Bombay Cafe - Indian Food

3060 North Andrews Ave., Wilton Manors, Florida. (954) 568-2469

By Stephen R. Lang

If you are like me and not a Curry Fan, please do not let it stop you from going to an Indian restaurant. After much nervousness and a little hesitation I went to the Bombay Café on Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale for a friend’s birthday party only to be wonderfully surprised. Not only was the variety of items unbelievable, the attention to detail each dish was evident.

As a new ‘foodie’, I now hunt for things to create myself, visually calculating and dissecting how things are made. It’s fun figuring out what makes one dish better than another and searching for the ‘wow factor’ that makes a dish special. I am not a fan of super-spicy food or the smell of curry, which has excluded a large part of the world’s food from me. I was told by friends who know me that I would like Tandoori Chicken because it is mild. However, being in a group of about 20 people and seeing what they got, I was more than just a little jealous. I could have eaten anyone else’s dish. I have no idea what I was thinking by blanket excluding Indian food when I saw some of the exquisite creations around me.

The Tandoori Chicken was delicious and came out broiled on a skillet with some shish kabob style vegetables. This would be excellent for anyone serious about a low carb diet but I wanted more! Just looking at the variety of dishes just in my general vicinity made me want to pull an “Eat Pray Love” moment and test every plate. I learned that they have a daily buffet (and Wednesday nights) that feature about twenty different items and each one is special. Their menu features items with chicken, lamb, and seafood but plenty of vegetarian selections as well. The birthday girl’s favorite dish was Chicken Makhani or Butter Chicken with clay oven roasted chicken pieces that are then folded into a creamy tomato sauce. On the next trip I might venture to try the Chicken Saag which are pieces smothered in a spicy spinach sauce. YUM!

At Bombay Café, their menu is a little heavy and a little intimidating but if you are willing to try different things then why not check out the Lamb Madras? They cook them in a mild coconut mild gravy and is actually a South Indian specialty. If you want to go a little wild, how about the Shrimp Pudina Masala that are shelled and cooked in a rich mint sauce? Are you a lentil fan? Try the Dal Makhani where they are simmered tender on a slow fire with onions, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. The best part of any meal there would probably have to be sharing your dishes or describing what you are tasting.

What is important to remember about Indian food is that it is unique and how people discover it is interesting. People share stories around how they came to their favorite Indian dish only helps make the dining experience memorable and almost makes it a party within itself. Some people were introduced by close friends in college, past relationships, and others through traveling but many have a ‘must have’ when eating real Indian food. Bombay Café gave me my Introduction with a great experience but it wasn’t just about the people I dined with but the attention to detail from everyone from our server to the presentation of each dish on the table. Their cuisine comes from all different areas and subcultures of India including Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Dehli, the always interesting street festival style, as well as the style served in hundreds of millions of homes daily. They believe that the whole world is a family and we all belong to it. I felt it.