‘It’s like the whole world stops for taste bud explosions,’ said my dining partner of our experience at Bombay Brasserie, the Taj Hotel’s luxurious five-star dining room. Open not just to hotel guests but the public too, it’s certainly not your run-of-the-mill Indian dining experience – it’s a whole gamut of Indian flavours.
What’s impressive about Bombay Brasserie is not merely how dreamy the decor is, complete with hanging chandeliers and cushioned velvet armchairs, but how attentive the service is, making one feel relaxed, at peace and whisked off to a five-star Bombay experience.
We enjoyed the consummately good three-course maître d’ menu, which certainly is a taste explosion. Amid the soft clinking of silverware from the kitchen, Chef Harpreet Longani meticulously crafts a menu rich in flavour, an assortment of cardamom-scented chicken kebab, fenugreek ‘Methi’ line fish tikka, Karoo lamb cubes simmered in a saffron curry, served with steamed basmati rice and buttery, garlicky naan bread.
Shall I go on? I can. Dessert consisted of a carnival of sugary treats on a plate, like baked yoghurt, where I forgot my table manners and devoured it in less than a minute.
This venerable brasserie is poetic in design, and inspires you to eat, enjoy and quietly deliberate on the joys that perfectly cooked food and impeccable service bring.
OF NOTE
The maître d’ menu is R375 pp, R345 for the vegetarian option. Add an additional R220 for wine pairing. Dinner begins from 6 pm.
Where The Taj Cape Town, Wale Street, CBD
Contact +27 21 819 2000, www.tajcapetown.co.za
Photography Kendal Nash/HSMimages.co.za