Bombay Borough offers a new and ‘desi’ take on business lunches and set menus. Ipshita Sharma checks it out.
When a restaurant in Dubai promises a glimpse of Indian food beyond the obvious – we have to check it out! The iconic ‘dabbawalas’ of Mumbai would be chuffed to see fancier iterations of their dabbas being delivered to fancy tables in the middle of Dubai’s business district. Dabbas or lunch tiffins are a staple for all working class homes all over India. No wonder then that Bombay Borough’s new concept of dabbas reflect various dabbas from all over India.
From the Nawabi dabba from the north to the colourful and flavourful Bawa Dabba from the Parsi community from West India, to the eclectic and nostalgic Ammas Dabba, with comforting, distinct and fiery flavors from Kerala, to the Punjabi Dabba that has rich and famous North Indian dishes, to the Tangra Dabba, with subtle (yet fiery) flavors from the East coast of India well known for their fish specialties and even a Vegan Dabba, this menu offers a taste of the various regions in India, neatly packaged into a tiffin box to enhance the authenticity of the dining experience.
The menu is designed for guests to enjoy various courses across starters, small plates and mains. Bombay Borough pays homage to the various kinds of food heritage from around the country. Each dabba signifies a culinary history that is quite its own. A true blue Bombay girl, I had to try out the Bawa dabba while my companion tried out the vegetarian options from the Maharaja dabba. We also got some steamed rice and black dal on the side with thematic mocktails and a very special dessert (but more about that later.
We start off with a papad platter and a coconut cream puri as an amuse bouche. The platter comes with a fantastic, spiced hummus, a tangy tomato chutney, a mango dip and a herby labneh and the papads were made of refined flour, rice flour, and sago seeds. A nice and refined take on a papad starter, it was a good way to get our tastebuds tingling.
Our drink of a grape soda mixed with fun little additives was very yummy indeed and so was our elderflower drink. We also tried out their Shikanji tequila that was quite a palate tease. Then was the time for our dabbas!
My companion’s Maharaja dabba arrived in style and was opened to find the chaat starter that was woefully lacking in chutney, with a edamame and chestnut puri as a second course followed by a heavenly and smoky kadhi that smelled delicious! Inspired by Rajasthan, the spices were coarsely ground and very rustic. The kadhi in particular was sweet, tangy and savoury all at once. Though not quite the flavour punch we were expecting, the food was exquisite!
Along came my bawa dabba with an eclectic mix of hot and sweet borrowing from its unique Iranian roots. The Parsis came over to India (mostly Mumbai) in the 1700s and have been a very close part of Mumbai culinary history since. So I really had to try the chicken farcha and patra ni machchi!
My dabba was glorious! Apart from the lackluster chaat starter (which really does need a rethink), the chicken and fish were fantastically cooked and the flavours sang to the highest heavens! The fish was perfectly cooked and the green marinade was tangy and delicious. The chicken farcha (cutlet) was fresh, zingy and felt like a bite of home – though I did have to ask for chutney separately. What’s with the chutney stinginess?
As we were both feeling a bit full but did want to at least try out a dessert, we opted to go just for one. We chose the Ras E Aam which was an interesting combination of aamras (which is a western India staple) and a rasgulla (which is a dessert made in eastern India).
What a great choice and what a beautiful way to end our meal, this dish was easily a highlight. Lightly flavored basundi (light custard) around a freshly made and subtly sweet rasgulla that was topped by a dash of aamras (mango juice that is thickened with milk etc), this dish hit all the right notes.
Good: The combinations and menus are where its at!
Bad: Their chaat needs to be amped up
Trendy: Priced at 105 for the dabbas, even with the addons, this meal is a steal for a licensed business lunch in DIFC.