BOMBAY PALACE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

By Michael Hepworth

The Bombay Palace restaurant in Beverly Hills has just celebrated 25 years of business in January of this year and is offering special discounts that will be lasting until the end of the year. One of the most elegant Indian restaurants in the city, the Bombay Palace has had the same chef for its entire existence, and a personable owner Deep Sethi for 19 year.  Deep started out as an employee doing all kinds of jobs at the restaurant for 6 years before becoming the owner, and he should certainly be congratulated for keeping Bombay Palace relevant for so long.  He knows his clientele, and makes no bones that he is not interested in trying to be over adventurous or cutting edge with his food, so expect traditional Indian food that in general is served mild catering to the American palate. Of course if you insist on a hot and spicy vindaloo style curry the chef will probably oblige, but you should really go to Bombay Palace to enjoy the overall experience.

The wine list is not large but quite interesting, and a fair amount of selections by the glass. I tried the Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand ($8 per glass, $35 by the bottle), a wine that goes well with the style of food. My companion went for the Angeline Gewurztraminer from Mendocino, but was less impressed. I also started out with a Palace Tini cocktail, a refreshing Vodka cocktail with mint and lime, a perfect drink to blend with the Bombay Palace menu.  For starters the vegetable samosas are excellent, nice and plump with seasoned potatoes and peas and wrapped in a light pastry. Indian breads here are also just right, especially the Onion Kulcha, a fluffy white bread stuffed with onions and their version of the Garlic Nan. Other appetizers of note at Bombay Palace include the Reshmi Kebab, cubes of chicken marinated in yogurt, garlic, ginger & spice, and Lamb Chops Kandhari, spiced and marinated chops grilled over charcoal.

For a main course you might want to try the Makhani Chicken which is a Julienne of Tandoori Chicken cooked in a creamy tomato sauce, or the Lamb Bhuna, chunks of lamb cooked with tomatoes, onions and herbs and spices. For a vegetable side dish try the Aloo Gobi, a traditional Indian favorite with fresh cauliflower and potatoes cooked with ginger, tomatoes and milder spices.  All good stuff to be rounded out with a Carrot Halwa dessert, Cardamon flavored carrot pudding served with coconut pineapple ice cream. As you stagger out into the quiet Beverly Hills night, you will probably say to yourself, I have to come back to this place.

Fact Sheet

Bombay Palace, 8690 Wilshire Blvd , Beverly Hills , CA 90211

Phone: 310-659-9944

Street parking and restaurant parking.

Dress-Smart

Lunch specials all 2010-$25 for two includes beverage

Dinner specials(Palace feast) all 2010-$50 for two