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Bombay Dreams
Since its opening in 2002, Bombay Dreams has set a notable benchmark for refined Indian cuisine in the city. To wit, the restaurant has been included in the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand since 2009, a testimony to its sustained excellence. It recently moved to a location on Wyndham Street – a bright and spacious dining venue with a contemporary and refined décor. The outlet can seat 80 guests, including a private room for 12 persons.
The restaurant’s makeover extends to its menu selections. In collaboration with noted master chef Irshad Ahmed Quereshi from Lucknow, Bombay Dreams has redesigned its menu, including adding buffet and brunch menus. Chef Quereshi comes highly pedigreed as the seventh generation of royal chefs in Lucknow, capital of Utter Pradesh and known for its culinary culture. Royal chefs served the Mogul monarchs back in the 17th and 18th centuries, and their legacy was preserved through family recipes. For Bombay Dreams, Chef Quereshi has created a diverse collection of regional dishes from across India to augment his specialty Northern Indian and Lucknowi favourites.
We began our meal with starters: Bombay Chilgoza Prawns ($168), fresh prawns marinated with ginger, garlic, coriander and pine nuts, deep fried, and Tawa Masala Sea Bass ($168) - sea bass in a marinade of spices, fresh herbs. We like the flavour and aroma of the herbs in both dishes.
We ordered several mains to share.
Tandoori is one of our favourites, so we ordered Chef’s Platter NonVegetarian ($268). The platter includes tandoori nisha, fish tikka, murgh kikka Peshwari, tandoori chicken, boti kebab and raunaq-e-seekh. All the meats are tender and tasty – a real treat. Chicken Tikka Lababdar ($168), chicken tikka simmered in onion and tomato gravy comes highly recommended. Another excellent dish is Guchchi Matar ($158), morel mushroom slow cooked with green peas, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Biryani is a must; we chose Lucknowi Gosht Biryani ($188), in which the rice and meat are cooked separately with traditional herbs and spices and then layered. For our bread, we chose Garlic Naan ($35), our favourite.
We wrapped up our meal with desserts: JamunE-Gul ($88), condensed milk balls immersed in a light cardamom-flavoured sugar syrup; Kulfi ($88), Indian ice cream made of thickened milk and served with sweetened vermicelli with choice of Malai/Saffron/Mango/Pomegranate flavours; and Moong Dal Halwa ($88), split green gram cooked with sugar, clarified butter and flavoured with cardamom – all fit for purpose.
Bombay Dreams has also upgraded its alcohol collection, including a new line of specialty cocktails and wines, and a whisky collection from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, India and beyond. We enthusiastically sampled a few which include Tadkaa Gin ($88), coconut, Campari, aromatic bitters, curry leaves, NH-8 ($98), Tequila Reposado, creme de cassis, lime, ginger beer; Kingfisher beer ($78); and two Indian whiskies – Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky 50% ($128) from Bangalore ($128), and Paul John Single Malt Whisky 46% Edited ($118) from Goa.
Our meal at Bombay Dreams proved to be a most satisfying experience – excellent and varied food and drinks, friendly and warm ambience, and attentive service. If you are in the mood for great Indian food in a nicely appointed restaurant, do check out Bombay Dreams. We recommend it.
