The older I get I realize I am not one of those people that wants to go to the same place over and over. I used to be like this, craving the same meals from my favorite local spots. However these days I crave variety. Becoming bored with the same old favorites I want to try something new, something different, something exciting. I was really happy last Wednesday when Eric said he needed to make a trip to Lowe's and announced he was going to take me out for dinner. He also told me to pick the restaurant. I like choosing things but for a moment my mind goes blank, I soon recovered however and picked the Bombay Star. To me there is no greater variety than in the Indian kitchen.
Indian food with it's rich sauces, spicy curries, fragrant and unique vegetable dishes is one of my favorite cuisines. Up until recently we did not have any Indian restaurants extremely close to us. Usually we had to take a drive to downtown Pittsburgh or we fed our Indian food cravings when in Cincinnati or Columbus while visiting family. Thank goodness for the Bombay Star which opened it's doors in 2011. They feature mainly north Indian cuisine having an extensive menu with many appetizers, vegan and vegetarian specialties, delectable tandoori dishes, and an exceptional selection of curries and similar saucy dishes. I recommend
taking a look at the menu before going, it will make the decision a little easier. I found this menu as a link on the
restaurants facebook page but do not think it is updated. Some of the dishes we ordered are not currently on this menu but at least it gives an idea of what is available.
We started out our meal with one of the unique appetizers, Aloo Tikki Chatt. The menu describes it as
patties of spiced potato pan fried, topped with chickpeas, drizzled with yogurt and chutney. It was savory and fresh tasting. Plus it was presented beautifully before we attacked it! I loved the chick pea and chutney topping made with fresh ginger and cilantro, it tasted very fresh. The whole dish overall was seasoned to perfection.
For our main entrees, I chose the chicken zafrani and Eric the tandoori chicken. I loved the chicken zafrani. Chunks of chicken enveloped in a rich and flavorful creamy sauce seasoned with saffron and finished with dry nuts. It was so creamy and rich with a hint of something we felt may have been sherry. Whatever it was it gave the dish that wonderful
umami flavor and I wanted to keep eating it just to keep that flavor present in my mouth. Tandoori chicken here is either served "dry" or with a side of sauce which is extra, Eric opted for the sauce which was exquisite. All the extra sauce was welcomed and it was a pleasure to mop it up with gigantic buttery pieces of garlic naan, made fresh to order in their charcoal clay ovens. We finished our dinner unexpectedly, with a complimentary sample dessert.
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| Oh Naan.....I will miss you, until next time! |
The Bombay Star is open from 11 AM to 10 PM Monday through Sunday. A lunch buffet is served daily on weekdays from 11 AM to 230 PM for $8.95, and on weekends from 11 AM to 3 PM for $9.95 (at the time of this posting). Dinner prices range from $7.95 for some of the Indo-Chinese Wok dishes to $19.95 for Bombay Star special dishes. So far we have only made it there for dinner but I have a dear friend that loves the buffet. She gets hers to go but they do make the naan fresh for her when she arrives! I will be going back soon to try the buffet myself. I am not one for buffets usually but it is a fantastic way to try many different items of a cuisine, especially if it is a new one. So try the Bombay Star the next time in the Youngstown/Boardman Area. They offer great food and first-rate service in a relaxed atmosphere. Whether it is for lunch or dinner seeking out this Indian spot will not leave you disappointed, but in fact hungry for more!
