Soi Rambutree
It’s not everyday you come across an authentic Indian restaurant that serves great food at cheap prices. It explains the diverse crowd that flock to Bombay Blues despite it’s location on Soi Rambutree. Slip off your shoes and step inside, and you are surrounded by rich shades of red, from the crimson and orange drapes that form a gigantic chandelier to the low cushioned scarlet seating. These bold colors are offset by white walls decorated with diamond-shaped mirrors. Their strictly Bollywood-only play list completes the sub-continental ambience. But, the real selling-point is the north Indian food. Start with the masala papad, a tweaked version of the regular papadums, it is deep fried and sprinkled with onions, tomatoes, chilis and lime. For appetizers go for the prawn or paneer tikka, both the prawns and cottage cheese are perfectly marinated and slightly charred, giving it lots of texture. There’s a host of chicken dishes when it comes to mains, but you can’t go wrong with their rich and flavorful butter chicken, big pieces of marinated chicken in a creamy sauce. Another hefty, but tasty dish is the mutton biryani, the Indian version of khao mok kai, made with tender chunks of goat meat. For something slightly less calorific, the Bombay Blues Fish Masala offers fresh chunks of fish in a spicy tomato-base puree. A butter naan or a meaty, keema naan, bread stuffed with marinated minced chicken, make a good accompaniment to these main dishes. For dessert, their gulab jamun is as authentic as it gets, even if it could be served a little warmer (they do warm it up for you if asked). While Bombay Blues might be a bit of a trek, the price you pay and the food you get, make it well worth the petrol. Corkage B200-400.
