Bombay Spice: From takeaway counter transformed into pure veg restaurant

BHARATI PAWASKAR | FEBRUARY 26, 2018, 02:35 AM IST
Bombay Spice: From takeaway counter transformed into pure veg restaurant


Those who walk in once, return again and again as the aroma of the food is inviting and the friendly hosts – Teji and Amardeep Singh, are warm and welcoming. Taking care of their guests with the food they offer and personally looking after the day-to-day affairs of ‘Bombay Spice’, the Singh couple has managed to make a name in the commercial capital of Goa within a span of less than three years.

Step in ‘Bombay Spice’ anytime of the day to enjoy pure vegetarian delicacies – Punjabi styled Rajma-chawal, Chole-bhature, Makke di roti and Sarson da saag, Punjabi samosa, Bhoona mushroom roll, Veg Patiala, Paneer Tikka Masala, Gajar or Moongdaal ka halwa, Paneer raita, Sandwich coleslow or the Mumbai street food specialities - Bombay pav-bhaji, Bombay chaat, Bombay sandwich or ‘masala chai’ (spice tea), then ‘Bombay Spice’ is the only authentic option in Goa where one can find all of these and much more in the heart of Margao.

Situated at the Margao Municipal Square at the Casa Penguim de Gelados – one of the oldest and most popular restaurants in Goa established way back in 1954, the franchisee of Bombay Spice is run at the very same venue by the Punjabi couple and offers authentic food cooked in various styles including North Indian, Jain and Moghulai for the past two-and-a-half years.

“Beginning as a snacks and take-away counter in August 2015, Bombay Spice has gradually transformed into a regular restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and a take-away centre,” states Teji Singh who along with husband Amardeep Singh runs the show efficiently. “We are open from 9 am to 10.30 pm and Sunday is a holiday for us as well as our staff. That’s the only day we get rest as the whole week keeps us busy,” smiles Teji who doesn’t regret missing the Sunday crowd at her all-day-busy restaurant. “Let everyone get a breather,” she sincerely feels. On public demand Bombay Spice will soon turn into an air-conditioned eating space but the prizes will not be hiked, assures the couple.

Bombay Spice is the first place to offer so many varieties in sandwiches, chaat, Punjabi specialities, hot and ice-teas, milk-shakes, smoothies, desserts, ice-creams, kulfi varieties, Punjab Sind sweets and specials like lassi, chaas, rabdi, shrikhand, rasgullas, gulabjamuns and rasmalais. “Not to fall short of youth favourites, we also serve cappuchino, Americano, latte, mocha (all of these hot and iced), frappes, signature beverages like Affagato (shot of expresso over a scoop of vanilla ice- cream, café Au Lait, hot chocolate, caramel milk, vanilla steamer, caramel macchiato, espresso, vanilla sauce etc,” adds Amardeep. Bombay Spice also has fresh fruit juices, soda, mocktails and coffee beverages.  

Colaba thali to Worli thali and Bombay rice to Biryani, Bombay Spice serves soups, appetisers, main course and noodles too apart from veg treats, tandoori mania, side dishes and salads. Buddha’s delight has a variety in menu such as rajma, daal makhni, chana masala and curry pakoda that go well with the fragrant Basmati rice – a combination that satiates the palate of a vegetarian food lover. The names on the menu attack at once – Bombay street attack, Bombay’s Italian touch, Bombay’s love for parathas, Bombay snacks, sandwiches and all-time chaat.  

The restaurant offers free deliveries up to 1 km and Rs 10 added per extra km. “We have delivered orders up to 15 km until now,” recalls Amardeep.  

“Let the progressive presentation, flavoursome spices and vibrant colours at Bombay Spice captivate your senses. And don’t forget to thank the bunch of upcoming culinary chefs who have sent you on this tantalising journey of delicious food,” invites Amardeep hinting that in the days to come Bombay Spice would like to extend its services in the North too.

“We plan to open up our branch in Panaji and on the coastal North which will allow us to cater to the tourists as well as locals from that area. Goa has a cosmopolitan culture, just like Mumbai and that’s why we have come here to serve the Goans and visiting tourists who hunt for good vegetarian food. Just like Mumbai, which serves all types of foods and caters to Punjabi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Kerala, South Indian, Bengali, Goan and other tastes, we too, want to offer that to Goans in Goa,” promises Amardeep.

With a seating capacity of around 40 at a time Bombay Spice accepts party orders and bulk orders too. There’s festival special menus which keep changing according to the seasons and demands. The peak seasons at Bombay Spice are mostly yearends - December to January and August too. “Long weekends keep us busy,” mentions Teji who expresses their wish to serve the global Goans as it was for them that the couple started as a take-away counter that began selling chaat on public request and now has become a full-fledged restaurant. The journey is quite speedy but fulfilling, admits the Singh couple – members of the bigger Punjab Sind family that serves Indians in different states with milk, curd, sweets and paneer having presence in many states including Maharashtra and Goa. Into food business since 1969, Punjab Sind began with selling paneer in Mumbai to those Punjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati, Rajasthani and Parsi families who settled in this commercial capital of India after partition. 

“It’s a long journey and we are here to serve the tastes of India, especially Mumbai, to Goans who are known to have always been an inseparable part of Mumbai,” concludes the Singh couple. 

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