If all the world’s a stage, Bollywood Bistro just might be the lead.

In my quest to find something that would stimulate my taste buds, I came across this small restaurant right off of Bethel Road next to Cinemark Carriage Place Movies 12 in the Carriage Place Shopping Center.

When I walked in the door, the heavy smell of garlic and other spices flowed in the air.

Beforehand, I had checked out the menu noting the management’s play on the cinema theme, offering a memorable “culinary journey,” according to bollywoodbistro.net.  

The restaurant itself was neatly decorated with traditional curtains draped in the windows and pristine table settings.

After some time browsing the menu, my roommate and I decided to split the Family Drama 1, a vegetarian meal for two, which includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert.

I must say I am a fan of fried food, especially when you can take something that could have been healthy and batter and deep fry it, which is why the vegetable samosa, a pastry stuffed with a vegetable filling, was a great start to the meal. It was crispy and flavorful.

Next came the main dish. I honestly did not expect to see so much food on the table. The dishes we ordered came with rice and naan, homemade flatbread.

The Aloo Naan was delicious, a combination fresh naan with potatoes and spices baked in.

My dish, Baingan Bhartha, was a mixture of eggplant, tomato, peas, onion, garlic and various other spices, I asked for a seven on the spicy scale and it met my standards well. It had the punch that spicy food should have and a rich, smoky flavor.

At this point I was full and had forgotten that we had even ordered dessert.

The last dish, Gulab Jamun, came to the table and I was apprehensive, faced with a small dish containing a lone round dumpling somewhat resembling a hush puppy. I took a bite and was met with surprise — it was soft, doughy and sweet.  

Overall, the food was great, but my favorite part of the experience was the staff. They were attentive and thoughtful.

Grade: A