Indian Flavors Behind the Scenes at Bollywood Bistro

By Devika Koppikar

Hidden Menu is Asian Fortune’s series on where to find the authentic Asian meals not always found on restaurant menus. This month, Devika Koppikar explores Bollywood Bistro in Fairfax, Virginia.

At first glance, many of Bollywood Bistro’s “off-the-menu” items don’t even look like traditional Indian cuisine. But take a bite, and you’re instantly on the rastas (streets) of India.

Of course, the traditional food dishes appear front-and-center, but “off-the-menu” items are available. According to owner Pankaj Sharma, those items are usually custom-ordered for weddings and other special occasion, when patrons wish to go beyond the Indian fare more familiar to American customers.

This seems to be chef and co-owner Sunil Bastola’s concept of fusion cooking: make it look “American” to the eyes, but taste Indian to the palate. So I thought this might be one way to introduce a weary non-Asian friend to Indian food. We started with Aam Palak Chat, a fried-spinach appetizer which may look at first glance like a spinach salad you might see at your local Whole Foods, but is altogether a different experience. Chat is a common Indian street food filled with crispy chips, potatoes, yogurt and a tangy tamarind sauce. But at Bollywood Bistro, our chat featured fried spinach with a sprinkle of fried sev (crunchy mini-noodles made from chickpea floor), chickpeas, potatoes and yogurt. A nibble made North India come to life with the tang of the tamarind sauce. Currently, Bastola is perfecting his Okra Chat, which will make your Southern (as in Dixie) friends nostalgic for home, fried okra being a Deep South specialty, until a morsel enters their mouth and South refers to South India.

“We have mostly north Indian food-Rajasthan, Bengal. But we also add items from other places like Goa and South India,” said Sharma.

Bastola, who is from Nepal and was inspired by his mother’s cooking, then brought us the “Date and Almond” naan. Naan, a flat-bread similar to pita, is generally plain or garlicky. But this item was sweet, though not a dessert. Lightly layered inside was a mixture of almonds and dates. This is a recipe that Bastola created on his own, he said.

Perhaps the sweetness was to prepare you for the next item: Sesame Shrimp (which did not have an Indian name.) Following the story line of the bistro’s “looks American….but tastes…” theme, these jumbo shrimp skewers were grilled and then dipped in an egg batter. The unaided eye would think this was borrowed from TGI Friday’s. But your mouth, throat and stomach will find this zesty skewer is not for the bland-hearted.

“It is mixed with special spices inside,” said the Bastola, who, like most chefs, wouldn’t reveal the ingredients. He said his mother taught him how to make the special blend.

To cool things off, we next received a sampling of the Olive Raitha, or yogurt salad that’s often made with cucumbers and tomatoes. But this bistro gives you a twist—an olive twist—with yogurt that contains a light mix of black pepper and chili powder, it seemed.

Finally, we ate dessert. No, not Gulab Jamun (fried cream ball with sugar syrup) or Kulfi (Ice Cream)—but Crème Brulee. Yes, now you can even trick your French food connoisseur friends! This classic custard with vanilla beans and cauterized sugar looked like the one you’d expect at a Parisian café. And even your first nip might convince you that it is the traditional French vanilla flavor. But soon an Indian (flavor) is evident: mango with traces of nutmeg and cardamom.

Sharma and Bastola opened Bollywood Bistro in 2009 to target the market surrounding George Mason University and the law offices prominent in the area. Sharma has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality/restaurant business in both India and the United States. The “Bollywood” theme dominates the restaurant’s décor with a large portrait collage of new and old Bollywood stars. Though no Bollywood celebrity has visited the restaurant yet, the owners say they hope someone or another might make an appearance soon. It might be quite entertaining to watch their reaction to eating the Sesame Shrimp!

Bollywood Bistro is located at 3955 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax, VA, 22030. Call 703-273-0031 or visit www.bollywoodbistrofairfax.com.