Could Bhoomi keep its head while all around them are losing theirs?
If you can dream and not make dreams your master. If you can think and not make thoughts your aim then one day my son you’ll be a man and what’s more you’ll create your own restaurant.
Kipling’s poem deviates slightly from our restaurant’s origins however the proprietor realized his childhood dream in 2017 by opening Dev Bhoomi combining his love of his hometown food and culture. Dev Bhoomi is named after the North Indian homeland of the creator and manager which opened in 2017. The restaurant is located in the far West of Shanghai, Minhang, Magiao town which is an hour and a heavy plus train ride from downtown Shanghai or if you prefer to cycle carve out a couple of hours and some strong calves. In any case it’s a trek for those living in central Shanghai. However, Dev Bhoomi predominately caters for local residents including techies working at the “AI” hub in the new industrial zone nearby.
The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a modern plaza which sparkles, as you enter you are hit with a broad smile from the waiters and the décor is modern yet not high end, illustrated by the easy access to a refrigerator full of drinks and several appropriately themed pictures and of course a TV belting out songs and movies as if you were at home watching some of Bollywood’s finest perform. The restaurant is a social place neither cold nor flamboyant. The atmosphere score was 6.0
To the food, the first thing one notices is the large and clear menu with a good variety of known and even some unknown dishes which is always appreciated by the OCC. There was a focus on each dish using fresh spices and herbs creating a balanced flavor, a point the restaurant aims for, interesting feedback from members was some dishes would benefit from less balance and more commitment to one flavor, if you want a spicy Vindaloo commit to the spice. The chefs use traditional cooking instruments such as a tawa griddle for their rotis and a tandoor oven for the meat.
Our starters were typical classics including a twist for the vegetarian samosas which was deconstructed, this and the tender chicken tikka were particularly popular with members. A strong start, the main courses were Indian Fish, Handi Mutton, Paneer Shashilk and their specialties Kadai Paneer, Chicken Coconut Curry and Lamb Vindaloo. The dishes were soupy reflecting the style of Northern Indian cuisine and in itself this is not negative indeed previous CHOTY winners have had a Northern Indian soup style, it was noticeable though that the flavors were balanced and so deciphering between the dishes or enjoying a Kadai versus a Vindaloo was not as clear cut as you would expect, countering this was the meat which was tender throughout and well cooked. All of the dishes were accompanied with a good variety of Naans. The quality score was a 5.6
The chefs and waiters supported our group providing meals and plenty of drinks. Their customer service and customer care were 6.7 and 6.6 respectively. The value score came in at 6.3 reflecting the OCC’s appreciation for a value deal.
Dev Bhoomi is a friendly restaurant with a broad menu and delicate balanced dishes, the OCC would encourage the chefs to commit fully to those flavors, if they did we would expect to see the scoring reflect the passion and dreams of Dev Bhoomi’s team.
We welcome Dev Bhoomi to Shanghai’s curry scene and wish them all the best.