“Food”… a word that brings an ecstatic smile on the face of any and every blessed soul around us. “Good food”… a statement that adds saliva to the ongoing dynamic statement of an ecstatic smile.”Cheap good food”… the statement that completes it all and adds hunger pangs even if you are full up to the brim and a recurrent sense of relief on seeing your wallet pretty much intact.
“Cheap good food” it is… next to Bandar Police Station on a busy congested road under a spaghetti of electricity wires hanging down, in all it’s finest glory… BOMBAY LUCKY. This old roadside restaurant has a massive two floor infrastructure,but if you are looking for a fine-dine, you are in the wrong place. The place gives you that ethnic feel of a typical Parsi restaurant commonly found on a Mohammed Ali Road in Bombay, or the typical Irani restaurant we see in Bollywood movies.
No matter how unconventional this place might be, it still attracts a huge amount of customers and the parking boasts of a variety of vehicles ranging from Audis to bicycles. But beyond the non air-conditioned, human flooded ocean of the two level dining hall lies heaven itself, the kitchen, where Bombay Lucky hides its incomparable treasure.
We start with an array of starters,ranging from crispy fried mutton chops fried to the right amount of redness and just the perfect “slightly chewy” degree of tenderness, making you regret just one small fact that it kills your intent to try anything else and makes you fall in love with itself. This marriage between yourself and the chops soon turns into a rather “tasty” divorce which is mediated by the new love of your life, the brain fry (bheja fry) and also the chicken liver fry which acts as the innocent cupid and compliments the brain fry perfectly. The brain fry is one of the finest you can have; a perfect coating of crumbs making it light and crispy which envelops in it a realm of happiness, the soft brain which flows down your throat, caressing your taste buds and making you feel that your teeth are simply vestigial for a dish like that.
For the main course, what can be better than an ethnic Mohammedan mutton korma. A thick curry with a layer of oil almost separately visible giving the irresistible aroma of a perfect blend of all the spices placed under the category of “garam masala”. The chicken counterpart is equally tempting. The Mutton Masala Champ is another excellent piece of humanly art, giving you the perfect kick of chilly and making you go high on those beautiful juices coming from that tender piece of meat that begs you to separate it from the bone. The menu gives you a variety of breads ranging from the standard butter naans to the local Kerela parotas, which prove to be the perfect arrangement for the gravy dishes.
To top it all is the highly recommended Biryani. A perfect plate of rice, cooked with such expertise that literally, every grain can be counted. A few of them giving a beautiful saffron orange colour and the ‘making-you-drool’ aroma of saffron itself. A few random pieces of cardamom, and a base of a slightly spicy Saalan making it more heavenly than it already looks. The Mutton Biryani proves its worth with the combination of the Vegetable Raita served, and please do be bold enough to ask for a serving of extra Salaan if you are in for an extra kick of spices to pamper your taste buds.
The food is not only exuberant, but also reminds you of your roots, giving a nostalgic feeling of tradition that you’ll want to respect. It leaves you totally dumbfounded when you realize that all this food doesn’t cost you more than 250 bucks if you go in a group of four at least. It’s open till midnight after which no order is taken and in short, it’s a delight for college students and a solution to their midnight craving.
The perfect ending to the meal is given by a Paan right oppposite the restaurant. The extra half spoon of gulkand, a tinge of coconut shavings, the strong essence of fennel and the slight crunch of supari; a much required aid for digestion after your lavish kingly meal. So down the road I go leaving Bombay Lucky and blending with the hustle and bustle, counting my blessings, a smile on my face… feeling “lucky”.
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