I heard about Bombay Duck Co. from a friend who saw it on ABC local  news.  Bombay Duck is a small family run Indian restaurant in the Greenwich Village.  It was the menu at Bombay Duck Co. that intrigued me – there were many dishes that are hard to find in restaurants in and outside India and definitely in Manhattan – the vada pav, the masala fries with chaat masala, fish fingers koliwada style etc.   I met a friend (My Voice Over Gal) at Bombay Duck Co. for lunch and we both loved the food at Bombay Duck.  If you are one of those who frequent Kati Roll Company (serves street food from North India) or Thelewala (serves street food from Calcutta) in the Greenwich Village for Indian food, you will not be disappointed at Bombay Duck – the food here tastes superior to the food at the other two restaurants and the ambience is nicer and more upscale.  The service at Bombay Duck Co.  is very relaxed and not necessarily attentive, but friendly.   Bombay Duck Co. is open late (until 2 AM on Friday and Saturday nights) and serves Dosas in the weekend menu.

Bombay Duck Co. in Greenwich Village NYC

Inside Bombay Duck Co. NYC

A vada pav is a potato patty served in a bun and with cilantro and garlic chutney, often sold by street food vendors (very rarely in any sit-down restaurant) in Mumbai / Pune or elsewhere in the state of Maharashtra. There are a couple of chains – Goli vada pav and Jumbo King –  now in India that serve vada pavs.  At Bombay Duck Co. the vada in the vada pav was very much the same vada that you get back in Mumbai / Pune.  The pav (=bread – from Portuguese (pao?))  was a very soft slider bun – I suppose it’s easier to get slider buns than pav in the NYC area. The bun was grilled yet soft with a generous amount of butter.  The green chutney made from cilantro, green chilies and onions had just the right amount of zing and flavor.   Do not miss eating the vada pav at Bombay Duck Co.  – this vada pav is as close to the real thing you can get in NYC and without heading to India or if you are not keen to risk eating at a roadside vendor in India !!   If you want to make vada pav at home, here is a recipe by A Bit of this and a Bit of That… mostly about Food

Vada Pav (spiced potato patty) at Bombay Duck Co. in NYC

Spinach cutlets at Bombay Duck Co. in NYC (photo courtesy My Voice Over Gal)

Masala fries (with chaat masala) at Bombay Duck Co. in NYC

Paneer curry and rice at Bombay Duck Co. in NYC

Fish fingers (Koliwada style) at Bombay Duck Co. in NYC

Masala Chai at Bombay Duck Co. in NYC