Mumbai Grill’s subsidiary title isn’t Indian Cuisine or Indian Restaurant, it’s The Indian Cuisine, a confident nom de gastronomie that marks this Ferntree Gully player out as one of the most ambitious Indian restaurants in Melbourne. Starting life down Forest Road in early 2013, Mumbai Grill’s specialty North Indian cuisine has made waves in the local community, waves that are now fanning out into a city full of eager foodies and fans of South Asian cuisine looking for their next spice fix. The people have spoken: if you’re after a quintessential Indian dining experience, Mumbai Grill hits the mark each and every time.
The focal point of Mumbai Grill’s Forest Road restaurant is without a doubt the mighty tandoori oven. An essential part of any North Indian and Punjabi kitchen, this traditional clay oven is what imparts all the tenderness and smoky flavour to favourites like grilled paneer, lamb cutlets, seekh and malai kebabs, chicken tikka and a whole lot more – including indispensable naan and paratha. While tandoori’d grills are perennially popular among Ferntree Gully locals, this east Melbourne Indian restaurant distinguishes itself in more ways than one.
Even Mumbai Grill’s starters present unusual dishes to the discerning diner. Potato bonda are balls of mashed potato blended with mustard seeds, curry leaves and roasted lentils, coated with chickpea batter and deep-fried. Even more appealing to Melbourne’s jaded palates is the Gobi Manchurian cauliflower, cooked with an Indo-Chinese sauce that demonstrates how capable Mumbai Grill is of translating the flavours of traditional Northern Indian cuisine (with its cross-border connections) to its cosy premises in Ferntree Gully.