Indian @ Bombay Cafe, Tokyo

A couple of weekends ago, feeling tired (and a little lazy) and not wanting to cook dinner (encouraged by Rob's and Honey's "Let's eat out tonight!"), we headed to the nearby Triton Square in search of an Indian restaurant that one of my Japanese mum friends had recommended. I wasn't given the restaurant's name, but a short search on the internet yielded Bombay Cafe. We really ought to try out more restaurants in the neighbourhood, but we suffer from the 'It's-in-our-backyard-we-can-go-anytime' syndrome. The restaurant is managed and run by Japanese staff, but the chef is Indian, so we know the food is authentic. It is a popular choice for families with young children, and even a baby as young as our 1-year-old enjoyed the Indian bread and mildly spicy dal (mind you, I have already introduced curry into his diet from when he was 9 months).

We had a "drink service" coupon downloaded from the internet, which entitled each of us to have a free drink each, including alcohol (valued at least 480 yen each). Rob got the standard Mango Lassi, Honey the Mango Lassi Cocktail and I ordered the Peach Lassi Cocktail. Rob's non-alcoholic lassi was the nicest because I don't think yoghurt combines very well with alcohol. We ordered some Stuffed Kulcha, which contained a filling of chicken and cheese, and this was quite nice for Zak to munch on so that he didn't feel like he was missing out on Indian food.

Lassi Drinks: (left to right) Mango Cocktail, Mango and Peach Cocktail; Stuffed Kulcha with chicken and cheese:


We got some Keema Puffs and Spicy Fish, both of which came fresh out of the oil and piping hot. They were tasty and spicy, but a little bit too greasy for my liking.

Keema Puffs and Spicy Fish:


For mains, we enjoyed some Dahl and Lamb Rogan Josh with Garlic Naan. The dahl had a buttery taste and was only mildly spicy, mild enough for little Zak to tolerate (in fact, he loved it more than the chicken porridge I'd packed from home!). The rogan josh was spicier, and Rob and Honey both thought this was the best dish of the dinner, but I thought the lamb 'fragrance' was a bit too strong. I'm not a fan of lamb meat though, so I'm sure most people would agree with my husband and sister that the rogan josh was delicious. The naan was deliciously garlicky, not unlike garlic bread, and resembled closer to the traditional style (charred and crusty) than the soft, fluffy and chewy naan served at our favourite Indian restaurant. Strangely, I found myself thinking that the soft, fluffy naan would have done a better job at mopping up the dahl and rogan josh than the more traditional one we had.

Dahl and Rogan Josh with Garlic Naan:


We had some Kulfi for dessert, which was flavoured with honey and a hint of almond. The texture was unexpectedly crumbly and a little dry, but not unpleasantly so. Rob and I prefer the one served at Nawab.

Kulfi:


Bombay Cafe is a nice restaurant, but it still can't beat our favourite.