Sietsema Review

NOTE: The restaurant offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet Sundays.

A plethora of new Indian restaurants has kept me away from Bombay Curry Company, a small storefront operation whose gentle prices and generally appealing cooking continue to lure loyal neighbors and fans of Indian food. So I was pleased to return recently and find the kitchen cooking as well as ever. Among its seductions are onion bhaji -- four fat onion-and-potato cakes that will set you back a mere $2.50 at lunch ($2.95 at dinner). The piping hot appetizer offers waves of flavor -- coriander seed trailed by dried red chilies -- and comes with a pale green dip of yogurt, lemon juice and fresh cilantro to cool things down.

--Tom Sietsema (December 25, 2005)

Hartigan Review

While it does not ooze ambiance, this Del Ray Indian restaurant offers some of the area's best and most affordable Indian food. Unlike many local Indian restaurants, Bombay Curry Company offers vegetable dishes, such as the saag paneer and eggplant bharta as side orders, rather than as pricey entree selections. These dishes should not be missed: bharta is perfectly cooked with a smokey taste, while the kadai chole chickpeas pack a spicy punch.

The kitchen offers robustly flavored curries that are mild enough for most palates. Chicken kadai is a specialty and offers a rich tomato flavor. One caveat is that requests for spicy dishes often return entrees so laden with chili flavoring that the sauce is diluted and the flavored masked by spiciness.

On Sundays, the brunch offers several delicious options that could include spicy chicken drumsticks anddal, as well as a green salad, raita, basmati rice and naan, for less than $9. The staff is generally helpful and eager to adjust flavors to suit different tastes.

--Erin Hartigan (September 20, 2005)