passage to india

L ooking ahead to Commencement, most seniors realize that it's imperative to keep their families both entertained and out of the common room come June. The Bombay Club, located at the intersection of Winthrop St. and JFK, provides an eastern recourse for those seeking to widen the scope of their Indian dining experience beyond HDS's chicken curry. This spacious restaurant is the perfect place for an extended family of all ages, but perhaps not the best place for a romantic rendezvous.

To prime the diner's palate, the vegetarian samosas ($2.50) are promising: the filling, composed of diced potatoes and peas, is delicately tasty, and the accompanying sauces add life to the potentially dull vegetarian ensemble. The green sauce is adequately but not excessively spicy-- besides, how often does green sauce present itself at a meal? The brown sauce is sweet yet tangy and blends well with the greasy pastry that surrounds the delicious filling.

Any traditional Indian meal demands a healthy portion of naan--leavened bread baked in a tandoor oven-- to accompany the main course. The Club does not fail. Rogini Naan ($1.95) is lightly buttered and a welcome tonic to a mouthful of some of the spicier entrees. However, the mindful diner will not bother spending an extra dollar for Stuffed Kulcha, as the bread with cheese tastes almost exactly the same as its Rogini cousin. One can barely taste the cheese--in fact, the familiar smell of feet does not even accompany these curds.

While one waits for the main course, the restaurant provides two oft-over-looked amenities: the "`clean', `clear' filtered water for your drinking pleasure," as the menu says, as well as the filtered air, courtesy of the luxuriant circulation system.

But of course, the atmosphere is not made of air. The dim lighting suffuses into all corners of the roomy dining area, leaving little to the imagination, and picture windows look out over a nearby park, reminding the clients of the world beyond. The owners have decorated the dining room with relics to provide the establishment with a more authentic air. Various statues with religious themes are displayed around the room, and the gold and red color scheme is done tastefully enough to satisfy even the most picky grandmother.

The Chili Chicken Karahi ($11.95) lives up to the "three-pepper" warning the menu notes. The meat was tender, and the sauce compliments the fowl well. One of the waiter's recommendations, the presentation will please anyone's pyromanic little sibling, since the copper karahi, or wok, is warmed by a constant flame.

Unfortunately for diners hoping to feel the burn, the brownish-gray Lamb Dopiaza ($12.95) did not live up to its fiery billing. Though marked with "two peppers" on the menu, the onions and green peppers in the dish did not make one reach for the naan. The lamb itself was chewy, though not grisly. The vegetarians in the group will win with this one, since the peppers and onions carry the entree and mix well with the saffron rice.

Dessert, however, is worth waiting for, as long as it's the Badami Kheer ($2.25), a chilled rice pudding flavored with cardamom, almonds and raisins. Simply said, it was perfect. Its price will not sap the wallet, and the taste will linger in the memory.

However, the dough balls in sugar water that parade around under the name "Kesar Rasgulla," are not worth the $2.95 addition to your bill. The cheese is finally present in the meal, but it is surrounded by a clinging, coy sweetness that leaves the taste flat in your mouth. Stick to the pudding, and you'll walk away a very satisfied customer.

Although you do miss out on the attentive service, the $6.95 all-you-can-eat luncheon buffet on weekdays ($2 more on the weekend for the brunch) is the best way for most students to try the Bombay Club. The variety of dishes can be sampled quickly, the naan keeps coming and filtered water flows freely.