Bombay Mahal Restaurant458 Moody St., Waltham, MA
For this post, we're back to a good, ol' fashioned Boston area Indian Buffet review, no far away specials, no two-part specials, etc. On another note, I'm beginning to worry and become relieved at the same time that my cravings for Indian food are weakening. I'm worried because it could hinder the thoroughness of my perception of the flavor of the buffet offerings. I'm relieved because I think it's unhealthy (mentally) to consistantly crave the same type of food. While Indian food does contain a lot of zesty spices, variety is the true spice of life... On to our perusals!
The Offerings:
Chutneys/Sauces:
(top to bottom of row, then left to right: pickle, raitha, mango chutney, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, kheer, salad)
pickle: I didn't try it, but one of my friends did and it made him cringe, just as I have when trying this item in the past. I'm guessing it's from the salty/lemony flavor that attacks the taste buds.
raitha: I didn't notice anything different from the usual tangy, yogurty taste it always has, everywhere I go.
mango: n/a
mint: n/a
tamarind: I only got to try a little bit of this because there was no small cup or ramekin for me put it in for dipping purposes. They insisted that the small bowls were for desert ONLY. I remember it being sweet. Other than that, I didn't get much of the flavor because it started mixing with the other curries on my plate :( Partly my fault for being clumsy in the face of sauce-adversity, and partly theirs for putting me in the face of sauce-versity.
Salad: It was pre-mixed with lemon wedges, carrot, and green bell pepper slice over iceberg lettuce. It was much like my other encounters with this method of salad presentation, which make up the majority of what I've witnessed in my Indian buffet adventures. Nothing to discredit them for here, only good.
Bread:
naan: They made the naan available on the buffet line. I've missed this method of obtaining naan. I do love to "naan at my own risk". as far as the quality goes, it wasn't great but definitely didn't suck. It was soft and dry; definitely one of the less flavorful naans I've tasted.
Appetizer:
(clockwise from bottom left (green): saag paneer, chana kabuli, pakora, basmati rice, veg. basmati rice, naan)
pakora: This would be the second review in a row where I've experienced huge, spinachy pakoras and I couldn't be more happy. I think these ones were even larger than those at Rasoi. They had a good crisp and were savory as hell; nothing bad to say about these.
Entrees:
(clockwise from bottom left: chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, "best mushroom's", chicken chilli)
vegetable rice: Ah, a rare encounter with a buffet that has two types of rice, plain and augmented with a vegetable/fruit flavoring. The vegetable used in this rice was peas. This was especially interesting because the only rice offered in past buffet experiences contained peas. This rice just contained more than usual.
saag paneer: It was delicious. Perfect consistency: not to think or thin. It was significantly creamy, but unlike Diva, this saag paneer was still packed with sweet, sweet flavor.
chana kabuli: This was essentially chana masala/chole with bits of potato. It tasted notably buttery. It was also a good mix of sweet and spicy.
baignan bartha: As much as I don't care for eggplant, this dish was quite nice to my tastebuds. The sauce was sweet, tangy, and spicy all at the same time, which is why I fell in love with Indian cuisine in the first place.
veg. jalfrezi: n/a. I fucked up and got too full off of the saag paneer, chana kabuli, and chicken tikka masala. I never ended up trying this dish or the grammatically incorrect "best mushrooms".
"best mushroom's": n/a, though I've yet to be impressed with Indian mushroom dishes.
chicken chilli: This dish consisted of seemingly tandoori grilled boneless chicken in a sauce that included roasted peppers, onions, tomato, and Indian spices. It almost reminded me of kadai paneer, except with chicken, instead of Indian cheese cubes. I like it, but I think, in general, it's not my favorite dish. I'm more of a sucker for sweeter, creamier curries.
chicken tikka masala: It was delicious. The chicken was tender, juicy, and pre-marinated. The sauce was simultaneously creamy and tangy. One small criticism of this fine-tasting item was that the sauce was slightly thin for my liking. Something I might overlook depending on my mood.
tandoori chicken: This dish doesn't stand out in my mind as having any notably good or bad characteristics. I believe it was adequately spiced, juicy, and smokey.
