Seema and Amreen Omar’s new permanent location is stunning
and inspired by the older Iranian cafes found in Mumbai. I’ve never visited
India, but if the cafes consist of bright airy spaces, a mix of beautiful
patterns and motifs, interesting trinkets sitting on shelves and ornate
light fixtures, I can see why they want to bring this laid back vibe
to Toronto.
Bombay Street Food started as a travelling eatery in 2014,
served in farmers’ markets and festivals across the city. The pair were
offering smaller street food dishes inspired by what’s found in Mumbai, where
diners mix and match offerings to make a meal. They were a hit and attendees
kept asking for more, until finally this May the sister-in-laws quit their
corporate jobs to dedicate themselves fully to the restaurant.
Not to leave their roots, Bombay Street Food continues to source much
of their produce from farmers’ markets (hence the vegetables in the salads and
vegetarian dishes changes with what’s in season). They also want to follow
tradition by concocting their own spice mixtures and using 100% halal meat.
A chaat is
essentially a savoury snack that’s found on street stalls across India. With
three types on the menu, we shared the dahi
puri ($7.95), a thin deep fried bread with a cracker’s texture, filled with
stewed potatos & lentils, and topped with cooling yoghurts & refreshing
chutneys. Ideally, order these separately to snack on before returning for the
mains, as you’ll want to eat them before the crispy shell gets soggy.
The dahi puri went
well with the thick mango lassi ($4.95), a yoghurt smoothie blended with mangoes;
I appreciated that Bombay’s version is left natural and not sugary.
Although the masala haddock ($12.95) had a vibrant yellow
hue and smelled amazing, the fish was relatively mild and definitely needed
more salt; sadly, there was a disconnect between what I saw and tasted.
Nonetheless, the broiled fish was cooked well retaining a flaky moistness and
there was enough flavours in the daal
chawal rice that it was an enjoyable meal.
The daal chawal is
fantastic and of the three sides the most unique and delicious. I loved the
soft lentil stew topping the basmati, spices and herbs mixed throughout and the
intensely caramelized onions on top. The
gunpowder fries were also good with the hit of spice that lightly lingers, but
needed to be hotter and crispier.
A popular dish at the restaurant is the chicken frankie ($11.95), a juicy mild chicken
curry combined with red onion and cabbage for crunch, bits of egg to soak up
the juices, and coriander and lemon juice to add a refreshing element. Bombay
Street Food makes the roti fresh as an order’s placed so the wrap is chewy and
hot with a lovely toasty crunch. It’s good … just close your eyes, take a bite
and be prepared for the delicious juices to ensue.
And while we’re sitting in a place inspired by Iranian cafes,
we had to try their baked goods before leaving – truth be told, the space was
just gorgeous and I wanted to sit around longer. Made for people who don’t like
overly sweet desserts, the khaari biscuit
($3.95) is flaky and slightly savoury. The layered biscuit is puff pastry
without the oiliness. Yet, once it’s dipped in some cutting chai ($3.95), an
aromatic tea with cardamom, milk and sugar, the biscuit changes and morphs
closer to a dessert.
Oh and for those planning a birthday party, bridal shower or
engagement festivities: Bombay Street Food is available Sunday for private
events. What a great space to use! Just know you’ll also be supporting two
fierce entrepreneurs - they’ll likely be at the restaurant, but you’ll also see
pictures from their India trip screened onto the wall and framed family
portraits in the corner.
At last, Seema and Amreen is off the streets and into
bricks-and-morter, I’m sure their steadfast supporters are happy. For me, I know
where to go for a good frankie with
rice. Maybe afterwards I can cozy up in a quiet corner and relax. Eating street
food has never been so tranquil.
Disclaimer: the above meal was complimentary. Rest assured, as noted in the mission statement, I will always provide an honest opinion.
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 828 Bay Street
Address: 828 Bay Street
Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
Is That It? I Want More!
Other Gastro World posts similar to this:
