I didn't see this posted anywhere so I thought I'd let you all know that a new Indian restaurant opened on Hurstbourne last night. It's called Bombay Grill and is located in the Forum Center (the strip mall with Cherry House furniture and Tony Roma's). I think it used to be a Dooley's Deli. It seemed much brighter than the other Indian restaurants and had a plasma TV on one wall - it was tuned to some Indian music video channel which provided an interesting bit of entertainment.
The restaurant serves both North and South Indian food and their prices seem pretty much the same as the other Indian restaurants in town ($3-5 for most appetizers and desserts, $7-$11 for most entrees, and $12 for thalis). They also have a lunch buffet (11-2 on weekdays and 12-3 on weekends) for $7.99 weekdays and $8.99 on weekends. When you order, you can tell the server how spicy you want your food (on a scale of 1-6).
I had a chance to eat there last night and the food was very good - much better than the other Indian restaurants in town. The food was much fresher and had better flavor and spiciness... of course it was opening night so they couldn't have had any leftovers to reheat and serve. Even the chutneys were freshly made (you can tell if they've been frozen and thawed if they're watery and don't have a strong scent). But if they can maintain that level of quality, I'll definitely be a regular. The owner/chef's name is Vijay and he's from Hyderabad (southern part of India). There are several dishes on the menu unique to Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad, Bangalore.
Since the other Indian restaurants primarily serve North Indian food, I wanted to try out some of the South Indian offerings - we had vegetable cutlets (2 large breaded cutlets served with green (cilantro, mint, and green chili) and brown (tamarind and dates) chutneys, a Mysore masala dosa (thin rice crêpe filled with seasoned potatoes, onions, and a spicy sauce) served with sambar (spicy lentil, vegetable and tomato curry) and a coconut and green chili chutney, plain naan, Hyderabadi chicken biryani (marinated boneless chicken breast chunks sautéed with onion, tomato, green pepper, and spices and mixed with seasoned basmati rice), dal makhani (creamed lentils), and raita (yogurt with carrot, cucumber, and tomato). It was way too much food, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to have a dessert, but I was stuffed and couldn't have eaten another bite. Everything was just about perfect and tasted exactly as I've had in India and at home. I'm usually pretty picky, but couldn't really find fault with any of the dishes.
I don't think they've done much advertising (they did post a notice at the Hindu temple) and since they're kind of hidden in the corner of that shopping center, I doubt many people know they're there yet. They had a pretty good crowd last night - all Indian and everyone seemed to love the food (I could overhear people talking at nearby tables).
They do accept credit cards with a $10 minimum. They're menu also said that they cater, but I'm not sure what they charge for catering or if they have a separate catering menu. I can't remember their exact hours, but I do remember that they close at 9:30 most nights and that they're closed in the afternoon. I'd guess they're open for lunch from 11-2 or 3, and then maybe reopen at 5 or 5:30 for dinner. I'm not sure if they take reservations, but their phone number is 425-8892.
I'm hoping to get back out there in a few days to check out their buffet. Hope you all get a chance to try them out and enjoy your meal as much as I did.