Volume CXXXIII, Number 2 September 14, 2001 f

Bombay Mahal: The Promise and the Pitfall
LAUREN MCKEE AND KERRY ELSON
Staff Writers

We began our Saturday evening with a simple mission: to consume large amounts of reasonably spiced and priced Indian food. Bombay Mahal beckoned us with its extensive menus, intoxicating scents, and spell-binding promises. Despite its comparison of Brunswick diners to ancient Indian maharajas, Bombay Mahal delivers less than it describes (although take-out is available).

Our sojourn up the Ganges (or as we know it, the Androscoggin) commenced with potentially tantalizing appetizers. I awaited "a truly remarkable" Mulligatawny soup, a samosa, and the "intricate part of Indian cuisine" (i.e. bread). My co-colleague found her soup dishearteningly homogenous; for the texture mimicked oatmeal and the spice blend omitted salt. The samosa's crust was as light as a palm frond, but the pastry's interior consisted solely of shredded potatoes and the occasional green pea. As neither bold cumin seed nor sultry raisin could be found within the starchy matter, the promise of Indian spice remained unfulfilled.

However, one of the flat bread offerings managed to please our flavor-starved palates. The garlic nan far surpassed the humble but bland "Dal Paratha" (a whole wheat bread with lentils).

The remainder of our voyage met with both success and disappointment. Arriving amidst a parade of sizzling onions and peppers, the sunset
orange Chicken Tikka proved specious. Although depicted as "tender" thanks to a yogurt marinade, the flesh of the poultry was notably dry. However, the Vegetable Biryani, truly a "delightful" dish, featured the previously coveted raisins, in addition to chickpeas, almonds, squash, and cinnamon.

After reading a full paragraph concerning the Moghalai Chicken, we salivated over the self-described "carefully chosen and soaked overnight" chickens. However, the actual dish fell short of the fantasy. Thus, although decent and well-spiced, this meat was not worth its thirteen dollar price.

The vessel for this voyage accurately summarized our mixed dining experience. Tapestries sporadically clung to the walls and ceilingwhile a crystal chandelier hung awkwardly from the Styrofoam above. Sitar music, clashing inharmoniously with the murmuring of radiators, set a mysterious atmosphere, emphasized by elephant heads and fake flowers.

From the table in the back corner, we received laconic service which lacked the grace of Scarlet Begonias. Though Bombay Mahal tries to present the sumptuous cuisine and mystique of a far away land, something essential yet indefinable is lost in its translation.

Rating: 2 polar bears out of 4

All quotes are from Bombay Mahal's menu