Desperate to get out after months of lockdown, restrictions and uncertainty, Jason and I head to JBR and Bombay Bungalow for a date night and evening with some varied tastes and scenery.
Wavebreaker – Pre Dinner Drinks at JBR
Hoping for a pre dinner drink, we select the Pure Sky Lounge on Level 35 of Hilton Dubai, The Walk. There are no signs indicating closure. However, on arrival they inform us that they are not open. A little frustrated, we wander across the road to the Hilton JBR and find Wavebreaker. The sun is just setting and it looks nice enough, albeit a little casual for date night. However, after the waiter gets our order wrong and then delivers a second incorrect order, I might have guessed why this bar and casual grill was never on our radar. The best thing about it is the view.
We stay long enough to drink (and have to pay for) the cocktails we didn’t order and watch the moon rise over Bluewaters Island, then we leave to seek something more tempting.
Bombay Bungalow – Dinner
A little way along The Beach at JBR is a gem of a restaurant, Bombay Bungalow. Lured by the interesting menu and a desire for something spicy, we decide this fits the bill nicely. We are promptly seated inside and are pleasantly surprised. The decor is interesting and rather delightful. The wait staff are friendly and attentive. We practically have the restaurant to ourselves at this hour. By Dubai standards, 8:30pm is still relatively early.
I do a quick browse of the menu and quickly suggest the guacamole pani poori and the corn & sprouted mung chaat. Papadums and accompaniments are served promptly. We tuck into these while we wait for our entrees. The coriander dipping sauce is so delicious I practically drink it down. I promptly request another serve.
When our entrees arrive they are equally delicious although we both prefer the chaat over the pani poori. It has all the flavor of nachos but without the corn chip crunch which hopefully, makes it a lot healthier. The pani poori is flavorful also, however, we find it a bit awkward to eat and the taste, other than the sauce, is predominantly avocado with not as much depth as expected. The presentation is rather nice though.
For mains there is such an appetizing variety on offer that I can hardly decide. After much deliberation I can’t limit myself to just two so I settle on the palak paneer, Dahl tadka and a butter chicken to keep my carnivore happy. They are all delectable.
There is so much food! My only saving grace is that I have stuck to naan and not bothered with the rice (as much as my Indian friends who cannot live without rice would be horrified!). As it is completely delicious, I mop up as much of the remaining sauce as I can manage. Jason finishes a few more squares of paneer and another piece of chicken. We are done.
There is no room for dessert although I have my eyes on the mango kulfi and the coconut rasmali. Next time I will definitely need to leave room!
Good To Know
Bombay Bungalow is a home-grown brand deliberately aimed at fulfilling a craving for quality modern Indian food. The dishes are influenced by traditional Indian flavors, that are developed into unique and contemporary menu offerings with a twist.
Bombay Bungalow is featured in the Dubai version of The Entertainer, a subscription based app providing a wide variety of discounts on dining, services and entertainment. We enjoyed the 2 for 1 main offering.
Would I Return?
Yes. To Bombay Bungalow, undoubtedly. My mouth is watering already.
Wavebreaker might be alright if you have just rolled in from the beach and if your expectations are not particularly high. Otherwise, give it a miss and try one of the many excellent bars and restaurants in the area. Even the views aren’t enough to make it worth the trip.
