Bombay In Bed-Stuy

Did you ever wonder if the subway ads were talking to you?

I was leaving the Bedford Nostrand train station off the G line when I spotted an interesting ad that read, "Dinner is Foreplay." As a true foodie, I could not say that I disagreed.

So I left the station and continued south down Bedford Avenue, when I saw another cause for pause: An Indian Restaurant in Bed-Stuy!

The restaurant, Bombay Heights, located at 1047 Bedford Avenue, was obviously new and unmistakably open, complete with flashing Christmas lights and garland. This is fantastic news for anyone who loves Indian food but had to schlep to Fort Greene for tandoori, puri or dal. 

So, shall we go in? Candle lit tables, simple chairs and the mandatory custom Indian art pieces filled this small restaurant, as Ibrahim-- one of four owners who partnered to open Bombay Heights just one month ago-- greeted me at the door.

I asked Ibrahim what inspired him to open this particular restaurant in Bed-Stuy, hoping to get an answer that echoed a dramatic Bollywood love story. Instead I got an answer far less romantic but quite practical: It was a sound business decision.  Bombay Heights is the first sit-down Indian restaurant in the neighborhood, the closest others being Bombay Masala at 678 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights and Indian Amin at 235 DeKalb Avenue.

You either love Indian food, or you hate it. And for those who love it, they probably do so for this food's unique pairing of exotic seasons and scrumptious basmati rice. At Bombay Heights, tandoori is delivered to the table steaming-hot from the clay ovens and the rice is light, fluffy and aromatic. Eating Indian diversifies the palette, owed to India's agricultural diversity-- geographic terrain and weather conditions that vary greatly, from north to south of the country.

Indian food is colorful and also good for you, as they use spices and herbs, such as Turmeric, which cleanses the blood and gives tandoori chicken its rich yellow-orange color, along with full-bodied chili powder that turns the food bright red. The flavor of garam masala coriander and nutmeg butter creates an exotic dance on the tastebuds. Can you tell that I love Indian Food? And not just any Indian Food, but good Indian food.

Well, if dinner is foreplay, then what is dessert? Ahem, banana fritters anyone? Soft and creamy on the inside, with a little crisp on the outside created by a light searing.

I polished it all off with one loud, climactic sigh. Bombay Heights hit the spot. Yes, I think that subway ad was reading my mind.