Bombay Street Kitchen, Glebe

Bombay Street Kitchen  is a newcomer to the food scene offering many Indian favourites and plenty of dishes originating from Bombay (Mumbai) for those seeking something a little different. 

Located in Glebe, it is a hop, skip, and a jump away for city workers, Sydney Uni students and staff, and Inner Westies – though, being Glebe, it’s fairly accessible to everyone. We went for a full course smorgasbord so get ready wipe up your drool.

Street Food (Starters)

Pani Poori (above) – These bite-sized crispy semolina pockets filled with potato, sprouts, rice puffs and Bombay chutney come with a side of tamarind water that you spoon into the pocket and shove in your mouth. It’s a light starter, despite the potato and rice puffs, but one that refreshes your tastebuds with the sweet, sour, and slight spiciness of the tamarind water in preparation for the meal ahead.

Spicy Lamb Cutlets (above) – You might not want to share this one!! Lamb cutlet puritans may rail that by cooking cutlets past medium (or medium rare, even) you have killed the cutlet. I challenge you to say that once you have tried the lamb cutlets here. While the meat is closer to medium well than medium the flavour of the overnight marinade, the crispy, slightly fatty char, and the coriander and cumin chutney come together to make a wonderful experience.

Kheema Pav (above and below photo) – Hand pounded lamb mince cooked with spices and peas served with a buttered bun. This had a very homely taste with soft, rich flavours. I can see this being very popular during colder weather.

Koliwada Prawns (Popcorn prawns) – I think the star in this is actually the batter which has crunch and spiciness. The texture of the prawn complements the crunch of the batter while the yogurt and lemon dipping sauce provide a light, creamy acidity to cut through the oil flavour.

Something Bigger (Main) + Sides

Railway Goat Curry (below) – Inspired by food vendors at railway stations in India who specialise in a handful of dishes – or only one, this curry is milder with a gravy-like sauce and meat that comes off the bone reminiscent of stewed beef. The strong flavour you might associate with goat is absent so it is like enjoying an Indian style meat and gravy dish.

Vangi Masala (below) – A smoky eggplant curry. I don’t like eggplant at the best of times so I defer to the rest of the team on this dish who say that it was good but were evenly split between whether this, or the Railway Goat Curry, was better.

Poriyal – A side of green beans, grated coconut, red capsicum and mustard seeds. My preference regarding green beans is that they are cooked but still have a crispness to them, unfortunately, these were well cooked (as is the practice with most venues). I thought the flavours worked really well together, though, so if you like your green beans on the soggy side these are for you.

Naan (Plain and Garlic) – One of us is a super naan lover so it had to be mentioned. The naan served here is really fluffy and feels less weighty than you might get elsewhere. It tasted fresh and accompanied the other dishes well - or just great on its own.

We went for a three pronged dessert degustation of:

Lapshee – Cracked wheat caramelised with jiggery and fennel served with smoked yogurt and peanut praline

Kheer – Warm rice pudding, cardamom, fennel, sultanas and charoli in a blueberry sauce

Gulkand Halwa – Rose petal jam, millet and beetroot with a coconut cream reduction

Overall, the desserts were subtle in flavour relying on you savouring the experience and allowing the myriad ingredients to work their magic. Perfect for those who like desserts with softer flavours that reveal themselves as you get to know each other better – if you want to sweeter dessert the kulfi might suit better.

In summary, Bombay Street Kitchen is a great place for Indian food that I can see becoming a local favourite with residents, students, faculty, and city slickers because of the quality and reasonable pricing. 

Flavours here tend to be softer than you might expect from sub-continental fare but it makes for a nice change where your tastebuds can relax rather than be assaulted. The food here is best savoured rather than wolfed down, it is not a curry for those in a hurry – though they do have takeaway and delivery available from their website for those short on time.

This was written by Hai. Weekend Food Escapes dined as a guest of Bombay Street Food. All photos, opinions and words are my own.