Among Brunswick’s more than a dozen ethnic restaurants is our favorite Indian restaurant, Bombay Mahal. We’ve been eating here for more than a decade and every meal has been a tasty adventure.
Our visit a couple of weeks ago was our best ever, and now we’ll tell you why!

Linda

Brunswick has a vibrant downtown with many restaurants. You won’t find a chain restaurant in this section of the city. What you will find is a variety of ethnic choices — probably because of the diverse population of students at Bowdoin College.

Vanit  (pronounced Vaneet), our server, is one of three sons of the wonderful couple, Raj and Bina Sharma, who own Bombay Mahal. Raj is the chef. Bina does everything else.

A third-year grad school student, Vanit is hospitality personified. He took the time to tell us about his family and culture and, of course, a great deal about the cuisine. The Sharma family moved from the United Kingdom 20 years ago, where Vanit remembers the foods of his youth.

The food served here is from the Punjab region of Northern India. Vanit told us this cuisine has rich, delicate flavors that pack a punch with every mouthful. Certainly, everything we tasted lived up to that statement.

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The menu is huge, and unless you know quite a bit about Indian food, I’d suggest that you ask the server for guidance. I remember going there several years ago and describing a dish I’d loved eating here previously. Our server then took the flavors and ingredients I mentioned and suggested the Chicken Jal-Frezi. It was love at first bite!

I’ve been thinking about that dish ever since. But this visit we let Vanit steer us through the meal by choosing things that would give us a good sampling of their cuisine.

We started with garlic nan, a thin bread served with an array of amazing sauces (made right here). First, we were given the three-sauce trio that always comes to your table: raita (a yogurt sauce), tamarind sauce (a contender for my favorite) and onion chutney. Next, Vanit brought out a mango chutney (great with the naan) and a bright and spicy mint chutney. I found myself going back for this one many times because it blended so well with the entrees.

Then he brought us something I’ve heard of but never tried — papadam. They make this ultra-thin lentil-based crisp wafer in plain and black pepper right here. What great flavor these had!

For entrees we tried the mixed grill, baked in a Tandoori oven and served sizzling hot with peppers and onions. This included two cuts of chicken, lamb and shrimp. Vanit suggested a specialty of theirs, Eggplant Vindaloo, made with baby eggplant. Cooked in a tomato-based sauce, and filled with sweet spices and ginger, this was a remarkable dish. He told us that there are many vegetarian options on the menu, and I can report that the two vegetarians in our own family love the food here!

Did you know the national dish of the United Kingdom is Chicken Tikka Masala? One bite of Bombay Mahal’s version and you will know why! This dish was my favorite of the evening. The creamy tomato and coconut milk sauce was packed with spices and absolutely delicious. You can buy jars of this type of sauce in the supermarket, but there is just no comparison to the flavor packed in Bombay Mahal’s sauce. Fresh spices make all the difference in this type of cooking, and Bombay gets a shipment of many kinds twice a month.  

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I think what I love about this food is that it is so different from our everyday food. Some people shy away from trying Indian food because of the spices. But spices don’t have to mean hot, and Raj has such finesse in this area. You definitely should try the food here. Your server will ask you if you want your food mild, medium or very spicy. We ordered the mixed grill mild, and the other dishes with medium spice. It wasn’t heat from chilies that we tasted, it was the intensity of the flavorings. And for us, medium was great!

Raj likes to incorporate seasonal ingredients so look for dishes like lobster or crab masala this summer, or pumpkin curry for their fall specials. This family hopes people will come to experience their cuisine. It will wake up your taste buds and have you craving it again.

George

I’m a meat-and-potatoes, beans-and-franks-on-Saturday-night, kill-it-and-grill-it kind of guy. Until Linda got hold of me, you’d certainly never have seen me in an Indian restaurant. But here I am, at Bombay Mahal, enjoying one of the best meals of my life.

Bowdoin College professor Chris Potholm and his wife Sandy introduced us to Bombay Mahal long ago and they still eat here once a week. It’s that good, and the menu is so huge and varied that you never get tired of the food.

A good way to first experience Indian cuisine would be at Bombay Mahal’s Sunday buffet, a real bargain at $11, with four appetizers, four breads and six entrees. 

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We began our meal with a luscious non-alcoholic drink, a Mango Lassi. It was cool, with a taste of fruit and mint and a bit of spice.

Lin gave you a good run down on the wonderfully flavorful array of food Vanit served us, but I will tell you this: The amount of spice you order is very personal to you. We liked medium. But the flavors of much of this food actually excel with mild spices, so that’s a good choice, especially for your first visit.
Dessert was also unique and special: Kulfee pistachio and cashew ice cream — something Vanit said is a very popular item in northern India where it is eaten on a stick. I immediately suggested a new business enterprise for him here in Maine. Kulfee on a stick! And best of all, Lin says its healthy!

This family’s story — emigrating from the United Kingdom; building a successful business here; raising three sons and sending them all the way through graduate school — is inspiring. And so is their food!

IF YOU GO . . .

WHERE: 99 Maine St., Brunswick
ON THE WEB: www.bombaymahal.net
PHONE: 729-5260
HOURS: Open daily, lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., dinner 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Weekend buffet (a great bargain at $11) Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit George’s website: www.george
smithmaine.com for travel tips, book reviews, outdoor news and more.


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