My very first blogpost about Indian food dated back in 2011...the early days when I just started to develop a taste for dining out and trying out different types of cuisine. Ah, the good ol' days! Over the years, I hate to admit that when it comes to Indian food, my experience is still numbered, and most of the places I tried, (90%) are casual type of restaurants. Indian fine dining is almost unheard of, until recently...As someone who's always on the lookout for unique dining experiences & flavours, I'd highly recommend you to try BHOOMI, a new exotic Indian restaurant & cocktail lounge in Glebe, Sydney.
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| Mr. Timtation digging in to his main course... |
Walk past the door and you'll be greeted by a friendly & knowledgeable host. The restaurant floor is quite spacious, which the owner divide into distinct sections: a private room, a cocktail lounge & bar and front and rear dining areas, with assorted sizes of tables to cater to different number of groups.
Take a tour around the venue...The raw stone wall, luxurious leather furnishing and purple spotlight.
To me, the place exudes the exclusive & mysterious feel, wouldn't you say it's a perfect spot to take your special one(s) for a nice lunch / dinner?
That being said, do not be tricked into thinking that this place only serves fine dining dishes, because they're also open for lunch from Wednesday-Sunday and the lunch menu looks enticing & affordable! The very first time I & Tim visited Bhoomi, we only had la carte dishes, as we were not quite hungry then. But on the second visit, we chose Taste of Bhoomi, an 8 course degustation menu (AU$85 per person).
But first, a glass of cocktail for each of us to start with...I remember having the tasty crispy pappadums, served with Chef Chanaka's delightful dollops of smoked salmon mousse (photo below) as the first course to start the degustation experience. Other than the classic cocktails, you definitely must try Bhoomi's signature cocktails, like what we had... Unless your mind is set on stone or you're restricted by a dietary requirement, I'd always pick something unique that I can't find elsewhere. That is my personal philosophy when dining out, to make the best out of the experience.
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| (above) Too-Gud (AU$22). Vanilla infused bourbon, spiced syrup, jaggery, egg white, and layered with a light red wine |
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| Left: 1st course - Holi pappadums, smoked salmon mousse Right: Smokey Tamarind Chigali (AU$20). Mezcal and some smoke with chigali, a popular tangy tamarind treat usually made in Southern India |
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| Left: 2nd course - Kingfish ceviche pani puri Right: 3rd course - Lamb vindaloo mini masala dosa |
2nd course: Kingfish ceviche pani puri (photo above)
Pani puri itself is a type of Indian street food. Hollow & crispy, the round cups serve as an edible vessel to contain a delightful mixture of with flavoured water, chutney, potato, onion, etc. Chef Guna added a western twist to the classic comfort food, by adding fresh pieces of kingfish ceviche. My only complain? There was only 1 piece on the plate lol, but it made us crave even more for the next surprise...
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| 3rd course: Lamb vindaloo mini masala dosa |
It comes served with sambar - a lentil-based vegetable stew, beware, it's spicy! I love how dosa is like crepe, lightly crispy outside and filled with delectable filling inside. The lamb vindaloo inside was so tender, and goes perfectly with the yoghurt sauce at the base.
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| Left: 4th course - Scallop papdi with onion, capers & chili Right: 5th course - Tamarind rasam shot |
4th course: Scallop papdi with onion, capers & chili (photo above)
So far, this was one of my personal favourite. The staff explained about how the yoghurt was so elaborately processed to achieve that smoked flavour and unusual texture / consistency. My words don't to the dish justice, you have to try it for yourself to understand what I mean
5th course: Tamarind rasam shot (photo above)
The taste is quite strong and salty, as it's supposed to help with digesting the previous courses and to prepare for the next ones. I'd suggest taking a small sip at first and then decide to finish the shot or not. Of course, it was bottoms up for me!
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| 6th course - Tri-daali betel leaf salad. |
6th course: Tri-daali betel leaf salad (photo above)
I could taste some chutney in the salad, so it may be quite sweet after a few bites. I love how the crunchy grains (I suspect are lentils) added the joy of munching the healthy treat. I could easily have this as my food everyday!
7th course: Mains (choice of fish / lamb / beef) (photos below)
And then came the Mains, which were served with Naan breads on the side (I could not resist the intoxicating smell from the Garlic Naan!). I was expecting a small serving, because the mains is part of a degustation menu after all, but they are the size of a la carte mains! I had the braised beef and Tim had the lamb, both served on a bed of creamy lentil (and barley?) risotto, infused with truffle. The braised beef ribs was so tender, and tasted great on its own, or with the naan.
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| Left: Tandoori Lamb Rack Right: Garlic Naan & Plain Naan |
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| (above) Braised Beef Ribs |
8th course: Bhoomi dessert platter (photos below)
And finally, it was time for dessert...The dessert platter's filled with assorted Indian sweets, hot & cold, such as jalebi & lime cheesecake, frozen fruit shell, chocolate dosa filled with banana, gulab jamun, shredded coconut-coated gulab jamun)
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| Dessert: Bhoomi dessert platter |
At the end of the meal, both of us were stuffed, in a good way of course and I remember how friendly & attentive the staff were, always checking on how we feel about the dishes, as well as explaining what we were served. The latter is especially important if you're eating something quite unfamiliar. I only have a few words to say about Bhoomi overall and the degustation menu, for all the value that you get, the experience we had is absolutely worth the price tag! So, if you haven't decided on a place for dinner / lunch yet today, why not come down to Bhoomi for an exotic Indian feast?
BHOOMI Exotic Indian Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge
Cuisine Type: Indian, Indian fusion, modern Indian, fine dining, cocktail lounge
Open Hours:
- Lunch: 12 noon - 3 pm (Wednesday - Sunday)
- Dinner: 5 - 10 pm (Monday - Sunday)
Address:
134 Glebe Point Road, Glebe 2037, New South Wales, Australia
Ph: +61 (02) 9518 9700 / 1300 246 664
Facebook: Bhoomi Restaurant Glebe
Instagram: @bhoomiglebe
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Thanks for sharing this info with us.
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