The Bombay Grill in Boise has not only weathered this past season, it seems to have flourished by making the right moves. Building up a popular take out business and also supplying delivery companies, it has become a popular way for people to enjoy their Indian Food. In addition, with making several changes in the operation of their buffet, they have surpassed CDH standards and ultimately made it easier to enjoy their delicious lunch buffet that is served daily.
The Bombay Grill in Boise has been in business for over 10 years. Located in the historical Idanha Hotel downtown, the interior is full of rich woods and exudes a feeling of classic simplicity. Walking in for the lunch buffet, you are seated at a table to await your turn at the buffet. A Fresh order of warm, freshly baked naan is provided, the nice bubble of crispier dough on the surface a nice contrast with the tender dough of the body of the dough. The naan is great for scraping up the many different curries, chutneys and other delights you can get at the buffet. In these days of COVID-19 awareness, the Bombay Grill has been proactive in making the restaurant safe for everyone. Guest are encouraged to wear masks except when dining. All employees wear masks and gloves.
Instead of guests taking food by themselves from the buffet, a server makes a plate up for you with whatever you want. Personally, I have enjoyed this way of buffet service pre-COVID in only a few high-end buffets and I really like it. Not only does it control the portions but it gives you a chance to ask about the dishes and is really much safer. If there is one good thing to come out of this pandemic I think it is the changeover to this type of buffet service. You can return to the buffet as many times as you want and be provided with a clean plate and another serving of whatever you want.
A great way to start is with the Kactchuriba Salad, Freshly chopped cucumber, onion and tomato are lightly spiced make a refreshing start to the meal. Topping it with a yogurt dressing, raita, fills out the flavor and there are mild and hot chutneys to top it with also to up the flavor. A nice appetizer to enjoy with the salad is the Vegetable Pakoras appetizer. This dish includes batter fried onions, potatoes, spinach and cauliflower. It is served with a red or green chutney. Like many of the dishes on the menu, this is made to be acceptable for vegan or vegetarian diets.
One of my favorite Indian dishes has always been Saag Paneer. Maybe the reason was that I watched Popeye as a kid eating that spinach, but I have always enjoyed spinach. Bombay Grill in Boise makes an excellent Saag Paneer, using chunks of homemade cheese that are cooked with spinach, special herbs and spices. If you have never tried this, the lunch buffet is a perfect place to try it. As is with most dishes at the buffet, it is served mild but can always be made spicier. Part of this dish’s unusual attraction is the texture, the spinach of course is very soft, while the cheese, although somewhat soft too, is firm enough to give the Saag Paneer some nice body.
Another nice vegetarian dish is Navrathan Korma. This dish has a nice, substantial texture to it and excellent taste. It is a mixture of different vegetables, sauteed in herbs and spices with onions, tomatoes, cream, almonds and raisins. The tomatoes add a nice touch of acid to the dish while the raisins add a little sweetness. The buffet also includes Channa Masala, another popular vegetarian dish. This consists of chickpeas flavored with a special blend of fresh aromatic spices. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a staple of many cuisines around the world. Both these dishes are excellent choices to be scooped up with the warm naan.
The owner’s home area is the region of Punjab; and this region is showcased in the dish Alu Matar. It is a deceptively simple dish of potatoes and spring peas in a spicy thick curried onion tomato gravy. Flavor wise it is absolutely delicious. As with most of the dishes, it is suggested to get a nice scoop of Basmati rice and use it to be topped with items like the alu matar. The rice will soak up the delicious flavors of the gravy. Punjab itself is famous for many other dishes also including tandoori chicken.
India, having a majority of Hindu and Islamic residents, includes neither beef or pork in their cuisine. However, they do make a variety of delicious chicken and lamb dishes. Lamb Vindaloo has to be one of the very best. A nice spicy dish it consists of tender cubes of lamb and potatoes in a thick curry sauce. The heat of the curry sauce is one of the signs of its origins in the Indian state of Goa. The version at Bombay Grill is thick and delicious, hot but not overpowering, with nice sized cubed of tender lamb in the curry sauce.
Bombay Grill serves two of the most popular chicken dishes on their lunch buffet. One is Murgh Makhani, better known outside of India as Butter Chicken. It is a roasted boneless tandoori chicken cooked in spices with tomatoes, butter and cream sauce. The chicken in its creamy sauce is a recent dish, invented in Northern India in 1948. Because the chicken is tandoori grilled first, it has a very nice texture and flavor before it is even put into the rich sauce.
Chicken Tikka Masala is a similar, extremely popular dish. Sometimes it is claimed to be invented in India, while at other times created by modifying Butter Chicken to British tastes in the United Kingdom. Regardless, it has become one of the most popular Indian dishes in the world and Bombay Grill’s version has great flavor. Even the description is similar, consisting of tender boneless chicken pieces broiled in the tandoor and then cooked in a thick tomato, onion and cream sauce. The flavor is just different enough to make both of them an interesting contrast in flavors.
Of course, the base for both of the other chicken dishes is a favorite way of cooking chicken in India. Bombay Grill’s Tandoori Chicken is simple and very nice, with the chicken marinated in yoghurt and spices and then grilled in the high heat tandoor oven. The legs are a good choice on the buffet, nicely grilled and yet juicy and flavorful.
The buffet at the Bombay Grill in Boise also has some delicious desserts. Kheer is a rice pudding, slightly sweet and with nice texture. What it really goes well with is the Gulab Aman. The description does not really do justice to this heavenly dessert. They are dough balls dipped in sugar syrup. The Gulab Aman is quite sweet and has an amazing flavor. They are a very popular dessert in Northern India as well as Pakistan and throughout Central Asia. As new as Tikka Masala is to Indian cuisine, Gulab Aman can trace its roots back to medieval India.
The lunch buffet at the Bombay Grill in Boise is a great way to enjoy a good, flavorful lunch. It is also a nice way for those not familiar with Indian flavors to try different dishes and see what Indian food is all about. It is also a good choice to go out with others who may be vegan or vegetarian since there are plenty of choices and they aren’t put in the usual “steamed vegetable” type of single choice most restaurants offer. There is also the option of getting the lunch buffet to go and many do take advantage of that. You can just call up, place an order and it will be ready for pickup when you arrive.
Service at the Bombay Grill in Boise is prompt, polite and attentive. There is also a nice choice of beer and wine available. Centrally located in Downtown Boise, the Bombay Grill make a nice place to enjoy either their lunch buffet or a nice dinner there too. It is even a convenient place to go once the Boise Phil starts their performances again. Regardless of when you visit the Bombay Grill however, you can be assured you will enjoy authentic, flavorful Indian food that is freshly made in a nice atmosphere.
Bombay Grill
928 W. Main Street
Boise, Idaho 83702
(208) 345-7888