Dessert:
kheer: It was on the thicker side and tasted of sweet cream. It was smooth and had a subtle sweetness that I enjoyed.
Price: $10.08 (weekday w/ MA meals tax) Average.
Final Score: 4.8/5
They did a damn goo djob on most of their offerings. Also contributing to their high score was the decent size of the buffet. I really wish they had bows that could've been used for salad chutney though. Basically we're looking at (mostly) North Indian cuisine done pretty damn well.
raitha: I didn't notice anything different from the usual tangy, yogurty taste it always has, everywhere I go.
mango: n/a
mint: n/a
tamarind: I only got to try a little bit of this because there was no small cup or ramekin for me put it in for dipping purposes. They insisted that the small bowls were for desert ONLY. I remember it being sweet. Other than that, I didn't get much of the flavor because it started mixing with the other curries on my plate :( Partly my fault for being clumsy in the face of sauce-adversity, and partly theirs for putting me in the face of sauce-versity.
Salad: It was pre-mixed with lemon wedges, carrot, and green bell pepper slice over iceberg lettuce. It was much like my other encounters with this method of salad presentation, which make up the majority of what I've witnessed in my Indian buffet adventures. Nothing to discredit them for here, only good.
Bread:
naan: They made the naan available on the buffet line. I've missed this method of obtaining naan. I do love to "naan at my own risk". as far as the quality goes, it wasn't great but definitely didn't suck. It was soft and dry; definitely one of the less flavorful naans I've tasted.
Appetizer:
(clockwise from bottom left (green): saag paneer, chana kabuli, pakora, basmati rice, veg. basmati rice, naan)
pakora: This would be the second review in a row where I've experienced huge, spinachy pakoras and I couldn't be more happy. I think these ones were even larger than those at Rasoi. They had a good crisp and were savory as hell; nothing bad to say about these.
Entrees:
(clockwise from bottom left: chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, "best mushroom's", chicken chilli)
vegetable rice: Ah, a rare encounter with a buffet that has two types of rice, plain and augmented with a vegetable/fruit flavoring. The vegetable used in this rice was peas. This was especially interesting because the only rice offered in past buffet experiences contained peas. This rice just contained more than usual.
saag paneer: It was delicious. Perfect consistency: not to think or thin. It was significantly creamy, but unlike Diva, this saag paneer was still packed with sweet, sweet flavor.
chana kabuli: This was essentially chana masala/chole with bits of potato. It tasted notably buttery. It was also a good mix of sweet and spicy.
baignan bartha: As much as I don't care for eggplant, this dish was quite nice to my tastebuds. The sauce was sweet, tangy, and spicy all at the same time, which is why I fell in love with Indian cuisine in the first place.
veg. jalfrezi: n/a. I fucked up and got too full off of the saag paneer, chana kabuli, and chicken tikka masala. I never ended up trying this dish or the grammatically incorrect "best mushrooms".
"best mushroom's": n/a, though I've yet to be impressed with Indian mushroom dishes.
chicken chilli: This dish consisted of seemingly tandoori grilled boneless chicken in a sauce that included roasted peppers, onions, tomato, and Indian spices. It almost reminded me of kadai paneer, except with chicken, instead of Indian cheese cubes. I like it, but I think, in general, it's not my favorite dish. I'm more of a sucker for sweeter, creamier curries.
chicken tikka masala: It was delicious. The chicken was tender, juicy, and pre-marinated. The sauce was simultaneously creamy and tangy. One small criticism of this fine-tasting item was that the sauce was slightly thin for my liking. Something I might overlook depending on my mood.
tandoori chicken: This dish doesn't stand out in my mind as having any notably good or bad characteristics. I believe it was adequately spiced, juicy, and smokey.
Dessert:
kheer: It was on the thicker side and tasted of sweet cream. It was smooth and had a subtle sweetness that I enjoyed.
Price: $10.08 (weekday w/ MA meals tax) Average.
Final Score: 4.8/5
They did a damn goo djob on most of their offerings. Also contributing to their high score was the decent size of the buffet. I really wish they had bows that could've been used for salad chutney though. Basically we're looking at (mostly) North Indian cuisine done pretty damn well.
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