Bollywood RestOBar

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Bollywood Rest.O.Bar.

You can't help but love a place where the waitress plays a practical joke on you.



It was 7.30pm on a Friday and we were ravenous. We were at Bollywood Restobar in Innaloo (because it's a restaurant and a bar) and the waitress placed two metal dishes of the dinkiest little pappadams in front of us. They looked like play food. I actually laughed.


'Wait five minutes,' she said deadpan. 'They are magical and will expand.'

So we did. We sat and stared at these little morsels, waiting for them to expand. After a few minutes we gave up and started eating. It might sound obvious, but with a name like Bollywood - and the bright pink walls, the simmering mosaic bar, and the larger than life murals of Bollywood stars - I thought it was quite reasonable to expect a bit of magic. Even the menus are lenticular. It should be enchanting, there should be a show… singing, dancing. You know, Bollywood.



But it's not. The very friendly staff are dressed down in muted dark colours (no colourful sari's or bling). The napery is plain white. There are two main dining rooms, and while one has the vibrant pink murals, the other is comparatively plain. With its decorative screen and shimmering curtains, the second room is quietly sophisticated, hardly the jumped up production the name might evoke. The only hint of Bollywood is under your bottom.

Literally. The chairs are upholstered in gold.



Luckily the food sings and dances on its own merit. It's a cliché I know, but apart from the minor disappointment of the non-magical pappadams, the food was exceptional.



We did consider the banquet options ($34 for vegetarian, $40 for non-vegetarian and $48 for the Bollywood banquet) but you need a minimum of four, and we only had two vegetarians. Instead we selected our own from the modern and extensive - and sometimes surprising - menu.

We ended up with Goan fish curry in a coconut based sauce ($22), lamb saagwala ($21.50), the ubiquitous butter chicken ($21.50), eggplant in sesame and coconut ($18), paneer makhni ($18) and two serves of malai kofta ($18).

One recommendation was the unusual sounding chicken caffreal salad ($9.50) which is oven baked chicken tossed with cabbage, capsicum and a green herb sauce.

Bollywood also offer a range of mixed platters, perfect for groups, and my nose and ears certainly recommend the sizzling dishes either lobster, tandoori lamb chops, paneer and vegetables or the Bollywood sholay – a combination of prawns, fish and chicken. There is the element of showmanship to these dishes, the sound of the sizzle turns the heads of other diners as it is brought to the table. All the 'sizzlers' are served with rice and naan and range from $25-$38.

Apart from the garlic naan which needed another hit with the garlic wand, everything was tasty and full of flavour. The spiciness ranged from dish to dish, but the Aussies were pleased with the milder dishes (malai kofta and butter chicken) while the Brits liked the heat of the lamb and eggplant. We sat there until every dish was scraped clean.



A trip to the bathrooms took me past the Bollywood star walls, with larger than life images of famous actors and actresses and quotes from films. My favourite was:
'Make love, not war. Hell… do both… get married!'

Only while in the bathrooms could I hear the Bollywood music, which was fun and makes you want to dance. Perhaps not while in the bathroom though. I am sure they play it in the restaurant, but everyone was having too much fun and being too loud to hear it.



The kitchen is semi-open and seems impeccably clean. Actually, all of Bollywood seems crisp and clean. Shimmering even, especially the bar which makes a range of creations including the porn star (always fun to order) which was made with gin and passionfruit juice ($14). The wine list is extensive and goes all the way to a $310 bottle of Dom Perignon if you are feeling particularly expansive.

Located at the Event Cinemas in Innaloo, Bollywood Restobar has ample parking and is open for dinner seven days a week and lunch on Sundays. There is also a takeaway menu if you want to grab something after watching a movie.

#vegetarian
#restaurants
#northern_suburbs
#innaloo
#indian_restaurants
#food_wine
#dinner
%wnperth