Bollywood Foodies
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday July 12, 2022 06:00
They have successfully established themselves to cater for clients from all walks of life cross generationally, as well as business meetings, family gatherings and deliveries for outdoor catering.
This family run business opened its doors in 2017. Since then, the restaurant has managed to keep its doors open through some difficult personal challenges as well as those brought about by the global pandemic.
The family bound together to ensure the success of the unique Bollywood themed Cuisine eatery. The fine diner offers Continental and Indian breakfast, lunch and dinner service with a menu that is versatile and very accommodating, Indian, Chinese and Tswana cuisine with visions to refine and expand the menu. Speaking with the now managing father and son duo, without giving too much away, alluded to 2022 having some exciting developments.
The striking logo communicates Bollywood!! Upbeat servers clad in uniform, wait outside of the restaurant to usher patrons in and escort guests into a whole new world. The décor is themed meticulously, wallpapers, lights, pictures of some great Bollywood actors adorn the walls and festive music sets the mood for an astounding experience. Why India is called Bollywood? The name “Bollywood” was coined during the 1970's.
It is India's and the world's largest film industry in terms of films produced and released each year. The term Bollywood originated when Indian film industry overtook the Hollywood film industry.
Yes! It’s that huge. When my guest and I arrived, I was immediately drawn to the traditional Indian floor seating and that is where we got comfortable. Onks, our gracious and attentive waiter, started us off with some Papadum with Mint and Sweet sauce. This was crispy and light on the palate as we geared up to place orders for our mains.
Our host and co-manager Param, also advised that the Papadum are often carried over to mains and can be used to add texture to other dishes. With quite a big menu, it took my guest and I some time to order with some appreciated assistance. We ordered some popular dishes, and were also intentional about not getting what would usually be a generic choice when eating Indian.
First we had something we both had no concept of. Pani Puri!! A type of snack that is most common Indian street food. Round, hollow Puri (a deep-fried crisp flatbread), filled with a mixture of flavoured water and up to 25 different masalas. It is said to be very good for digestion. The flavours are very overwhelming and it is eaten in one bite, giving off a burst of foreign flavours that are quite unexpected. An acquired taste if I have ever come across one. We were told this is a patron favourite.
I think it will take some getting used to for me, but that’s the adventure in exploring cuisine from around the world. Accompanying starters were Chicken Lollipops (Chinese) a perfect bite sized starter to share. My guest, Nono, spoke highly of her other starter of Honey Chili Mushrooms. They were not crumbed, however, they seemed covered in a special sauce making them even taste a little like chicken. For mains we had Goan Fish Curry, and the use of hake makes it a safe but very delicious dish.
The fish curry is wonderfully spiced in a creamy coconut sauce and the other spices give it a smoky and slightly sweet flavour. The restaurant also caters to vegetarians with a popular dish being; Paneer Makhani. A Punjabi dish made with a recipe that features succulently cooked cottage cheese cubes in a smooth tomato cream sauce that is lightly spiced with a hint of tang and sweetness.
Towards the end of our meal we got a special treat when the chef brought through his “secret weapon”. Mango Chicken Curry! Amongst all the great food we had, this surprise was a bonus. Delicious, and both my guest and I’s favourite.
This was a very delicately balanced sweet and salty dish with under lying hints of fragrant Indian spices. We had a few sides to go with this spread; Plain/Garlic naan, Steamed Rice (Chinese) and a Mango Pickles condiment, which is also good for digestion. Both desserts were interesting; Gaajar Hlura, which was warm carrots cooked in milk and often had for breakfast on chilly mornings.
There was also the polar opposite; Kulfi, which is denser and creamier than ice cream and unlike ice cream, Kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a creamy mould. The restaurant’s vision is to give the community a fun filled environment with healthy food choices. Foodies Blockbuster also do deliveries and catering to you preferred locations.
They are open consistently Sunday-Thursday from 10:10am to 10:10pm and Friday- Saturday 10:10am to 11:11pm