Little India’s Bombay Café, sitting opposite Mustafa Centre, follows in the footsteps of its East Coast sister. The restaurant makes its presence known with a bright-pink aesthetic and a winning mix of dependable vegetarian offerings. Start with papdi chat, a lively mixture of papdi crisps, chickpeas, sprouts and potatoes, dressed with coriander chutney and cooling yoghurt. Although the deep-fried papdi dough has an oily aftertaste, the combination of crunch, spice and a sweet tang make up for the grease. The pav bhaji dosa is hefty, but a must. Rolled up in paper- thin dosa, this mixture of potatoes and veggies is mashed with masala spice and butter. You can’t go wrong with trusty favourites such as juicy mushroom kurkure stuffed with cheese and spices, then battered and fried to a crispy finish; the gobi manchurian, cauliflower fried until fragrant with chilli, spring onion, ginger, coriander and dried masala; or the aloo angara, marinated potatoes stuffed with crumbly paneer, peanuts and spinach. The dishes are spicy enough to tease your taste buds, but not so much that they will leave your mouth in flames.
Main courses $7-$18.