On the corner of First and White streets stands Bombay Indian Grill, one of two locations in the area. Upon walking in, one is greeted with the smell of spices wafting through the kitchen doors. Arches separate the main dining and banquet-style area, and the dim lighting accentuates the cozy restaurant.

Bombay Indian Grill opened its location at First Street in 2008. The restaurant is known for authentic Indian cuisine and a loyal customer base. For many of its dishes, the chefs use a traditional tandoori oven, which is made of clay and is shaped in the form of a cylinder, where temperatures can reach up to 900 degrees. The owner of Bombay Indian Grill also owns Casablanca, a Moroccan restaurant on Green Street. There is another Bombay Indian Grill location at Fourth and Green streets, which was opened in 2003. 

Server Carmelo Suyas has worked at Bombay since the store first opened. His favorite part about working there is the teamwork and interaction with the customers. 

“I know a lot of them now. We have a lot of repeat and old customers,” Suyas said. 

One common dish ordered at Bombay is butter chicken, also referred to as “murgh makhni.” After dipping a piece of naan — a type of flatbread — into the dish, customers may be in for a little surprise. Head chef Gursharn Singh uses a little honey in the dish, which makes it a touch sweeter. This makes it a good dish for new customers who might be worried about the spiciness of this cuisine. Even then, Bombay has a scale for spiciness, allowing customers to pick and choose according to their taste.

Originally an engineer, Singh’s passion for cooking strengthened when he went to Taj Hotel in New Delhi, where he learned how to cook traditional and authentic Indian cuisine. Soon after learning the rules, he started to break them. He’s known to experiment with fusions and various combinations of ingredients because he enjoys adding a twist to his dishes. 

Another popular dish, albeit an appetizer, is the cholay. These are chickpeas made with “authentic, homemade masala (a mix of spices) with a nod to Punjabi cuisine,” said Simran Singh, the manager of Bombay and Gursharn Singh’s son. 

The cholay are served alongside a type of bread called bhatura, which is also ordered frequently at Bombay. The bread is prepared in Mughlai fashion, stemming from north Indian roots. The food from Mughal times was generally made for the likes of kings and royalty, so that’s why a lot of Bombay’s dishes may have some sweeter undertones, Simran Singh said. 

At Bombay, workers pride themselves in their pledge to customer satisfaction and the close bond that exists within the staff. Joking around with each other and laughing, Gursharn and Simran Singh said they don’t like to take things seriously. When things get a little tense, someone on staff will play a joke and everyone else will start laughing, Simran said.

Whether the customer is new, or a repeat, everyone is welcomed as a member of the family.

Rohaina can be reached at [email protected].