Bombay Bistro (CLOSED)

After the closing of excellent sandwich shop Bikini and nightlife favourite The Shelter, we wondered if we’d ever find a reason to go back to Yongfu Lu. Now we’ve got one. Taking over the second-floor space formerly home to Spanish restaurant Bocado, Bombay Bistro just might be able to fill the void in our bellies and hearts formerly reserved for toasties and underground techno.

Bombay Bistro is owner Sameer Kalia’s first restaurant venture in Shanghai, and he’s set on introducing China’s diners to the progressive Indian food concept that he says is currently sweeping his home country. That’s where head chef Jiten Singh, the creative mind behind the menu, comes in. As Kalia tells us, traditional cuisine in India is being revolutionised by exciting new restaurants that are predominantly chef driven. He says ‘these guys are young, well travelled and bringing new energy to Indian cuisine.’

The space is meant to be part restaurant, part lounge, part bar, and they do a nice job of making it happen. There’s a full bar in the centre, a section towards the back with comfier chairs for those who just want a drink and a small bite, while the rest is for dining. We love the look of the place – there are lots of small, colourful details in the decor and design that bring Bombay Bistro to a level above the rest.

On the drinks menu, you’ll find some nicely dressed classic cocktails with a handful of signature drinks stirred in. The refreshing Kachumber Cooler (70RMB) with gin, coriander and chilli goes down nice and easy; as does the Gurkha Guerilla (90RMB) – a tart and sweet mix of rum, mango juice and cumin-tamarind syrup – though the interesting flavours we look for in the latter seem overshadowed by the sweetness of the mango.

The food menu focuses on quality over quantity offering redefined versions of the classics. We start with the samosa and vada mezze plate (78RMB) – a promising platter of samosas and lentil fritters accompanied by a trio of masala hummus, tzatziki and mutabbal (an eggplant-based dip similar to baba ghanoush). Though pleasing to the eye, the flavours don’t quite live up to the dish’s alluring looks – the samosas are flaky and plump with an aromatic filling of peas, potatoes and spices, while the lentil fritters are amply spiced but slightly dry.

The butter chicken (118RMB), however, is everything you want it to be. The sauce is spot on, and the chicken has layers of spice and smoke that’ll leave you scraping the last bits from the bowl, packing a punch with that deep charcoal flavour that only emerges in meats roasted in a tandoori oven. Dal makhani (88RMB), lentils served in a copper pot, is creamy and pleasant, and we enjoy the mixed bread basket (72RMB) of garlicky butter naan, tandoori roti and flaky Malabar paratha – a solid choice for scooping up lentils and getting the most out of that butter sauce.

We finish things off with a cup of Indian chai (25RMB) and the spiced crème brûlée with cardamom, cinnamon and fennel (58RMB). It’s well executed, though more spice mixed into the custard, rather than just on top, would do the dessert well.

All in all, a meal at Bombay Bistro is an enjoyable affair. The atmosphere is spot on, the soundtrack stellar and the dishes conscientiously prepared. That said, with all of the starters and mains falling in the 70-120RMB range, it’s tougher on the wallet than most Indian spots we frequent. Sure, we picked the safe menu choices – but that’s the idea, right? Traditional dishes, revamped. So, if we’re going to shell out the cash for ‘revolutionised’ Indian cuisine, we’d like to see things get a lot more inventive than they currently stand.