Bombay Palace Brings Pakistani Cuisine to Hawaii

Bombay Palace, which opened late last year in the former Monsoon India space in the Discovery Bay Center, augmented its menu by introducing a few new dishes from the home country of owner Imran Khan and his chef, Gul “Kenny” Khan.

The restaurant, which specializes in kebabs and northern Indian dishes such as Vindaloo, Korma, Kadhai, Saag, and coconut curries, also showcases authentic Pakistani dishes not readily found in the islands. However, the restaurant does focus on using ingredients purchased locally so they are the freshest.

The menu at Bombay Palace is replete with northern Indian Halal dishes popular with locals such as Tandoori chicken made in their own clay oven, Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh (tender lamb in a home-made yogurt sauce), Fish Tikka, Baingan Bartha (tandoor-roasted eggplant cooked with tomatoes and onions), along with a variety of naan, paratha, and biryani.

However, the restaurant has also decided to specialize in kebabs—rack of lamb, lamb Boti (boneless pieces of lamb), minced lamb, and chicken, all made fresh to order on a sizzling platter. To throw in a new twist, they decided to include a few Pakistani menu items, such as the Chicken Handi/Kadhai (“handi” refers to something made in a clay cooking vessel), which takes tender chicken cooked in a tomato-based sauce with onions, bell peppers, and spices.

Other dishes from Pakistan include Dhaniya Chicken of Ghosht, a stew made with fresh cilantro, onion, a touch of tomato, and spices and Chicken Reshmi Kebab boasting a creamier marinade than the other kebabs. Most entrees are affordably priced from about $15 to $22.

“Being from Pakistan, it is difficult to find authentic dishes as well as Indian meals that we would traditionally enjoy at our home, so we thought we would prepare them for everyone to enjoy, since Hawaii is now our home,” says Imran Khan, owner of Bombay Palace. “Having been here for only a few years, we found that good kebabs are hard to find, so we decided to also focus on serving a good variety of skewered dishes.”

Bombay Palace is located at the Discovery Bay Center, 1778 Ala Moana Blvd., Space 213.

Four hour parking is available for $1 with validation. The restaurant is open for lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, 365 days a year. For more information and reservations, call (808) 941-5111 or visit www.bombayhawaii.com. For media inquiries, please contact Sean M. Morris at (808) 781-8888.