Salam Bombay
217-755 Burrard St.
Vancouver
604-681-6300
salambombay.ca
Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner
Signature Drink: Bombay Fizz
Signature Dish: Halibut Masala
Rating: **** 1/2
Dinner & drinks for two: $90
Southern Indian cuisine receives inventive tweaks
It’s not every day that you are offered musk ox tandoori and it’s
really too bad. I have to thank reader Eva for pointing me towards this
three-month-old downtown gem. Salam Bombay puts the hospitality of many
restaurants to shame and gives those same kitchens a run for their
Mattar.
The restaurant has a wide-open second-floor view of Burrard
Street and the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, but the real eye-catcher is
the interior, with back-to-back sofas topped by lots of pillows,
well-spaced tables covered in linens, and a big, shiny bar that boasts
almost as many bottles as your local BCL. There is no drinks menu, per
se, but Chikoo (pronounced “chico”), our server extraordinaire, assured
us he could make anything our booze-soaked hearts desired.
The wine list has a wide and motley assortment of varietals,
hailing from all corners. But the intriguing part was the per glass
section, simply listing price per varietal, with no indication of
producer or origin. You’re free to ask, of course, but I was left to
wonder if this was simply the owner’s way of getting rid of weekly
overstock.
The dinner menu is much more interesting and very reasonably priced. Appetizers are $6 to $9, while larger tandoori appies are less than $12. Entrees start at $18, with the most expensive being $28. This isn’t the typical northern Indian cuisine that dominates Vancouver’s restaurant scene, however. Think more southern-style, with some contemporary influences, such as the heavy emphasis on game meats (musk ox, elk, wild boar, kangaroo) and seafood.
We started with the lentil spinach soup ($6) at Chikoo’s recommendation. Creamy, thick strained lentils were well-laced with spinach and sundry herbs. This was delicious, but the lamb herb soup ($6) was equally tempting. Wild sockeye salmon samosas ($9)—try saying that five times fast—were perfect, fillo-wrapped wonders, fresh, moist and very lightly seasoned. They came with latticed “potato chips,” which I didn’t mind at all.
We then moved on to the aforementioned musk ox
tandoori ($12), which Chikoo served to us table-side. After marinating
for almost two days, it’s no wonder that the meat was perfectly tender
and not at all gamey, with demure garlic and ginger hints. The chef
obviously has an artistic side, because all of the raw vegetables on
the plates (and there were many) were carved and contorted into orange,
green and white (radish) flower cups. Good finger food.
A halibut masala main ($26) came wrapped in banana leaf and was tender, flaky and as aromatic as the fresh strawberries and mint leaves in the side salad, accompanied by the cumin rice and naan that is included with all mains. We ordered some raita (a savoury seasoned yogurt) for dipping ($3) and Chikoo brought us extra naan on the house when we ate all of ours.
Some beef short ribs ($24) served
korma-style and on (well, practically off) the bone were
super-salivatory (hey, who says I can’t make up a word if I want to?)
and perfectly seasoned. The food in general is definitely on the
milder side of spicy, but the chef is happy to accommodate those who
want more fire on the tongue.
Dessert was a bit of a surprise. We had ordered Kadali banana fritters ($7) and received a gratis addition of the pistachio kulfi ice cream ($7). As Peter, my dining partner, said, “Bananas were meant to be deep-fried.” Especially when you then drip on caramel and dark chocolate sauce and serve with a side of ice cream.
The
pistachio kulfi was more nut than cream and worth the slightly inflated
menu price ($7 for ice cream?). We thought we were done, but Chikoo had
other ideas. A couple of extra-strong chais arrived in espresso cups
(thankfully—any more and I would be shaking from the overdose), also
gratis, along with an offer to tour the kitchens -- which the owner
does on a regular basis, according to other diners. We accepted and
were very pleased with the large, squeaky-clean set-up, not to mention
the enormous smiles of the chefs. Salam, indeed.
Do you see the Purple Angels?
No, it’s not the hallucinogenics. At a recent winemakers’ dinner at Saltaire,
the wines of Aurelio Montes of Montes Winery (Chile) were paired with
local B.C. fare to great effect. The Purple Angel 2005 is a blend of
Carmenère (92%) and Petit Verdot (8%). Aged 18 months in new French oak
(smaller barrels), this purple-coloured wine offers a strong nose of
toasted blueberries and green olives, with mocha and tobacco on the
palate and a nice finish. Good for cellaring until 2020. BCLS $53.95.
Oh, Say, Can You See?
Red and White and All that Sparkles: The third annual Wine on the Mountain
fundraiser for the Adoptive Families Association of B.C. takes place on
Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the top of Grouse Mountain. Enjoy food with wine
pairings from Germany, South Africa, Spain, Argentina and B.C. Tickets
$150. Email events@bcadoption.com
Dining Out
On Monday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m., Provence Marinaside will
present a special five-course chef’s table wine dinner, served en
famille, featuring Paul Jaboulet Aîné wines and guest speaker Nicholas
Jaboulet. Enjoy daube du bison, duck confit and rosewater poached pear.
$100 per person. Call 604-681-4144.
On Sunday, October 26 at 1 p.m., West Restaurant will host a
special luncheon in honour of the launch of their new cookbook. Canapé
reception and five-course meal with wine pairings featuring recipes
from West: The Cookbook. The $150 per person charge includes a copy of the book. Call 604-738-8938.
Food in Brief
It’s almost a year late, but not a penny short…Loden Hotel and its restaurant Voya, will be open in the next 10 days. Stay tuned for my review…
Famed Brit mixologist and self-styled old school maitre d’ Tim Schofield has been appointed GM at FigMint Restaurant and Lounge. Watch service soar.
