THE BOMBAY CAFE | FOOD REVIEW
West Bute St, Cardiff Bay. 029 2048 1148 / www.facebook.com/thebombaycafe100
Walking into the Bombay Cafe in Cardiff Bay did feel like walking into an expat’s cafe in Mumbai – all mint green walls and hand drawn portraits of famous Indian faces.
It was pretty quiet when we turned up, but a short chat with the owner soon established that this is a bustling place for a different lunch. To start I went for selection of starters with the Bombay City snacks (£3.50) – which includes a fish cake, aloo chap, onion bhajee and Punjabi samosa. All four were tasty morsels, and surprisingly filling, but the slightly spicy onion bhaji was the winner.
My partner went for the Bombay duck (£2.95) – which isn’t actually duck at all, but dried fish. Considered a delicacy in India the spicy dish wasn’t quite to my liking (I have a complicated past with dried fish) but my partner loved it.
For mains we both went for a Thali – a variety of dishes served on a compartmentalised steel tray. I went for the soft, succulent and downright delicious slow cooked mutton (£9.50) while my partner got the Bengal fish curry (£8.95), which had a kick to it but wisely let the fish’s natural flavours come through. These were both served with Shabzi Bhajee vegetables (sweet and spicy vegtables, albeit with a bitter aftertaste courtesy of some eggplant), crunchy tomato and onion salad Kachumbe and a tasty tarka dahl which had a lovely, almost nutty, depth to it.
The Bombay Cafe has a great feel to it – the food is good and it’s nice to be eat out somewhere with flavoursome food that isn’t too rich or heavy. This is the ideal spot for an alternative lunch, and a great choice if you’re looking for a lighter dinner option.
words HEATHER ARNOLD