Reviewer's Summary: Disgusting Service; Divine Food
Gosh, how we hated the service at Salaam Bombay.
God, how we loved the food at this downtown Indian restaurant in Manhattan.
What got our goat at Salaam Bombay was that our waiter seemed completely unschooled in the basics of service.
When in the midst of taking our order he spotted a couple entering the restaurant, this bozo abandoned us without so much as a by-your-leave and rushed over to welcome them.
A little later, this clown committed the same offence when he was in the process of seating a very old Caucasian couple. Later we heard him insistently recommend the Lamb Rogan Josh even after the very old man had clearly declared his preference for Chicken Chettinad.
What's the matter with Indian restaurants in New York when it comes to service? Most of the time, they are so clueless, rude and gauche.
When we go to an Indian restaurant (as we do very often), we certainly don't expect the wait staff to curtsy. But we definitely expect them to be courteous.
Well, if you ignore the sub-par service at Salaam Bombay, our meal at this downtown restaurant was a delightful treat for the tastebuds. With a few exceptions, of course.
Vegetarian or non-vegetarian, Salaam Bombay's kitchen is a force to reckon with in New York.
Of the several appetizers we tried, Kachori, Samosa, Dhokla and the Cauliflower Pakoras were good. Very good, as a matter of fact. But Onion Bhajia wasn't fried properly and had a raw flavor.
The tiny Idli was hard and had a slightly sour taste.
But there were plenty of other compensations.
Take Salaam Bombay's Chicken Chettinad, for instance. Believe us, it was a gift from the gods above.
Cooked with black pepper, spices and yogurt, this is a dish from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in South India. Spicy but not searingly spicy, Salaam Bombay's Chicken Chettinad was great with rice, Garlic Naan and Pooris.
On the vegetarian side, Malai Kofta and Undhiyu set new standards of perfection in our food lexicon. They were delicious leaving us hankering for more.
Dal was alright but did not rise to great heights.
The Baigan curry was OK although we felt that the eggplant pieces were a little sour.
Garlic Naan was awesome and the Pooris superb with the various curries.
We were on a Big high by now. Who needs cocaine when you have such great Indian food.
Srikhand (saffron flavored yogurt) with pieces of almond was lovely to behold and lovelier to ingest.
Bliss was in that dawn to be alive, but to be hungry at Salaam Bombay was very heaven (thank you, Wordsworth).
But our second dessert Kesar Kulfi ($6.00) was a letdown, tasting more like mango ice cream with none of the yummy Kulfi flavor coming through.
Although there were several waiters hovering around, they were never there when we needed them.
Perhaps to compensate for his obnoxious behavior earlier, our waiter sent across a complimentary cup of Phirnee, which we politely declined.
Masala Tea ($4.00) and Coffee ($3.00) were the sole disgraces of our dinner.
The Tea had absolutely no flavor of the spices that give Masala Chai its unique charm. We find it very irritating that most Indian restaurants in New York including Salaam Bombay provide cold milk on the side when you ask for Masala Chai. Invariably, after you mix it with the hot tea, you end up with a lukewarm cup. Yuva in Midtown East Manhattan is that rare Indian restaurant providing hot milk on the side.
As for Salaam Bombay's Coffee, Macbeth's witches must have brewed it in their big cauldrons. Blimey! It was the vilest tasting liquid we've consumed in a long time.
Another big gripe - Salaam Bombay adds a 15% service charge to the bill and then leaves a column open for additional tips! This is a big, big ripoff since service is a joke at this restaurant.
If you can stand Salaam Bombay's lousy service, you'll relish its fine food.
In a downtown littered with mediocre Indian restaurants like Karahi, Surya and Moksha, Salaam Bombay glitters like the Kohinoor for its divine food.
Salaam Bombay is one of the few Indian restaurants in New York City we'd consider returning to, its poor service notwithstanding.- © NYIndia.us
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