The Bombay Tandoor Grill,reasonably priced and exotically spiced Indian cuisine.
Heidi Couture, The Restaurant Rover
hautecuisinecouture.com

Located at 200 Lunenburg Street in Fitchburg, this local gem and family-run restaurant has been serving aromatic Indian food for the last 15 years. A common misconception is that Indian food is always very spicy, and that is not the case at all. At Bombay, you can order your food from mild to very spicy and everything in between. The Cheema family who will most likely be taking your order is very happy to answer any questions about the extensive, varied menu. They can advise you which dishes are mild, spicy to very hot.

I always start my Bombay experience with a cup of their delicious Chai Tea. The Bombay has been serving this authentic Indian concoction well before Starbuck’s attempted it. I was so obsessed with the Bombay’s Chai that Mr. Chemma once gave me the spice blend they use to take home and make my own Chai!

Next I always order papadum, which is a thin, crisp cracker-like appetizer made from lentils. It is a great way to get the palate in gear for the rest of the meal. At Bombay, they always bring over 3 Indian condiments to accompany the papadum.

Bombay offers a variety of traditional Indian appetizers, including many vegetarian options. Actually, they have several vegetarian dishes on the entire menu, so it is the perfect place to bring your vegetarian daughter, sibling or friend.  I recommend ordering the mixed appetizer platter, as you get a little of everything to try, this also comes in a vegetarian platter as well.

For a soup course, you won’t find a better big bowl of soup priced at just $2.95 anywhere else. I love the Coconut soup, which is creamy and mild with some gentle heat. The Mulligatawny, which literally means ‘pepper water’, is yummy and is served with a lemon wedge and the acid that it provides the dish with is just right.

Another traditional thing to order is Nan, which is unleavened, handmade bread, baked in the Bombay’s Tandoori oven. Speaking of the Tandoor, you should know that it is a traditional charcoal forged clay oven, shaped like a pitcher, which retains the juices and flavors of meats, giving them a distinct taste and flavor. A must try is the classic Chicken Tandoori, spring chicken marinated in Tandoori Masala and yogurt for over 24 hours and then baked on skewers in the Tandoori oven, producing the juiciest, most tender chicken you will ever have!

Another great thing the Bombay offers are the Chef’s Recommendations, where you get several courses of delicious food for just $19.95! The Bombay Tandoor Grill Restaurant is tucked into a little strip mall, but it is spacious and clean inside. You never feel rushed; you can bring your own bottle of wine, relax with a friend and enjoy exotic, flavorful Indian cuisine for a bargain price! They also serve an all you can eat lunch buffet for just $8.95.  In a time when non-chain locally owned restaurants are struggling, The Bombay has managed to continue serving their consistently good Indian food for fifteen years, without advertising, a website or a Facebook page, clearly they are doing something right.

A Rover Recommend!

The Restaurant Rover: ARISU, a new Korean Gem in Leominster

I had been hearing that there was a new Korean restaurant that had just recently opened in Leominster. I must admit, my knowledge of Korean food was limited to Korean BBQ and Kim chi, but I wanted to give it a try. So, I asked a friend to try it with me and she was up for it.  I did a bit of research on ordering Korean food and sent my friend the article I found.

The location of Arisu is a little difficult as it could easily be missed on busy North Main Street in Leominster (704), but once you do find it and enter you quickly forget it is off the busy street. Arisu is well appointed with Asian design, warm colors and a friendly staff to greet you.

The menu is extensive, but they explain each and every dish very clearly, which makes ordering fairly easy. Although, I was glad that my friend printed out the article I had sent her and brought it along! We started with Mul-Mandu which are steamed dumplings filled with minced pork and vegetables, they were very fresh and tasty and light, a bit like an elegant cousin to ‘pot stickers’ and they were served with a ginger soy dipping sauce for $8.95.

They also give you Miso Soup with your meal, and it was so yummy, not a hint of that over-salty type of miso I have had in the past. This Miso Soup used the right combination of Miso Paste and Dashi. I drank mine down happily!

My friend ordered the Bulgogi, which is thinly sliced prime cuts of beef marinated in Korean bulgogi sauce. And I ordered the LA Galbi, which is beef short ribs cut across the bone marinated in Korean BBQ sauce.  We loved our own dishes as well as each other’s, the marinade on our beef was so good, tangy and sweet but it didn’t over power the beef. The portions were quite generous and we both took half home. My friend joked that usually she shares her leftovers with her husband, but this time she was saving them for herself! Also, a note about the service, something that has been lost in recent years at many restaurants is when the server actually packs your leftovers for you. Too many times I am just thrown a Styrofoam box at my table to do the packing myself. Not at Arisu, they really insist on serving you from start to finish, so sit back and let them! Our orders were packed to go so artfully that it made eating them the next day (or later that night) a pleasure.

When our orders came they were accompanied by an array of small sides called, Pan Chan. These were so fun to try! There was kim chi, as well as noodle, fish and other vegetable-based sides, and we liked them all.

We had ordered a side dish of Bibim-bab, which is steamed rice topped with seasoned vegetables and served with spicy red chili paste on the side. They prepared this dish tableside, which was fun to watch.

They do a wonderful job at Arisu at making you feel special, yet at home. They are very attentive and we were offered and served a few special dishes on the house by the owner. One of those dishes was a steamed egg and shrimp dish served on a hot stone, tableside, it was simply divine!  It was so light and flavorful and stayed hot for the rest of our meal because of the stone. It may have been my favorite thing I ate there. And it is not on the menu; it is just a special dish they whipped up for us to try.

At the end of our meal we were brought SuJeongGwa, a traditional Korean beverage made with mainly cinnamon sticks, ginger, and sugar. Koreans usually drink this beverage as a dessert and it is popular during the holidays. My friend described it as liquid apple pie, and I have to agree!  It tastes good both hot or cold, we were served the beverage cold with ice cubes. The owner told us it is the drink of royalty, and that is just how we felt we were treated at Arisu.

A Rover Recommend!