Greening Austin Daily

Restaurant Review Friday – Bombay Express

30th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last weekend I went to lunch at the vegetarian Indian cafe,  Bombay Express.  It’s an old favorite of mine and I hadn’t been there in awhile.  There have been times before when I ate dinner at Bombay Express, took home the leftovers, and then immediately started to eat the leftovers, continuing to eat to the point of making myself feel sick – and yet still continuing to eat.  It is that delicious.  And the reviews on Yelp are very good, and I’ve spoken to friends of mine who are Indian who say it is the best Indian food in Austin.

The green part:  it’s all vegetarian. And delicious. If you’re looking to branch out and try new vegetarian foods, and foods that are very different from what you’ll get at most Austin Indian restaurants, it’s a great choice.

The not green part: everything is served on disposable plates.  Some things are even served on styrofoam. It’s a little out of control and I’ve backed off of eating there because of it.  When I went last weekend, I probably hadn’t been there in about 1 year, and things had gotten a little better, with the use of paper plates for more dishes than had previously been the case.  But I still felt wasteful eating there.

Here’s what I had:

Thaali: an assortment of different dishes. Served on a plastic tray, so not to good for the environment. The food was good but because of how it’s served, I don’t think I would get it again. The next two dishes are much tastier and a little greener in their presentation.

Masala Dosa:  A generously-sized, extra fine crepe made with rice batter, filled with seasoned potatoes.  Served on a paper plate, it’s one of my favorites and is a meal in itself.

kachori: fried dumplings with a spicy green pea filling.  I get these every time.  These yummy little guys are served in a little paper tray.

So there you have it – the green and not so green of Bombay Express.  I hope to someday have the courage to strike up a conversation with the owner about the styrofoam.