Cheap Eats 2007: Bombay

Reviewed by Cynthia Hacinli , Michele Kayal , Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Don Rockwell

Bombay Indian Restaurant

11229 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring/Takoma Park, MD
Phone: 301-593-7222

Cuisines:
Indian

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
None nearby

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Crowd:
Indian grandmothers, toddlers, and everyone in between.

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

Best Dishes

Price Details:
Appetizers $3.50 to $6.95, entrées $8.95 to $18.95.


The coriander, tamarind, and onion chutneys on the table draw your eye with their electric colors. The dishes that follow at this curry house, with its blue sconces and soft Indian music, are equally vivid. There’s outstanding paneer pakora, house-made cheese stuffed with fresh mint sauce and deep-fried. Curries range from the mildly zesty Dum Aloo Banarasi—potatoes stuffed with cheese and spices—to the fiery lamb vindaloo, and they might be the area’s best.

Tandoori dishes are excellent; cubes of salmon are marinated overnight in spices and roasted until the flavor is locked in. And don’t miss the biryanis. The Bombay Biryani ranks as one of the great dishes in Washington: a big portion of basmati rice flavored with saffron, raisins, and nuts and loaded with chicken, lamb, and shrimp.

The nan, once a weak point, has gotten better, leaving Bombay as one of the area’s few great Indian restaurants.

Open Sunday through Thursday for lunch and dinner, Friday and Saturday for dinner.