The Bombay Bronx is all about Bombay or Mumbai!! No doubt about it. The team that brought us the Brooklyn Shuffle Diner present The Bombay Bronx. A swanky chic place called Manhattan Something may very well be next on the cards.

Mumbhai ekdum (total) danger place

Where u survive if u got the pace

U gotta be fast

U gotta be Tez (sharp)

U gotta be ShaaNa (smart) to win the race

One thing I loved about The Brooklyn Shuffle was the décor. There is minute attention to detail like the subway style lettering, the brick wall and so on. Similar care is taken in designing The Bombay Bronx.

The moment you enter, you see a seating area that will remind you of the Bombay local train, the ladies compartment, the hand rails dangling from the ceiling. And in case you forgot that salty, sweaty stink of the kolinis or fisherwomen jostling you with a basket full of fish on their heads, there is a mural on the wall showing your typical fisher woman. So realistic you might even smell the salty sea air.

woh kya bolta hai?(What do they say)

haan Jaisa Des waisa bhes (When in Rome…)

 Big Bachchan is sprawled on a wall in his most ‘angry young man’ avatar. There is a nonfunctional paan ka thela in the corner, and plenty of graffiti on the walls that will remind you of the Mumbai lingo. And if that still didn’t get you into the whole Bombay vibe, napkin holders in the shape and form of BEST buses will.

I was invited to The Bombay Bronx this week for a menu tasting and I was apprehensive about the lack of air conditioning in this summer heat. But the place turned out to be quite breezy. Large fans whir from the rafters, and there was ample ventilation and circulation of air – it can actually be better than a closed environment where the AC doesn’t work properly.

Khaane ka peene ka marne ka jeene ka

(Eat. Drink. Die. Live)

Aane ka Jaane ka naachne ka gaane ka
(Come. Go. Dance. Sing)

I was greeted with an Aam Panha or Jaljeera served in glass chai glasses in a metal basket – just like your cutting chai on the street.

Street food of Bombay is the highlight at The Bombay Bronx, so don’t go there expecting pasta or pizza (puhllllleaaaaseee).

Kasa Kai, Bara Aahe

(Wasup?All Good)

If fried, spicy, tangy or chatpata food gets your blood pounding, you are going to love The Bombay Bronx. Mini Batata Vadas, Kothimbir Vadis and Dhokla Pakoda were a win. The potato vada was sort of Udipi style with curry leaves and urad daal, but it was yum. The kothimbir vadi was so much better than the one people scramble to eat at the Dutta hotel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

The Dhokla Pakoda was my favorite. Tangy dhokla stuffed with a green chutney and cheese, dipped in batter and fried. Take that, Eat Street!

Bhel Puri was totally Bombay style – hot and tangy with a hint of sweetness unlike chili and sugar in equal proportion which is more the Puneri style. Dahi Puri, Sev Puri, Ragda Puri were all tried and approved.

The Bombay Sandwich and Pav Bhaji missed the mark. It has been ages since I ate Bombay Sandwich on a Mumbai street. IMO, no one makes a Bombay Sandwich like Galaxy on Oaktree Road. Those of you Desis who sigh nostalgically thinking of what you once enjoyed back home, know this. It is the real deal.

My idea of a Bombay Sandwich is thickly buttered sandwich bread slathered with green chutney, layers of tomatoes, cucumbers, boiled potato, onion, salt and pepper, and loads of processed cheese. It has been on my blogging calendar for a while, but never quite made it here.

Spicy food requires loads of drinks to guzzle along side. And The Bombay Bronx has some innovative cocktails to tempt you. The Pani Puri Caprioska, Iced Peru and vodka, Kokum based cocktail and so on are a novel concept. The Iced Peru with its salt & chili lined rim was my favorite.

There are limited options in the main course category, but I wouldn’t go here for the main course anyway. These selections were limited but surprisingly good. The Palak Paneer tasted fresh and spiced right, and the Daal was rich and buttery. Roti and Rice were available, but I preferred the Tava Pulao. Although loaded with butter, it had the right flavors.

The current Chowpatty buffet is a steal for INR 349 + Taxes . The Bombay Bronx is a pleasant place to enjoy street food in a hygienic environment. You can get the feel of eating pani puri at the roadside, without inhaling those traffic fumes or wondering what kind of water is used for that pani puri. My dad would love this place, for example, because nothing excites him as much as a hot batata vada, or sizzling Pav Bhaji or Bhel Puri that you keep on eating even with tears streaming from your eyes just because you enjoy it.

Other items I would like to see on The Bombay Bronx menu – Pav Sample, Matka Kulfi, Chikki and Paan!

The restaurant offers both veg and nonveg food, and of course, has a well stocked bar, so every member of the family can be happy.

Try The Bombay Bronx the next time your taste buds water at the thought of some Bombay style street food. It is situated in the City Point Mall on Dhole Patil Road near Sigree/ Mainland China.

For those who came in late – the song lyrics used here are from the Javed Jaffery hit ‘Mumbhai’. PG-15, I would say.