Sometime last year I needed to replenish my spice cabinet, buy a new bottle of mustard seed oil and check out the latest Bollywood videos. I trucked on down to my favorite Indian grocery store, Bombay Bazaar, only to find it closed. It was a mystery.
Well, the mystery has been solved. Bombay Bazaar has reopened at a new location (245 South Van Ness). For you art lovers, that's just next to the "Lost Art" Gallery. A visit to the store solved the mystery of their closing- multiple roof leaks and a non-responsive landlord. According to Bharti Parmar, one of the owners, the only time the landlord showed up was to collect the rent but their multiple requests for repairs went unanswered. They, not the landlord, were up on the roof, fixing the leaks. Finally the city stepped in and closed the building..
The new location lacks the raffish charm of the original and is a bit of a walk from the trendy Valencia Street stomping grounds. But it's spotlessly clean, functional, and packed to the rafters with everything the dedicated Indian home cook would want.
You will find sacks of spices and flour much cheaper than at Whole Foods or Rainbow Grocery and items that you don't find anywhere else like mustard seed oil and other condiments. Buy your Indian spices here at the lowest price in the city - $2 for a nice-sized bag of black peppercorns, cumin or mustard seed. Stock up on bags of rice, lentils and dal, Don't want to make ghee? They've got it along with Indian cookies and sweets. The freezer is also stocked with samosas and nan with more items to come.
The famous ice cream freezer is back. Located right by the door, it is full of containers of fig and rose and saffron ice cream, along with other more mundane flavors like chocolate.
During the day, Mrs. Parmar is making chaat -- snacks like samosas with chickpeas and bhel puri, aka puffed-rice salad. She also makes a $5.95 lunch special. She gave me a sample of a vegetarian curry, a delicious spinach and potato mixture with a nice hint of heat at the finish.
It might not be the best Indian supply supply store in the Bay Area, but I do think it might just be the best in San Francisco. They don't carry fresh fruits and vegetables but you can truck on down a block or two to Rainbow Grocery or over to the various Farmer's Markets in the city to buy those.
Bombay Bazar: 245 South Van Ness (at Division), 864-2193.
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