Over the past few years, there’s been a steady flow of restaurants dealing in south Asian cuisine into Budapest – some better than others. One of the longest-established is Indian restaurant Salaam Bombay, a short walk from the 5th district’s Vörösmarty tér.
Though I’ve never eaten in India, having grown up in quite possibly the curry capital of Europe, Birmingham, I’ve sampled a fair few examples of albeit Anglicized versions of its cuisine. So, how did Salaam Bombay fare in comparison? First-off, décor-wise, they’ve gone for neither stereotypical images of the Taj Mahal and mobile, backlit waterfalls nor purely minimally modern. A huge contemporary photograph of today’s Mumbai (owner Rajesh Isran’s hometown) dominates the main dining area, while bamboo and a sari have been used as ceiling canopies without making it feel like a tropical themed Aladdin’s cave. All tables feature trinkets under glass – the likes of bangles, antique locks and more saris. The overall impression’s resolutely modern, but with character.
We took the booth table up a short flight of stairs next to the bar (good for at least eight of you). Considering its location – next to a hotel in one of the most tourist saturated districts – it’s not surprising staff spoke great English, and, obviously, so did the menu. I’m not sure how a vindaloo would translate, anyway.
While you’ll find some dishes that enter territory outside usual curry house fare – I’m thinking mainly of the salad section here – these aren’t really the direction to go in at this place. Skip that part, as it’s the rest of the menu you want to get cracking on. First up were the obvious: pappadums (crispy chickpea with cumin) with dips. The usual suspects arrived – a particularly good mango chutney, minted yoghurt (full of fresh mint, not watered down with yogurt) and a spicy number. You’ve been warned. In true spirit, we should have accompanied them with our first round of Cobras or Kingfishers – Indian beers, not animals. Next time.
Next up, starters. Veggie samosas (stuffed with lightly spiced potato and peas – more potato than peas – and chicken kathia rolls (tortilla-like wraps filled with sautéed onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and finely chopped chicken) both served atop small salads of cabbage and red pepper and a good way to put the aforementioned dips to further use. For starters, both were large, with the samosa pastry being particularly thick but good, made all the more filling by the predominant carbs inside. Both had obviously been freshly made.
Mains? A veggie pairing for me – daal tadka (spiced creamy lentils) and saag paneer (spinach and home-made paneer cheese). While neither were huge dishes, they were examples of vegetables being used in their own right, and really working. Heavy spices weren’t used in the lentils, and, while with a buttery character, they happily came minus any pools of fat. The saag paneer was packed with rich, green spinach – the real thing, not the limper, slimy stuff that sometimes passes as spinach in the markets here. And it wasn’t padded out with flour, either – a főzelék this was not. They didn’t scrimp on the paneer, and the large, firm chunks rounded out a more than substantial veggie meal.
Butter chicken was the recommended meat main of the waiter – billed as a bit of a specialty of the house. The verdict? As rich, creamy and sweet as you’d expect the sinful dish to be. The spicing was mild, and the chicken content generous. We also obviously ordered naan; a selection of both plain and garlic, as well as rice (pilau with saffron). The naan was the thin kind common here, heaped in fresh, sliced garlic – great, but not recommended first date fodder! Dessert? Homemade Indian ice-cream with fresh mango – rammed with rich, sweetened condensed milk and all the better for it.
So, did the place give me hope that Budapest can do curry as well as Birmingham? Absolutely, actually. We asked them to pack everything we couldn’t manage as takeout. About as Brummie as you can get.
From the Menu
Starters and Soups
Wild mushrooms stuffed with cottage cheese and garlic paste
Marinated lamb wrapped in house bread
Mains
Tikka prawns
Xacuti (a Goan chicken dish with a coconut milk base)
Breads
Roti (whole-wheat leavened bread)
Paneer Kulcha (stuffed with fresh cottage cheese and herbs)
Desserts
A brownie served on a sizzler topped with chocolate sauce
Rice pudding with lychees
Salaam Bombay
1051 Budapest, Mérleg utca 6.
Tel.: +36.1.411.1252
Open: daily, noon-3 p.m. and 6 p.m.-11 p.m.
www.salaambombay.hu