The Bombay Club's Offerings Seem Simple, But Are Delectable

I'm going to start this review a little bit differently‭. ‬I often visit the restaurants I review with my partner and he has become‭ ‬well accustomed to luxury dining‭, ‬incredible flavours and general culinary excellence‭ ‬-‭ ‬however‭, ‬on this occasion he audibly gasped and giggled at the mirage of senses he was subjected to at The Bombay Club‭. ‬

As of all venues in Marsa Al Arab‭, ‬we were greeted at The Bombay Club with warm welcomes and a thoughtfully designed restaurant‭.‬‭ ‬The vibes were cosy and comfortable yet still steeped in luxury‭. ‬Upon reviewing the menu‭, ‬we simply could not choose from the series of mouth-wateringly described dishes‭, ‬so we spoke with the head chef and asked him to bring us a surprise series of his personal favourites‭. ‬We were simply not prepared for what was to come‭. ‬

We kicked off with poppadoms and their thali plate of various chutneys‭. ‬Seemingly simple‭, ‬but incredibly unique and delectable‭. ‬These varied from the classics‭: ‬mint sauce‭, ‬mango chutney‭, ‬and lime pickle to the lesser known‭, ‬my favourite being the beetroot pickle‭. ‬

As‭ ‬our journey continued‭, ‬we explored more flavours and textures‭ ‬we had never previously tried‭, ‬the first being what I could only put into words as an Indian take on a falafel‭. ‬This consisted of a blend of cashew paste and mint chutney formed into almost the shape on an Italian cannoli and pressed into finely chopped cashew nuts‭. ‬This was a wow moment‭. ‬

From there each course continued to excite‭, ‬surprise and indulge the palette‭, ‬with an array of traditional flavours‭, ‬all carefully executed and perfectly balanced to create stand-out dishes‭. ‬These included the Goan prawn balchao‭, ‬keema pav‭ (‬an absolute must order‭), ‬house made chestnut paneer tikka‭, ‬tandoori beef cheek‭, ‬konkani lamb chop‭, ‬and smoked butter chicken‭, ‬each more special than the last‭. ‬

I rarely would deem a restaurant a 10/10‭ ‬but in this case it would feel wrong to do anything but‭. ‬I could not recommend this spot enough‭, ‬but fair warning‭: ‬if you give the delightful head chef‭ ‬Kumaran Balaji free reign over your dish selection‭, ‬go with a keen appetite and an empty stomach‭! ‬

Hero dish‭:‬‭ ‬ It's honest hard to choose‭, ‬but I would say the keema pav‭ ‬‭ ‬ -‭ ‬10/10

Senses‭:‬ Totally at ease yet insanely engaged‭, ‬the way you should feel in a truly special restaurant‭ ‬‬ -‭ ‬10/10

Menu curation‭: ‬ I cannot recommend letting chef Kumaran Balaji choose enough‭ ‬ -‭ ‬10/10

Service‭: ‬ Gorgeous service‭, ‬we felt incredibly welcome‭ ‬ -‭ ‬10/10

Overall score‭: ‬ 10/10

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