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My husband and I love Indian food.  We don’t cook it but we eat Indian food almost every week - either takeaway or dining in.  Our new favourite Indian restaurant is Bombay by Night in South Caulfield.  Because it’s somewhat of a drive, we usually eat there.  In terms of gluten-free eating, I’m told that everything but their Naan and Roti are flourless.  I’ve certainly never had a problem and I’ve even tried their Onion Bhajia, which is deep-fried in lentil batter.

What I like about Bombay by Night - recently rated 14/20 by The Age Good Food Guide -  is that it’s not tacky or ostentatious; the restaurant is cool, comfortable and quiet; the staff are friendly and helpful; and the menu is not too typical of an Indian restaurant in Australia: it has a selection of favourites as well as a few other options.  The food is about as good as any Indian I’ve ever had and it’s not heavy or too spicy and they even have a decent wine list.  My favourite dish (and I think I’m not original here) is their Roasted Hazelnut and Praline Kulfi - a “must try”!

My husband and I recently dined at Bombay by Night in celebration of Valentine’s Day (though we couldn’t get a table on the day itself so we went a week later) and left fully satisfied, but not too full, after a shared entrée, Alu Bengal, Tandoori Chicken,  Kulfi (one each!), sparkling wine and Naan (for my husband, of course).  I’m not much of a food critic so I won’t go into detail but we enjoyed it all and are going back there with friends this weekend.

I definitely recommend Bombay by Night for a nice, grown-up meal out (or take away!). As ever, if you are very sensitive to gluten, you should enquire with the chef about the risks.

www.bombaybynight.com

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted any new gluten-free dining options, but that’s because it’s been a while since I’ve discovered anywhere new.

I’m really pleased that I’ve found this place though. My mum came down for lunch this Monday and I remembered that our usual haunt, Pizza Piazza, is closed on Mondays. However, Hooked across the road from there was not and for a few weeks now I’ve had a craving for good fish and chips after discovering they had gluten-free options. So, we decided to go there for lunch.

Being from England we really appreciate good battered fish and “proper” hand-cut chips and such a thing is hard to come by in Australia - let alone free from gluten! We both ordered the standard battered fish and hand-cut chips (but gluten-free of course) and sat down at the long, cosy, communal table. After a 5-10 minute wait our meals were ready and we almost wished we’d ordered one serve between us because the plates were piled high. At $10 each, it was pretty good value and we both polished off most of the meal. We were both very pleasantly surprised at the lightness of the batter, the quality of the fish and the authenticity of the chips - especially given they were all gluten free. The meal really satisfied my hunger for a good plate of fish and chips such the likes of I haven’t had since leaving England 19 years ago. I’m not sure how “healthy” the meal was but it definitely wasn’t drowning in oil and there are plenty of alternatives such as salad. My mum, who spent much more time in the UK than I and is very choosy about her fish and chips, really enjoyed her meal.

I definitely recommend anyone, gluten-challenged or not, to try Hooked. I’ll avoid any jokes about being hooked, but I will say that I won’t hesitate to go there again. You can download the menu, which also includes dairy-free options, from their website.

www.hooked.net.au

172 Chapel Street, Windsor VIC

EDIT: I’ve been informed that Hooked cook their gluten free orders in the same oil they use for their regular fish and chips so there is a cross-contamination issue.  If you are Coeliac it would be best to check when you order.

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