Bombay’s: Steam Table Indian With A Few Happy Surprises

Our options for Indian food in the Financial District are pretty grim and mostly consist of the locations of Diwan-E-Khaas and various carts serving kati rolls or biryani. The Desi Food Truck had a good run parking at Hanover Square until they got kicked out recently, and that was about all that fit in the Midtown Lunch budget. I’d never eaten at Bombay’s on Pearl St. (btw. Broad & Coenties Slip) partly because it’s nowhere near where I work, and also because I just assumed it was at the same price point as most of the surrounding restaurants, which are mostly expensive. Looks can be deceiving, though, and after eating at Bombay’s, I can say that this place is the Indian gem of the FiDi.

bombay's menu

There are the usual steam table options on offer although the combos are all under $10 and seem a little bit more interesting than what’s offered at other places. Or you can do like I did and order items online so they’re made fresh and have it waiting for you when you get there.

I shunned the steam tables for once and instead ordered “Bombay’s chaat” off the appetizer menu ($5.95) along with chana bhatura ($8) from the “chef’s special” section that also includes something called Indian style fried chicken. (This clearly needs further investigation!). There are also kati rolls and steam table combos for $10 or less but again, I was looking for something different.

The special chaat was good, if a little strange. There were the usual crunchy components and tamarind and yogurt sauce, but underneath was raw red onion and chunks of mashed potato patties that had been fried (perhaps some repurposed aloo tikkiyas?). All of that starch could make a filling and cheap lunch on its own, or you could throw in a soup or dessert and still scrape by at around $10. There’s also papdi chaat that employs chickpeas in place of potato but I feel like that wouldn’t be as filling.

Bombay’s chana bhatura was great, and not something you see at every Indian place. You get a good-sized container of the chickpeas swimming in a red oil dotted with green chiles, and two large pieces of bhatura. My only warning on this one is it’s pretty greasy between all of the oil in the chickpeas and the fried bread, but I’m just going to pretend it’s good for me because it didn’t involve meat.

Basically, Bombay’s is a steam table restaurant that offers some more diverse offerings than the usual tikka/vindaloo/vegetarian options. If you’re looking for chaat, this is the place to go.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

  • They sell chaat and kati roll!
  • There are the usual steam table options, or I can get something a little different.
  • It’s nice having a cheap Indian option in this part of the FiDi.

THE — (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

  • It’s just another steam table Indian place.
  • Some of the combos are a little expensive.

Bombay’s, 60 Pearl St. (btw. Broad & Coenties Slip), (212) 742-2222, online at bombayny.com

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