What you see – Colors and radiant ones at that. Yellows, reds and pinks may carry a kitschy feel today when it comes to restaurants. But when it comes to Bombay Vihar, these colors fit in quite well. That’s because they symbolize the basic positioning of this restaurant which serves cuisine from the western regions of the country.
To put things into perspective, how would you like a plate of thepla (Gujarati cuisine – type of bread) or misal pav (Maharashtrian cuisine – lentils and bread) being served on a white table cloth with brown and beige interiors? Or would you even like someone in bow tie to serve you a thali of Rajasthani culinary delights? Nah! So that’s the reason why those in-your-face colors don’t really make you go Ugh! So what if they are everywhere! On the walls, in the seating arrangements, in the traditional paper lanterns and even on the bearers.
What you get – Bombay Vihar serves Rajasthani, Maharashtrian, Gujarati and even some North Indian cuisine. All the food here is pure vegetarian. You can decide to pick and choose what you wish to try here or even go for the regional thalis.
They even have something called the Paschimi thali here that is served from Monday to Thursday. This meal is an amalgamation of Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Rajasthani fare. So it is a good bet for someone who wishes to sample cuisine from all of these regions at one go.
What you get in this thali ranges from farsaan (snacks and savories) to chaas (butter-milk). Khichdi kadi (rice hotchpotch with curd-based gravy dish) and theplas (thin wheat-based bread) are a must-try. If you are going a la carte, the individual items that you could try are sabudana vada (sago crispies), sev tamata nu shaak (gravy made from tomatoes and sev which is crisp vermicelli made from gram flour) and misal pav. These are authentically delicious.
The verdict – If you are looking to try something different from the regular fare and are in the mood to experiment, this place is a good bet. The thalisare the best options you could go for. The service is efficient but not comparable to the ones that you see in authentic Gujarati restaurants. Ambience is interesting and suitable for an informal dine-out. Parking space is ample as it is located in the building that houses Lifestyle.
