BOMBAY TOUCH IS THE BEST
RESTAURANT REVIEW
The cuisines of northern and southern India embrace one another at Bombay Touch, which for me resulted in a richly spiced and absolutely delectable meal.
The exterior of the restaurant on Highway 8, almost as far as Fruitland Road, is surprisingly unassuming, however. Shades half drawn in the window, with neon “open” and “take out” signs attracting most of our attention.
But an elaborate sand painting celebrating Diwali greeted us on the floor of the foyer. The design is a large flower in the colours of fall: burnt yellow, reddish brown and dusty orange.
The dining room décor is simpler: stone tiles under foot, café tables and wooden Shaker style chairs. A bar sporting mostly glasses, since they aren’t licensed, is lit a curious neon blue.
As we walked to our table, the server told us apologetically that the chef was on his way, but that if we wanted any small plates, they could be made in the meantime.
We were struck by the southern Indian offerings on the menu, since many restaurants specializing in this cuisine stick with the more familiar northern dishes.
So we dove in. I got a mango lassi (a smoothie-type drink made with yogurt), but one of my companions was adventurous enough to try the jeera pani. After taking a sip and puckering his mouth, he immediately took out his phone to look up what he had ordered.
Jeera pani is a slightly sweetened tamarind drink with a mix of spices, including cumin. I am pretty sure, after tasting it myself, that a palate accustomed to savoury beverages would appreciate it more fully.
Soon after, a long plate with bhel poori arrived. The cold puffed rice had a nice crunch, softened a bit by spiced tamarind sauce. Hints of coriander and star anise came through in this popular Indian snack, and coriander leaves on top injected an herbal dimension. An excellent start. Then came dosa: an enormous, crêpe-like pastry made primarily from rice and black lentil. Perfectly crispy, with a thin layer of lentil on the inside.
It had a rich rice flavour, and toasted mustard seeds delivered further depth. The accompanying sauces hit the right notes: sourness from tamarind and a touch of coolness from cilantro mint. The lentil stew, also on the side, had a deliciously musty taste from turmeric.
Next was uthappa: a pancake made of lentils and rice, with toppings cooked into the batter. It was thick and pleasantly chewy. We chose the version with onions and potatoes: a savoury sauté with a similar spice profile to the dosa.
Wanting further tastes of southern India, we ordered the mini tiffin. After watching “The Lunchbox” on Netflix, I have romantic associations with tiffin, the metal cylinders that hold thousands and thousands of lunches that travel from home to work in India. This tiffin kept the romance alive. It had more dosa, along with fried lentil doughnuts, which were thick and perfect for soaking up the lentil sauce offered with it.
Swinging north, we ordered the chicken tikka. Grilled and charred on the outside, juicy on the inside, it came with peppers and onions on a sizzling platter, similar to the way fajitas are served. The naan that arrived with it was super crispy on the outside, if a touch greasy.
We also tried the butter chicken and palak paneer. The chicken was cooked to tenderness in the stew with its bright, acidic hit of tomato, and mild spices in the background. The paneer was mildly spiced, so as not to overwhelm the spinach, and the cheese brought a touch of richness.
Our server told us our chef is from the North but the owner is from the South, hence the menu’s broad scope. She brought everything in a reasonable time and enjoyed explaining the dishes to us — but not too much. When we pressed her for some ingredients, she replied that this was a house secret.
To cap the night, we tried two desserts. First, gulab jamun: spheres made from milk powder cooked in a very sweet syrup. A little too sugary for my (Western) palate, but the next dish was heaven.
Rasmalai are cakes made with the powder from evaporated cream, floating in thickened cream, with pistachios. Sound rich? It was, utterly, and incredibly delicious. So should you take a date here? If you are looking for a hip ambience or white linen service, this isn’t the place. The sophistication comes through in the food, however, which was truly a treat.