Bombay Mahal…Now Zagat-Rated
A number of years ago, a friend of mine spent three months in India at an artists’ residency. Upon her return to Montreal, she went in search of the best, reasonably-priced Indian food she could find (after living in India, it seemed absurd to pay $20 for a dish of palak paneer). With no surprises, her search wound up in Parc Ex, at the stoop of Bombay Mahal. Since then, it has been my Indian restaurant of choice. Recently however, my dining companion and I branched out -- at the behest of friends and family -- and tried a number of other Parc Ex offerings. After trying Pushap (reviewed), Mali Sweet and Maison Indian Curry (a steadfast favorite of friends of ours), we came to the conclusion that Bombay Mahal was still our favorite.
With little, or no décor to speak of (they recently took down the Inuit (?) print that was hanging above the stairs leading to the basement) and inconsistent service (although recently service has been quite amenable), the little restaurant more than makes up for it in ambiance which is mostly provided by the multitude of diners squished into every nook and cranny. Did I mention that it is BYOB? With no SAQ within real walking distance and few deps (for beer, not wine), it’s best to bring a bottle of wine/beer from home. One of the huge draws for me is the thali plate. I like compartmentalized food. I’m not one of those obsessive people who hates their food touching, but I like to eat things one at a time, and this prison tray-like plate allows me to concentrate on one dish at a time. The non-veg thali plate comes with a vegetable curry (delicious), chicken curry (you can substitute this for the Westernized butter chicken for a meager price increase), a lentil curry, rice, one naan and a pity salad. All of this rings in at $7 or less. The size of the thali is enormous and I end up bringing half of it home for lunch the next day. If prison trays don’t float your boat, there is a wide selection of other dishes -- favorites include the chicken korma, lamb madras and bagnan bharta. I also love the dal and my dining companion recently tried the “South-Indian-style” soup which was intensely spiced and full-bodied. While they lack the desserts of Pushap (you can always wander one block over and buy some to go), they do serve a wonderful Indian tea – although not after 8pm!
On our last outing, we brought my dining companion’s father who had recently returned from a couple of years working in Bombay… I mean Mumbai. While declaring the food not quite as spicy as in India, he seemed pleased overall and introduced us to a number of dishes that were not included on the menu.
While settling down to our meal, friends of ours wandered over from across the street where they had been dining at their favorite Indian place – Maison Indian Curry, proving that when it comes to Indian food, beauty is in the eye of the beholder… or something like that.
Mains: $6-10
8.5/10
Showing posts with label Indian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Restaurant Review - Pushap
Pushap, 975, rue Jean-Talon Ouest, Montreal (one of three locations)
As many a Montrealer know, Park-Ex is a hot-bed for excellent and reasonably-priced (and by reasonably-priced, I mean downright cheap) Indian food. Everyone has their favourites and so it was last week that I forewent a trip to my usual Indian spot (I’ll save that review for another time) and tried Pushap, a restaurant recommended by several of my cohorts. Known for its vegetarian fare, Pushap also houses a remarkable dessert counter, with many a brightly-coloured treat. Arriving at the restaurant for lunch on a chilly Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves among the first guests in an otherwise empty restaurant, with things seemingly just getting underway in the kitchen. First impressions: while no one is going to return to Pushap simply for the décor, we were met by a friendly hostess who had our meals served to us within ten minutes of arrival. We both opted for the thali plates which were designated on the menu as a “house specialty.” My dining companion chose the more expensive thali plate, which came with an “appetizer” of papadum and raita. The thali plates themselves were spicy, delicious and filling. Each “prison tray” (the thalis are perfect for anyone who likes compartmentalized food), contained three different kinds of curry – lentil (or chickpea) , mixed vegetable and a somewhat mysterious one which was most likely eggplant, onion and maybe tomato? While each curry was quite good, it was the latter - the mystery curry, which stood-out – it was rich, without being greasy, quite spicy and boldly flavoured. Each thali also comes with rice, cabbage salad and fried, or non-fried, naan-like bread. Having sampled the two, the non-fried is the way to go.
Following this more-than-ample lunch, we tried two of the mystery desserts. As a result of a communication breakdown, we never did find out what we were eating, but the first dessert was a small honey and milk-soaked, coconut-covered dessert ball and the second was a bright green diamond of perhaps almond/chickpea paste and rose water. Both desserts were absolutely delicious, with each of us preferring our own dessert over the other. These desserts were accompanied by a healthy serving of Indian tea. Towards the end of our meal the place became quite busy, with a long line-up for take-out samosas and sweets. I won’t even mention how much we paid for lunch for two, sufficed to say it was under $15 – highway robbery! Will Pushap replace my regular stand-by for Indian fare in the Ex? No, but is it still worth a return visit? Most definitely.
Thali plates: $5-7
7/10
As many a Montrealer know, Park-Ex is a hot-bed for excellent and reasonably-priced (and by reasonably-priced, I mean downright cheap) Indian food. Everyone has their favourites and so it was last week that I forewent a trip to my usual Indian spot (I’ll save that review for another time) and tried Pushap, a restaurant recommended by several of my cohorts. Known for its vegetarian fare, Pushap also houses a remarkable dessert counter, with many a brightly-coloured treat. Arriving at the restaurant for lunch on a chilly Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves among the first guests in an otherwise empty restaurant, with things seemingly just getting underway in the kitchen. First impressions: while no one is going to return to Pushap simply for the décor, we were met by a friendly hostess who had our meals served to us within ten minutes of arrival. We both opted for the thali plates which were designated on the menu as a “house specialty.” My dining companion chose the more expensive thali plate, which came with an “appetizer” of papadum and raita. The thali plates themselves were spicy, delicious and filling. Each “prison tray” (the thalis are perfect for anyone who likes compartmentalized food), contained three different kinds of curry – lentil (or chickpea) , mixed vegetable and a somewhat mysterious one which was most likely eggplant, onion and maybe tomato? While each curry was quite good, it was the latter - the mystery curry, which stood-out – it was rich, without being greasy, quite spicy and boldly flavoured. Each thali also comes with rice, cabbage salad and fried, or non-fried, naan-like bread. Having sampled the two, the non-fried is the way to go.
Following this more-than-ample lunch, we tried two of the mystery desserts. As a result of a communication breakdown, we never did find out what we were eating, but the first dessert was a small honey and milk-soaked, coconut-covered dessert ball and the second was a bright green diamond of perhaps almond/chickpea paste and rose water. Both desserts were absolutely delicious, with each of us preferring our own dessert over the other. These desserts were accompanied by a healthy serving of Indian tea. Towards the end of our meal the place became quite busy, with a long line-up for take-out samosas and sweets. I won’t even mention how much we paid for lunch for two, sufficed to say it was under $15 – highway robbery! Will Pushap replace my regular stand-by for Indian fare in the Ex? No, but is it still worth a return visit? Most definitely.
Thali plates: $5-7
7/10
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