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/

Comments

RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place. Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking). My take is mixed. Some of the items were outstanding, some less so. I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful. Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried. On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein. It was half and half. The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch. The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime. Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable. I didn't do additional toppings, although there were plenty. I did get two of the mini s

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch. We compromised and went together. Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is. Across the board. The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud. Conversation was difficult. The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet. Or I tried to. Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice. My companions opted for coffee. It was ice cold. Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well. I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients. It had three. The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teeny slices of tomato past its prime. It wasn't hot or cold, just r

Mezeh

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