The Critical Consumer

The newest tenant at 2912 West End Ave may be just what the property needed.  Squeezed between the dingy China Dragon and renovated Bike Pedlar,  the brand new Bombay Palace Indian food restaurant sits in the spot previously occupied by Nola’s Cajun Cuisine.  With less than a week on the block, they seem to be pulling in a good crowd and have already hooked some “regulars”. They offer a medium size buffet at lunch time (no one can top the number of selections at Sitar, but they have more selections than Cuisine of India), and their dinner menu is quite expansive. Having only been open a few days when we went, they weren’t quite sure what to expect volume-wise and it took about an hour to get our food. However, it was quite delicious and was served in the traditional fashion (or so I was told by my dinner buddy who’s been to India recently).  Everything was very flavorful, the portions were generous, and we could tell it was made to order (if the wait didn’t tell us that already).

They apologized for it taking so long, but it was quite understandable on their 3rd night of business. The staff was polite and attentive, although our server had a hard time understanding “Chicken Biryani”, even though that’s one of the most common dishes in Indian cuisine. Apparently my friend was difficult to understand, but I never would’ve thought that. The owner was very gracious for our patience and business.

The restaurant itself is a good step-up from the other venues on that strip, with fabric curtains from floor to ceiling at the front windows, and traditional Indian decor throughout. I seem to remember some subtle music, but obviously it was subtle enough if I can’t remember it clearly.

Considering how new of an establishment it is, I was definitely impressed by the new Bombay Palace. I will be going back again soon, probably for the lunch buffet this time!