Brian (still daydreaming of his recent, inaugural visit to Bombay): “You know what we need to really crack a Bombay Breakfast? Akuri. Oh man, that scrambled egg stuff made my stomach sit up and sing. Ey ji! Oh ji! Ey ji oh ji lo ji sunoji! Main hoon manmoji!” (drifts into reverie, humming to himself and tapping his feet)
Naved, wonderingly: “Accha! Choo mantar! There is magic in this here masala!”
Kavi, imperious: “Hot grills on a bed of cool salad? Na, I’m just not feeling it any more… these salads need to rock. I want ZINGY, I want SEXY, I want EXCITING. I want, like, fruit in my salad… give me pomegranate seeds, yaar!” (camp flounce, twirls cane).
Carl, poring over stacks of 19th-century mixology tomes: “By jove… I have it… I do believe there is a way to make a really, really great classic cocktail using our beloved Thums Up!”
All this might suggest (quite rightly) that we’re… well, a bit barmy. Unorthodox, to put it mildly. Full of crazy ideas, half-baked in the tandoor.
But then again, there’s something about the summer that inspires a desire for change. And sometimes the barmiest ideas are the best.
That’s especially true when they’re tempered with a sturdy heritage, a dash of nostalgia and a generous helping of love and care, to get things just right. So, without further ado, we introduce you to a host of new summer dishes – which are already cosying up to the old favourites on our menu.
(Click the links to see the photos on Facebook!)
At breakfast time we now serve a delicious Akuri (an Irani Cafe staple – deliciously spicy scrambled eggs) on toast – or with bacon and sausages as the Full Bombay.
We’ve created some mouthwateringly good new salads, perfect for a delicious light lunch: Paneer & Mango, Chicken & Pomegranate, or Prawn & Pomelo.
For snacking and sharing – there’s Far Far (traditional Indian snacks) and Skate Cheeks Koliwada – juicy chunks of skate, fried ‘fisherman-style’ in a spicy batter.
Bombay’s favourite comfort food – Chole Chawal – has found a home on our menu. Rather ingeniously, the Chole (spiced chickpeas) also works brilliantly stuffed in a naan bread with chutney and pickled cabbage, as a vegetarian Frankie.
We’re a little bit in love with light, summery Mahi Tikka – succulent cod fillet marinated in coriander and lime – perhaps with a side of Dishoom ‘Slaw, Kachumber or moreish, crispy, fried Okra with chef’s magic masala?
And last but not least, some totally rocking new cocktails – an awesome Thums Up Flip, the East India Gimlet (a 19th century naval ‘health drink’!) and a gently nostalgic Thums Up Float with vanilla ice cream…
Oh, and make sure you keep an eye on Facebook for passworded goodies from the new menu…
With each new café that we open, we write a story deeply rooted in Bombay history or culture. This story, known to us as the founding myth, informs all aspects of the restaurant’s design. We spend months researching the Bombay of the period and combing the city for the right furniture, both vintage and new. In a way, you walk across our thresholds into our stories.
Bedecked in their annual finery of baubles, tinsel and lights, our cafés are ready to receive you for your Christmas celebration. So too are our chefs, who have assembled a most excellent array of festive fare for your table.
Our soft launch will run from 27th November to 2.30pm on 5th December. And to express our gratitude for being among our first guests, all food can be enjoyed at 50% off across breakfast, lunch and dinner – yes, really.
Stop by any Bombay tapri (street stall), café, or home, and you will likely find yourself with a gently steaming glass of chai in hand. Before the invention of chai, Bombayites drank kadha, an ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds made of boiled water and spices like cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Eventually locals started adding tea leaves, milk, honey and sugar to their ‘kadha’. Chai was born.