Emma Sheehan talks to us about the secret to making a great naan, and the ‘Real Food’ ethos underpinning the menu at Bombay Pantry.
Emma, tell us a little about the origins of Bombay Pantry and the ‘Real Food’ ethos underpinning your menu.
Our vision, since our early beginnings nearly 25 years ago, was to make Real food the standard in takeaway food to go. We were the first “takeaway” to showcase our open kitchens where customers are encouraged to come and watch their food being cooked. Being real means we only use 60 ingredients you can pronounce, and we say NO to artificial anything. Using suppliers we trust and have known for decades, like local butchers and daily fresh vegetables from the market and most importantly making our food from scratch; hand cut, handcrafted, handmade allows us to stay true to our promise of real, clean, delicious Indian food.
What do you think is the secret to making a great Naan?
The secret to our amazing Naan is that our dough is handmade fresh in store every single day. We view our tandoor chefs as artisan bakers. They take the basic raw ingredients of flour, water, egg and start with the important dough prove. Once the naan dough has proved for at least 12 hours, it is then handcrafted, rolled, stretched and slapped into the walls of the screaming hot tandoor. Made fresh to order every time.
Additionally, we only use whole ingredients – we get whole dairy, whole grains, whole flour and whole spices delivered fresh every day. Our chefs do all the grinding, chopping, dough proving, and stirring themselves. Food that is made better, tastes better!
The past eighteen months have been very difficult for many businesses. How has working with Just Eat helped Bombay Pantry to meet these challenges?
Working with Just Eat over the past 18 months allowed us to reach many customers, and we were delighted to be able to serve the Community during a time of uncertainty for all.
You pride yourselves on making food from scratch. If someone was to order from Bombay Pantry on Just Eat for the first time, what would you recommend for them?
If you were ordering with us for the first time and you weren’t sure what to get or didn’t want to order the usual Indian curry-based dishes, I’d recommend ordering from our Thali section. Sometimes referred to as the Small Plate section, our Thali section is an Indian take on Tapas. If you’re in the mood to try new foods, then this is the perfect option for you. Choose from a wide range of small dishes such as Cauliflower Wings, Dahl Palak, Saag Aloo or Bombay Shaslik, to name just a few. It’s the perfect option for mix & match. After all, Indian food was made for sharing!
What’s your own favourite item on the Just Eat menu?
It’s hard to pick just one favourite item but I personally love everything in the Bombay Street Food section, in particular our Masala Fries (an Indian spicebag). The concept behind this section is that food from the street is made for the street. Great Indian food doesn’t have to be eaten sitting down, or on your good crockery. The Chicken Tikka Naan or Tiffin Box, also from the street food section, are quick, tasty and made to go with you, wherever you’re heading.
Are there any new menu additions this year that we should know about?
Given the popularity of our street food additions, we are currently in menu development for our 25th birthday next year. We cannot wait to show you our plans! The recent additions of even more healthy, sustainable, vegan options such as our smoky roasted aubergine Baigan Bartha, which is vegan, paleo friendly and less than 300kcals have proved very popular among our customers.
What areas in Dublin do you deliver to?
There is a Bombay Pantry near you! We are located in Ashtown, Clonskeagh, Fairview, Glenageary, Rathfarnham, Rathmines and Walkinstown. All of our shops deliver to approx. 4km radius of the shop so we pretty much cover all of greater Dublin.
Is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like readers to be aware of?
We have just launched a new student meal deal that is available 7 days a week. Choose from a Chicken Tikka Naan or Veggie Bhaija Naan with a medium portion of Masala Fries plus a Drink for only €10 and available to order on Just Eat.
You can now order from Bombay Pantry for delivery to your door on Just Eat.
