Apologies Go a Long Way at Mumbai Chopstix

Last weekend, Z and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and biked around Boston in search for dinner. We rarely venture into the city for meals, since we have so many good restaurants accessible to us right outside of Beantown, but we wanted to try someplace new. We ended up on Newbury Street, locked up our bikes, and stumbled upon one of the area's newest eateries that I had been eager to try: Mumbai Chopstix.

Mumbai Chopstix serves up cuisine inspired by Chinese and Indian flavors. The restaurant was an obvious choice on this particular night due to the fact that they have outside seating and had no wait for a table on a Saturday. We perused the creative menu (Z's, somehow, was slightly different from mine) while sipping on some of Mumbai Chopstix's creative cocktails. Z got the Mango Sangria ($9), while I opted for the Katchumber Cooler ($9), which is a Chopstix original made with muddled cucumber, green chili pepper and cilantro with a sake base.

This cocktail was intensely refreshing, with a subtle hint of spice from the chili pepper. The beverage was even worth the 15 minute wait for it to arrive at our table (which was followed by an apology from our waitress). 

While we waited for our drinks, the waitress brought over a trio of dipping sauces for us to have with our meals, and explained the levels of heat in each.

For an appetizer, we finally decided on the Lachew Cauliflower ($6.95), which was fried cauliflower dumplings tossed in a spicy chili and garlic Naga-style sauce. 

What you see in this picture is a fried, saucy pile of total awesomeness. The spicy, crispy, artery-clogging exterior complimented the cauliflower beautifully. The cauliflower also remained slightly crunchy, preventing these dumplings from becoming soggy, rubbery messes. We also tried several of our dipping sauces with these, which ended up being a great flavor (and heat) addition to the dish.

Since it was pretty hot out on this particular evening, I wasn't in the mood for a heavy meal, so I opted for a meatless dish: The Crying Buddha ($16.95), made with sauteed tofu, mushrooms, and seasonal greens in a chili soy garlic sauce. (Quick note: You can request any dish at Mumbai Chopstix to be prepared vegetarian).

The Crying Buddha was an extremely vibrant dish, in color and flavor. The description on my menu lacked to mention the addition of cashews, sugar snap peas, and several other vegetables, but thankfully, I have no food allergies. The mushrooms and thick slices of tofu were ginormous, and soaked up the slightly spicy broth like sponges. The combination of the crunch from the cashews and the variety of vegetables was harmonious. The portion itself was also huge, and well worth the price tag of $16.95 - I could have easily gotten three meals out of it. 

Somehow, I failed to document dessert with a photo, but our waitress had brought us a complimentary dish of vanilla ice cream with lychees - mainly because Z was brought the wrong dinner, and had to wait a few minutes longer for his Vegetarian Manchurian ($16.95), or vegetarian meatballs. The lychees reminded me of pears, yet slightly sweeter and softer in texture. 

Overall, we had a great meal that was relaxing with a great atmosphere. Despite a few mix-ups from the waitstaff, every little mistake was followed by an apology (and free ice cream). I was also fortunate enough to have received a $20 gift certificate at the StyleFixx event to Mumbai Chopstix, so it was a great way to try the restaurant while saving a bit of dough. We will definitely make a return visit.

Have you tried Mumbai Chopstix yet? What's your review?

Pin It