Bollywood Bistro Cafe

Another of Ballston Quarter's new offerings is the Bollywood Bistro Cafe. I'm pleased -- no food court should be without an Indian cafe (it IS my favorite cuisine). Bollywood Bistro has a wide selection of offerings, including enough options for veg lovers that you can come back time and time again. They also note which dishes are Vegan (a smaller number of offerings but still a nice gesture). On the plus side the food is generally very good and not at all greasy (as is sometimes the case for "fast food Indian"). I chose the Samosa appetizer, three classic curries and two breads to try out on my first time. The ordering app allows you to select seasoning levels -- I picked medium on each but got a variety of actual heat, which makes sense given the dishes.

Best of the bunch was the Channa Masala, a standard dish one should try out at every Indian restaurant. In this case the chickpea curry was smoky and spicy, a nice combo of flavors and textures. Next up was the Baingan Bartha, an eggplant curry which is, in this case, sweet with an underlying afterburn. Just wonderful. The third dish, Spinach Paneer, was "okay". Creamy but not a home run it is better at Raaga, my favorite Indian place, but it is unoffensive here. I would suggest chopping up the dish before eating as the Paneer (cheese) wedges are large. Personally, I like getting a little Paneer with each bite of spinach. The Samosas weren't standouts but had a nice flaky crust. The dipping sauces were unremarkable. The Tamarind sauce was fine but the Chutney had more mint than cilantro, which is not to my taste. The Butter Naan tasted, well, like regular Naan but the Garlic Naan had a nice subtle garlic infusion. Both breads had great texture, soft but not too soft.

Portions are large and rice is gratis. I received enough food for a good number of follow-up meals. Bottom line -- I will definitely return to this one.

Takeaway version of sit-down Indian Fare at original locations
Great Falls or Fairfax, Express version at Ballston Quarter
http://bollywoodbistro.com/

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