers the soft shell crab as a modern take on old flavors.
They batter soft shell crab in a classic South Indian spice mix and shallow fry it. It is ideal for those who prefer heavy, salty tastes.
The Bombay Chaat Medley was beautifully presented. It was a plate of popular Indian street food pleasing to the eye. Chaat means snack. The highlight was the Tikka Trio. I ordered chicken and paneer tikka. Both were equally impressive and the essence of north Indian quisine. The trio is the sauces: classic, mustard and cream.
Opening hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-1am
Average price: 220 yuan
Address: 2/F, 47 Yongfu Rd
Tel: 5468-0090
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