A Family Lunch At The Bombay Canteen

Last month finally I got the chance to go to The Bombay Canteen since it opened a year and half ago. Friends were raving all over the internet and I wasn't able to go without company. Yeah my husband is a non food explorer. Matter of fact.

Here is what we ate...

Starter was Arbi tuk. Arbi squashed and made into crisp puri and served like dahi papdi chat. It was delicious and wanted to order a second plate but the beginning was so good I knew this place was promising. I selected a drink called Pink city. It was a lovely blend of watermelon, gauva and pineapple and went well with the tuk. Dad went for his standard sweet and sour Nimboo pani while my husband spotted Pallonji raspberry on the menu and that is a default for a Bawa.

We ordered a stuffed Bhavnagari mirch aur Kantola ka salan with Malabar paratha which was deliciously smooth and sublime. Our well informed server helped us choose the whole wheat sweet potato parathas served with an array of accompaniments like a sweet bengali chutney, onion raita and chilli pickle and Dal makhani with an island of hold your breath TOPLI paneer! As much as the combinations is non traditional and quirky it is a genius creation by Chef Thomas Zacharias. The Dal Makhani is expectedly creamy and served hot. You are obviously tempted by the topli paneer and scoop a bit carefully picking up the creamy dal along and the chilled paneer excites your tongue as you massage the paneer on your palate! Topli paneer is a Parsi delicacy enjoyed on its own as a starter in a wedding feast served on a banana leaf. I have heard many a stories and read a lot to about it. This however was a truly unexpected yet wonderful way of meeting it in a Punjabi dish. Hello Topli paneer! I am a fan now on. Promise.

The husband chose with great difficulty a pepper chicken wrap which came along with spicy potato wafers and a cold barley salad that I loved. He has very rigid food preferences so his opinion I dismissed. To me it looked good.

What's a celebration without dessert? So we chose lavishly. I chose the coffee soaked rasagullas with salted caramel icecream with crunchy peanut chikki (more like butterscotch). I did not look up till I finished it. So goood.

The bawa was happy with his icecream falooda.

Wow! I have a picture to say that this Gulabnut was for Dad. I don't know how I missed reading that it was spiked. When the server brought it to the table and said it was drenched in Old Monk! I shrank back. Psst my Dad is a teetotaller. Thankfully my Dad did not touch it. He was too full to eat. He is a small eater so this did not surprise me plus we were terribly late for lunch so this Gulab jamun doughnut was brought home. At night shared it with the husband and it stole our heart. It had in its center a pistachio cream and was sprinkled with more pistachio crumbs for a slight texture. It made me a little tipsy, thank god I ate only half.

Dad and me thoroughly enjoyed The Bombay Canteen food and service. There were many servers who served our table as we were at the time of shift changing I think and each of them knew the dishes well. Especially the lady who served my dessert, advised how best to enjoy it. 

We had ordered too much food and the staff very kindly packed up leftovers for us on request.

and that is the new gaurd at The Bombay Canteen... ha ha!!