Tis Me Michelle

Much like the hunt for good pizza, I’ve been on the hunt for good Indian food. It’s the two hardest food categories for moi here in Orlando. As an Indian, I’m not usually craving Indian food because I know I’ll get it when I visit family. And when I opt for Indian restaurants, I definitely go for the basic options like butter chicken, chicken tikka, naan – you know the usual suspects. It’s basically a treat because this is not the type of Indian food I grew up on.

A friend of mine recommended Bombay Street Kitchen + Bar because I had cousins in town, and we all wanted to try pani puri. The classic street food that none of us had ever tried. We all had an idea of what it was and were all confused about what we got. For some reason, we thought it was going to be hot, and the flavors didn’t match up with our expectations either. I can’t explain what we thought it would be, but what we got was not it. I’ve had puri plenty of times, and usually it’s eaten with curry or a vegetable side; all hot and fresh. So I feel like I was expecting something along those lines. But the liquid that accompanied the pani puri was tangy and sour. We were disappointed. This may have been on us… We should have read a description or something.

Anyways, I’ve been here a few more times since. Half the time I’ve gone, it’s been so busy I had to wait quite some time, other times I walked right in and was seated, so it really depends on the day. If you’re walking in, I recommend lunchtime or within the first hour of opening for dinner. Each time I’ve gone, I’ve gotten some different dishes.

As an overall sentiment, I’ve had much better Indian food elsewhere. I tried the chicken tikka bao the first time I went as my main dish, because it sounded interesting, and I was underwhelmed. I had the chole bhature, and while the bhature was good (fried bread is always delicious), I’ve had better chana masala elsewhere – Woodlands across the street being a better option. I’ve had bites of some other things too.

On the flip side, I’ve had 2 standout items that have made this place worth it. Along with the pani puri, I wanted to try samosa chaat. My cousins had raved about it, so I was excited they had it on the menu. And honestly, a great dish, one I’d opt to get at any Indian restaurant that has it on the menu. Samosas are delicious on their own, and then you add toppings, forget about it! And the menu item I thought about ever since, Masala Soda. And I’m not joking, I made it a mission to figure it out. Because it’s a refreshing lemon/lime soda, and somehow the chaat masala adds a great tang to it. It’s similar to the effect of putting Tajin on fruit?! Good news, I figured out how to make it at home, which is dangerous, but actually as simple as I described.

My Masala Soda Recipe [for a single glass serving]

• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbs sweetener of your choice; I went with regular granulated suga
• Throw in a couple dashes of chaat masala – measure with your heart or ~1tsp
• 1 can of seltzer – I had san pellagrino on hand

Juice the lime, then mix in the sugar until it dissolves. Dash in the chaat masala. Pour in the seltzer and give it a nice stir & enjoy!

Voila – that’s it! To think I probably would never have experienced that wonderful drink without going to this restaurant, and my cousin ordering it on a whim. For that alone, the ranking goes up in my book!

Rating: 7.3/10