Reviews

Replicating Success

Bay Leaf’s second location, on Highway 280 is as awesome as the original.

By Jan Walsh

Bay Leaf opens a second location at 5426 Highway 280, Suite 14, in Hoover. It is across the highway from the Greystone entrance, on the hill.

Tonight, we meet our son, Jordan here for dinner. I have raved about the original Bay Leaf on Southside. So, he had it on our agenda for the next time he came to town. We park right at the door in their parking lot and are greeted by some of the same friendly faces we met at their 5 Points location. We slide into a booth overlooking the patio and order drinks. Having read my review of Paan Old Fashioned, Jordan orders it. This cocktail is their signature Indian take on a traditional old fashioned. Interestingly Jordan picks up on rose notes that I had missed. And indeed, this drink includes the juice of crushed rose petals. Kev also orders a drink we had last time, Mangojito. This lovely and luscious drink is made with Fresh Indian mangoes, club soda, white rum, and is garnished with fresh mint and lime.

And I opt once again for a tried and true Cardamom French 75 of Champagne, cognac, lemon juice, and cardamom. All three drinks prove to be as good as they were at the original location.



Bay Leaf Hwy. 280 location has its own all-day menu as well as lunch and kids’ menus, and we are happy to see our new-found favorites here. And several dishes were too good downtown to pass up tonight: chicken soup, short ribs, tandoori chicken, and Biriyani. Often times a restaurant’s second location is not as good as the original—as success is difficult to replicate. Yet tonight’s soup is just as wonderful as I remembered, aromatic and flavorful. Highly recommended! The tangy and tender beef short ribs are glazed in tamarind and slow cooked… another can’t miss dish. And our two entrée repeats are also just as amazing as before: Tandoori from the clay oven and Biriyani of parda (dough) over an aromatic, long grain rice layered with vegetables, Indian spices, and our choice of chicken.

 

Dishes we have not yet tried: garlic bread, chicken wings, and the lamb chops. I would come here for the bread. So, tonight we order both the Butter Nann and Garlic Nann. Drums of Heaven are chicken wing meat molded into dramatic drumsticks and batter fried—incredible idea. The drumsticks are crisp and golden on the outside and moist and meaty on the inside with a hint of spice. And Masala Lamb Chops are among the best we have ever tasted. Both have amazing sauces and a touch of whimsy, foil “handle” for those who want to eat with your hands. Highly recommended!

 

 

Bay Leaf’s Executive Chef, Pritam Zarapkar, “Chef Z”’s fare is an evolution of authentic Indian cuisine using essential Indian spices—without reinventing it—at both locations.

Read Bay Leaf 5 Points Review

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