Bombay Choupati - Experience Indian Cuisine Like No Other!
Ever since I can remember, my parents have had an aversion towards Indian cuisine; they tell people that they go to eat at an Indian restaurant every ten years just to confirm that they still hate it. It is probably for this reason that I have never in my life been to an Indian restaurant. I never really thought about it until recently, and I am extremely curious to try it out considering that I am a huge fan of pretty much any kind of food. I thought that there must have been an apocalypse when my parents recently informed me that they discovered a cute little Indian restaurant that they not only liked, but truly loved! I almost fainted and asked them to repeat their confession to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming. Considering my parents previous revulsion to such cuisine, I decided that it must be the best Indian restaurant in the world, and must therefore get publicity all throughout Dawson because they have actually achieved what I thought was the unachievable – meeting my parents’ standards.
Ambiance: when you walk in the quaint restaurant, you immediately realize that there isn’t much room to move and hopefully will get seated quickly. It seats approximately 40 people and fills up extremely fast. I went on a Sunday at about 5:50 and got a seat right away; by 6:15 there were already people waiting to be seated because it was full. The top-half of the wall is a soothing lilac colour, while the bottom is simple gray wallpaper. They are separated by about 5 inches of wallpaper depicting a tropical scene. It’s not exactly fine dining, but it’s cozy and has a family-like feel to it.
Service: I went to eat with just my mom so it didn’t take long to get our meals – and plus, we beat the rush. We got our food in about 25 minutes and left about an hour after we got there. The soft-spoken waitress was so sweet and was very diligent at asking if we needed anything and refilling our waters. Be warned: if you go around 6:30, prepare to wait a little while for your food because everything is cooked to order by the two owners of the restaurant, a husband and wife who started the restaurant 15 years ago.
Food and prices: the food is not only delicious, but since it is cooked to order you can ask for it to be made to your taste; if you like your food mild instead of the traditional Indian spice-filled meal, just tell the kind waitress (who has been working there for 7 years) and she will make sure it is cooked exactly how you like it. We started with an appetizer called Pakora, which is reminiscent of veggie tempura. The appetizers range from $2.50 to $4.95. For the main meal I ordered Butter Chicken, which was absolutely delicious. Non-veggie dishes consisting of varieties chicken, goat or shrimp cost between $7.95 and $11.95. Veggie dishes topped with Indian spices cost between $5.95 and $6.95. Their three dessert choices are a nice change to the regular cake and ice cream for those unaccustomed to Indian food, and are all only $2.50. Kulfi is ice cream with saffron and pistachios. Gulab Jamun is what I ordered and I would recommend it to anyone; it is described in the menu as whole milk balls in a rose flavored syrup, but they really look like small donut-textured balls with a soft chewy breading inside and a crisp outside. The syrup has a hint of the rose described but is mostly just sweet, warm and yummy. For those less adventurous, they also offer mango ice cream. Drink-wise, you can get your traditional soft drink for $1.50.
Overall, the food was amazing, the service was great, but the popularity of this small resto might be surprising so try to get there before 6p.m. to get seated and served in reasonable period of time.
HOURS: Open Tue.-Fri. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tue. Thur. from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.. Fri. until 11 p.m.; Sat. from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun. from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
They accept MasterCard, Visa.
TEL: (514) 421-3130.
ADDRESS: 5011 Sources Rd., Pierrefonds (Montreal, Quebec)
