By Jagdeesh Mann
Postmedia News
 
This, Jose Madappilly says as he sets down a plate of steaming lamb biryani, is from the world’s biggest crime scene.
“Do you know where that is?” the owner of the Salam Bombay restaurant asks the wide-eyed couple from Sweden.
The Taj Mahal, says Madappilly, not waiting for a reply. He goes on to explain how the spicy rice dish from Persia was cooked for the craftsmen who toiled on India’s most famous monument and later had their hands cut to prevent them from replicating the architectural wonder.
Not exactly dinner table conversation but that doesn’t faze Madappilly who has over the years built a reputation in Vancouver as a unique restaurateur who blends contrasts into heady variations of culinary success.
“I like to bring a little bit more to the table,” said Madappilly of his trivia trimmings, which accompany an exotic menu that includes wild boar, venison, the occasional kangaroo and muskox, all of which are soaked overnight in a delicious bath of roasted Indian spices.
For the less adventurous, Salam Bombay offers a passage through India’s classic epicurean delights which is both comforting and challenging to the senses, courtesy of chef Shijo Keenancheril.
Having graduated from India’s prestigious Institute of Hotel Management in Bhopal, the Kerala-born Madappilly spent time crisscrossing his homeland to get a first-hand feel for the foods of South Asia before heading to Europe, New York and then to Vancouver.
After several stints in local Indian and fusion restaurants, Madappilly scouted over 50 locations before settling on a perch above the chic stores at the corner of Alberni and Burrard.
“I wanted a place to showcase Indian fine dining…a place where I can use the best of West Coast ingredients to bring traditional home Indian cooking to Vancouver,” said Madappilly.
Today the doors of Salam Bombay open up to a quaint bar stocked with $500 bottles of wine, a tranquil velvet-couched lounge and a gleaming dining room with a private area enclosed in glass that overlooks the human drama of downtown Vancouver.
“I  have a soft spot for good food and fine wines and good locations,” said the 38-year old father of two, who is married to Julie, a registered nurse.
“I test my food at home and if it passes that test, it’s good to go,” said Madappilly, who takes great pains to constantly hone his hospitality, ambience and the stories that go with his culinary creations.
“I don’t sacrifice substance for style…I like simple plates.”
“South Indian food unlike North Indian food is bold…but when you take care of the sauces, homemade of course, and the marinades, the rest takes care of itself,” said Madappilly.
Salam Bombay has also become somewhat of a must stop for Bollywood celebrities on tour in Vancouver. The sensational songwriter A.R. Rahman of Slumdog Millionaire was the latest guest.
This year, Madappilly began offering a buffet lunch of 12 dishes for $15 – a bargain considering you can hardly get away with that amount in a Vancouver food court.
The pride of Salam Bombay is its spotless kitchen; perhaps the only one in such a Vancouver establishment that gets a thorough hose-down every night.
“I always take my patrons for a tour of the kitchen…all they have to do is ask,” said Madappilly, before launching into another tale for the Swedish couple, who were being served delicate lamb cutlets called shami kebab.
“This was created for a toothless Mughal emperor,” said the spicy storyteller of Vancouver.

Company: Salam Bombay, 217-755 Burrard St.
Employees: 10
Years in business: Three
Business philosophy: “Down home Indian cooking”