Bombay Club

Published June 9, 2010 at 9:34 p.m.
A favorite local Indian eatery finds a new home
As we were on our way home from dinner at Bombay Club, Mrs. Nadeau said, "We didn't try any curries — we missed that."

DOUBLE DIPPING The pakora plate for two is a priced-right pile of batter-fried goodies, and it all has hints of spice.

As we were on our way home from dinner at Bombay Club, Mrs. Nadeau said, "We didn't try any curries — we missed that." In fact, we had ordered several stewed dishes. We had, however, gone through all the courses of a lavish Indian restaurant dinner for four without eating anything that tasted like commercial curry powder, or even the cumin-coriander-garlic palate of the typical Punjabi-derived menu at most Indian restaurants. This is a tribute to almost 30 years of effort by the Kapoor family — who first opened a basement Back Bay restaurant, Kebab-N-Kurry, in the 1980s, and then went on to open the upscale Bombay Club in Harvard Square in 1991 — and a few other restaurateurs to bring more of the Indian regional cuisines and modern gourmet developments of the subcontinent to Boston diners.

Bombay Club 1415 Washington Street, Boston 617.247.2500  Open daily, 11:30 am–1 am AE, DC, MC, VI Full bar Valet parking, Thursday–Saturday Sidewalk-level access

The relocated and apparently last Bombay Club of this generation already has gone through one set of menu changes, adding a section of the latest Chinese-Indian fusion dishes to a nifty selection of classics and greatest hits. Things look different right away, as the complimentary papadums have been worked into cones. They are perfectly puffed, so I can't guess the technique. They don't have much taste on their own — that's what the fiery mint chutney and cool tamarind dips are for.

For a classical appetizer, the pakora platter for two ($7) is a priced-right pile of batter-fried goodies: cheese with a minty layer in the middle, whole cauliflower florets, mixed shreds of onion and spinach, and plain slices of potatoes, all with hints of spice. For spice relief, try the kachumber salad ($5): chunks of cucumber, carrot, and onion in a papadum shell with a lively dressing. My favorite appetizer was bikaneri kebab ($6.50) off the new Chinese-Indian menu. It looks like four falafels, but inside it's 90 percent green vegetables with a bit of shredded carrot and binder.

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