Bombay Chowk
Indian restaurant · Upper East Side ·
Authentic Indian food, elaborate decor, and unique dishes like shrimp biryani
Authentic Indian food, elaborate decor, and unique dishes like shrimp biryani
"When you get takeout and delivery from Bombay Chowk on the Upper East Side, prioritize the excellent chicken kadai. It comes in red masala sauce, and is cooked so perfectly that it’ll break apart with a plastic fork. You can place your order online starting at 11:30am every day." - hannah albertine
"I find the biryani here to have a festive edge—the rice is molded by something like a bundt pan so plump shrimp dance within its undulant volume flavored with fresh mint, and the accompanying yogurt (sauce, dip, or side) is attractively sprinkled with pomegranate seeds; the premises are elaborately decorated and genuinely fun." - Robert Sietsema
"Opened in 2018 by Assis Goes, who was born in the northern Punjab (now Pakistan) and spent part of his childhood in the southern Philippines, this brightly decorated restaurant features a giant mural of Arjun’s chariot, pillars wrapped in plastic autumn leaves, Hindu statuary, and handsome lathe-turned chairs with red brocade cushions, while the meats served are halal. The vibe is eclectic and lively: lunch is relaxing with sidewalk tables ideal for people-watching, but the dining room fills up by 8 p.m. and it’s not a place for quiet, private conversation; the owner circulates through the room advising customers (we went at 6:30 p.m. with a party of six). The menu is wide-ranging — seek out the recently added Goan section, where chicken xacuti (made with white poppy seeds, grated coconut, anise, and dried red chiles) delivers a mellow heat, and egg chop (boiled eggs embedded in mashed potatoes and deep-fried) has no heat. Northern-style biryanis are particularly good, especially the shrimp biryani ($23) molded into a ring and served with pomegranate-dotted yogurt, and the railway canteen goat ($20) — ragged chunks of meat in a tomato-laced curry — is a unique find; also don’t miss the Mangalore scallops. Beer (especially Indian lagers like Kingfisher, Taj Mahal, Old Monk, and the Indian American 1947) or seltzer pair best with the eclectic dishes; rhubarb falooda flavored with rose water is a milkshake-like dessert (and may be a tad sweet for drinking during a meal, as is mango lassi). I would skip the vegetarian southern Indian dishes such as dosas, which are pallid here, and the butter chicken, which is too light and sweet for my taste." - Robert Sietsema
"You wouldn’t notice it among dozens of Indian restaurants unless you study the menu closely; I found a Mughlai-style biryani ($23) that was an explosion of bright color and tart flavor, full of herbs and hiding big shrimp so fresh they pop when bitten into, and a raita dotted with pomegranate seeds that I dribbled over the biryani as I ate." - Eater Staff
"At Bombay Chowk on the Upper East Side, you’ll get to enjoy things like crispy vegetable samosas and tandoori lamb chops while seated in a cushioned throne next to lava lamps and stained glass decorations with neon lights. The bright decorations make it look more like a nightclub than a restaurant, but that’s just part of the reason you come here. That, and the excellent chicken kadai. It comes in red masala sauce, and is cooked so perfectly that it breaks apart with your fork. If you want a break from your typical Indian spot on the UES (there are a ton of them), Bombay Chowk is an excellent casual spot where you can branch out." - Hannah Albertine
