New Bombay Express in Glorietta 4’s Food Choices

Had lunch at Glorietta 4’s Food Choices (their name for the food court, made into a proper noun by the Ayala malls’ main antagonist) and grabbed some more Indian food at the New Bombay Express. It’s a hearty place to get Indian food, maybe not the best Indian food in town, but it’s definitely worth every penny (since it’s a little too pricey for the food court) and a little more distinct compared to the drone of oily ordinariness characterizing food court dishes.

The New Bombay Express loses out on freshness as their food is prepared for serving a huge crowd, but it definitely doesn’t lose out on flavor. It’s rich and pungent: rich curries, the balmy zing of coriander seeds, the textured spiciness of chili, yogurt and cumin and those things that launched a million expeditions that became both the birth and demise of nations. Like that double-edged sword of discovering the Orient, New Bombay Express’s flavors can work for or against them. Compared to other stalls selling food in the area, it doesn’t seem to be doing too well. I don’t know up to what extent the flavors can be localized, but then that could also mean the demise of the food’s quality. Hopefully, the New Bombay Express can keep its consistency, find a loyal audience who can see through what the food court stall is able to accomplish and attract them to come back regularly.


My favorite was the Roasted Eggplant and Okra. The smoky flavor coupled with a hefty dose of pepper won me over.


The Chicken Curry was good too. The sauce was creamy and frothy, and the chicken meat is soft and tender and breaks in the tongue allowing a rich marinade of flavors to burst through.


The Vegetable Samosas are nice though a bit overcooked. I like dipping them in the coriander sauce.


I also like the Vegetable Biryani Rice. There were hints of cumin, cinnamon and cardamom that were balanced well with the fried basmati rice.