Place: Bombay Chow Brasserie Northwood
Location: Haste Hill Golf Club, Northwood
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with family)
On: Saturday, 27 April 2024
Bombay Chow has been on my list for a while, but I was saving it for a special occasion. Come MIL’s birthday in April, we finally decided to visit on a bright Saturday afternoon.
Tucked inside a golf course, Bombay Chow is a nice, fancy restaurant. The decor is pleasant, and the interiors are well done. With easy access to the golf course from inside the restaurant, there were quite a few patrons walking in after a game. Anyway, we sat down on the sofa in one of the cozy corners.
While they brand themselves as an Indo-Chinese place, their Northwood menu is more Indian than Chinese. So, apart from one starter, we went all Indian. We ordered their Kung Pao Lotus Root and Charred Malai Broccoli for starters, Banarasi Kofta and Dal Bukhara along with Bombay Chow Kulcha, Garlic Naan, Tandoori Roti, and Veg Biryani to finish things off.
While we were waiting for our food to be served, the manager offered us a complimentary spicy mango-based mocktail. It was really good. My daughter accidentally spilled the drink halfway through, and to our surprise, they brought us another fresh drink. They honestly didn’t have to, but it was a nice touch of hospitality!
The Lotus Root was served in about ten minutes, and it was absolutely perfect. The Kung Pao sauce was tangy yet not too overpowering, complementing the tender stem perfectly. It was a great start to our meal!
The broccoli was served soon after, and it was good as well. However, a couple of pieces were a bit dry. Thinking about it now, a little more sauce or malai would have helped this dish stand out.
The main course was served after a short while. I did read a few reviews online stating that their portion sizes are small for the price, but I beg to differ as I found them decent.
The Banarasi Kofta was the pinnacle of our meal, with its creamy gravy and soft kofta balls. The gravy was rich and full of flavor, among the best I’ve had in recent times. I loved it so much that I licked the bowl at the end of our meal! Yummy!!
The Dal Bukhara was not bad either. It was creamy and smoky, with a hint of garlic — a perfect dal.
Of the breads, the Kulcha was the best of the lot. Soft and stuffed with paneer, it complemented the kofta perfectly. The Garlic Naan, and Roti were decent as well.
So far, so good! The biryani did not disappoint either. With chunks of vegetables, it was full of flavor. Delicious! However, the quantity of this dish felt insufficient for the price.
Overall, an excellent meal. After reading so much about this place, it definitely did not disappoint. Service was really good; again, I was super impressed when they replaced the spilled complimentary drink. With perfect ambiance, it’s a great place for a nice party or even an every-night dinner. And contrary to what I thought, the place is actually easy on the pocket. I’ve already recommended this place to tons of friends and colleagues, and I think you should try it too!
P.S.: I loved this place so much that we ordered their PBM and Kofta along with some Naan and Biryani the week after our visit. While the food wasn’t bad, we were a wee bit disappointed as it wasn’t as great as our dine-in experience. I hope this was a one-off, and hopefully, we’ll have a better experience next time around.
Food: 9/10
Service: 9.5/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 4: £72.17
Verdict: 9/10 (Considering our takeaway experience as well)
