East County Times Dining Guide

 

 

Bombay Nights
5700 Honeygo Center Dr
Suite101
Perry Hall, MD
410-248-3131

By Allson McAlister

If youre looking for a dining experience thats a little exotic and out of the ordinary, you must try the new Bombay Nights in the Honeygo Village Shopping Center. Featuring North Indian cuisine, the elegantly decorated restaurant provides the perfect ambiance as aromatic spices pleasantly permeate the air and the melodies of Indian music play in the background. Its like stepping into another world, and you know youre going to enjoy an unforgettable meal. If youre familiar with Indian food, you may have already discovered Bombay Nights or have visited owner Neel Kamals Bel Air restaurant called Sizzling Bombay. If youve never tried Indian cuisine before, like me, you are in for a real treat. One of the best features of Bombay Nights is their lunch buffet, which allows those of us new to Indian food to sample a little bit of many traditional dishes so that we can figure out which types of foods we like the most. My co-worker and I took advantage of this option when we visited for lunch on a recent weekday. But before we began our meal, we were served mango lassi, a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink. This homemade concoction was unlike anything Id had before, and it was utterly delicious. My meal was off to a pleasant start! Next we hit the buffet, and I had no qualms about trying a little bit of everything. I loaded my plate with salad plus each of the several dressings available, jasmine rice and all of the entrees available that particular day. Kamal also served us a few of his specialty dishes, including a kabab sampling that included shrimp, chicken and lamb. Yes, I even tried the lamb and it was tasty! In fact, everything I tried was very good. I especially enjoyed the jasmine rice, the tandoori chicken and something called chicken korma kashmiri, which is cubes of chicken cooked in a fruity flavored creamy sauce. The dish was really flavorful. And the garlic naan with homemade hummus was incredible! Kamal stressed that Indian food is not all about curry; its so much more than that. Flavor is what Indian food is really all about. The spices we use enhance the flavors of the food, Kamal explains, adding that Indian cuisine is healthy, as less oils, creams and butters are used in the preparation of the food. Plus, the various spices used have health benefits as well. Take turmeric, for example. Researchers are currently investigating its benefits for preventing Alzheimers disease, cancer, arthritis and other biological disorders. Other popular spices used in Indian cooking include cardamom, tamarind, cumin and mace, just to name a few. Not only is Indian cuisine full of flavor, its visually appealing as well. Our filled plates at Bombay Nights were extremely colorful, which made for a beautiful presentation of the foods. And dont worry about the food being too spicy - Kamal has trained his chefs to the Western palate. The spices certainly wake up your tastebuds, but the food is not so spicy that you cant enjoy eating it. For dessert, we sampled some of the rice pudding on the buffet. Not as thick as the American version Im used to, this pudding was still very tasty. Kamal also served us cardamom spiced tea, which was the perfect ending to my first venture into the world of Indian cuisine. So rich and creamy, it could possibly be the best cup of tea Ive ever had the pleasure of sipping. Bombay Nights, located at 5007 Honeygo Center Dr. #101 in Perry Hall, is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Hours for lunch are 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. every day. Dinner hours are 5 - 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday and 5 - 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 410-248-3131 or visit www.bombaynights.net .

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