Newly opened Bindaas Bar + Kitchen, Central - Indian street food reinterpreted
Restaurant’s name means chilled out in Hindi, and the air conditioning certainly chilled the food - a shame, because we liked everything we tasted
Several upmarket Indian restaurants have opened recently, including Bindaas Bar + Kitchen, located below Hollywood Road on Aberdeen Street. It’s a casual spot, with diners sitting on stools at high tables.
Bindaas is colloquial Hindi for “chilled out” or “carefree”, and the restaurant’s atmosphere is relaxed. The music took us back into the 1980s, with hits such as Men at Work’s Who Can it Be Now and The Police’s Every Breath you Take playing twice in a row. The music later progressed to techno dance.
Nevertheless, we were here for the food, described as traditional street food with a modern interpretation .
Next came boti kabab (HK$148), featuring thick, tough cubes of Angus beef tenderloin topped with a spicy green tomato chutney.
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Chingri malai curry (HK$188) was as aromatic as the menu description promised: a coconut milk prawn curry with a green chilli and coriander garnish. Although the prawns were overcooked, we loved the full flavours, which went well with the garlic and cheese naan breads (HK$28 each). Unfortunately, the strong air conditioning made our food cold very fast.
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The restaurant has only been open a few days. The service started off friendly and attentive but dropped off considerably towards the end of the evening when we were completely ignored, even though the owner was personally looking after the table next to us.