Bombay Palace: Murray's Authentic Indian Restaurant Bringing Southern Specialties & Tandoori Excellence to 900 East

There's this moment when you walk into Bombay Palace on 900 East in Murray, and the warm aroma of roasted spices hits you—cardamom, cumin, something earthy and sharp you can't quite place. It's a smell that stops conversations mid-sentence, the kind that makes you realize you're hungrier than you thought. The strip mall location doesn't prepare you for what's inside: cloth napkins, comfortable booths, and a kitchen where chef Sonu Mahindra is probably checking on lamb that's been marinating since morning.

When this Indian restaurant in Murray Utah opened in August 2023, chef Sonu Mahindra knew exactly what dish he wanted people to remember: Chettinad lamb, a sharp, earthy southern Indian classic made with onion and pepper sauce that isn't on many Salt Lake restaurant menus. "The Lamb Vindaloo was some of the best I have had," one customer wrote after lunch, while another raved, "It's the best butter chicken I've ever had and the lamb dish was delightful as well."

This isn't just another Indian restaurant serving the usual suspects. Bombay Palace brings something different to Murray's growing food scene—a commitment to authentic flavors from both northern and southern India, cooked in a traditional clay tandoor oven, with the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like a regular on your first visit.

From India to Murray: How Bombay Palace Became Utah's Newest Tandoori Destination

The philosophy at Bombay Palace is simple but powerful: create authentic Indian dishes using traditional recipes passed down through generations, from aromatic curries to sizzling tandoori delights. What sets this place apart from other Indian restaurants in Salt Lake County isn't just the food—it's the intentionality behind every dish.

Chef Sonu Mahindra didn't choose Murray randomly. The 900 East corridor needed a restaurant that could deliver both the familiar comfort of butter chicken and the adventurous complexity of southern Indian specialties. One customer who grew up in India said walking into Bombay Palace felt "close to home the moment I walked in because of the eclectic Indian decor, warm and welcoming hospitality of the staff, and of course the aroma of Indian spices."

The kitchen operates like a well-choreographed dance. Traditional Indian meals include butter chicken, lamb curry, biryani, and freshly baked naan, with vegetarian and vegan options available. But it's the clay tandoor oven—the massive, coal-fired beast in the kitchen—that really tells the story of what Bombay Palace is trying to accomplish. Tandoor cooking isn't just a technique; it's an art form that requires timing, temperature control, and years of experience to master.

The Chettinad Lamb That Makes the Drive to Murray Worth It

Let's talk about the elephant—or rather, the lamb—in the room. The Chettinad lamb stands out among sweeter masalas and kormas with its full-on savory profile, and the medium heat reaches capsicum thresholds without exceeding them. This isn't the lamb curry you're used to ordering at other spots. Chettinad cuisine comes from Tamil Nadu in southern India, and it's known for being bold, peppery, and unapologetic.

When you order it at Bombay Palace, the lamb arrives in a dark, aromatic sauce that looks almost black—onions and peppers cooked down until they surrender all their sweetness and turn into something more primal. The lamb itself? Tender enough to fall apart with your fork, but with enough texture to remind you this was once a living thing that grazed and moved. It's the kind of dish that makes you understand why food writers use words like "earthy" and "complex."

But here's what customers actually say: "The lamb was great too it was perfectly cooked, and had great flavor. Honestly Bombay Palace has some of the best curry around. Everything is always fresh and they have great prices." Another diner mentioned the Lamb Rogan Josh, cooked in bright red sauce with perfectly textured meat that imbibed spices really well to provide flavorful taste.

The shrimp dishes hold their own too. The shrimp coconut korma brings smooth, buttery notes to coconut and spices, with shrimp that actually hold up rather than being overwhelmed by the gravy. And then there's the butter chicken—Murray's new gold standard for the dish. One customer couldn't contain their enthusiasm: "I can't say enough good things about this Indian restaurant! The food, the service, the atmosphere...all of it is stellar. It's the best butter chicken I've ever had."

What Makes Bombay Palace's Tandoori Cooking Different

The tandoor oven at this Indian restaurant in Murray Utah isn't just for show. The restaurant takes pride in serving tandoor recipes that bring authentic taste of traditional Indian cooking, with dishes like Tandoori Chicken and Paneer Tikka marinated in aromatic spices and cooked to perfection in their clay tandoor oven.

Here's what most people don't understand about tandoor cooking: the oven reaches temperatures around 900°F, which means chicken or paneer that goes in comes out with a charred exterior and a smoky flavor that you literally cannot replicate in a regular oven. The marinade—usually yogurt-based with ginger, garlic, and spice blends—creates a crust when it hits those extreme temperatures.

Customers consistently mention the Shrimp Tandoori and Chicken Tikka as standouts, with one group noting that all their dishes were "pleasantly tasty and generous." The naan comes from the same tandoor, slapped against the interior walls where it bubbles and chars in about 90 seconds. Regular customers rave that "the Naan is also the best, the peshwari naan and the garlic are our favorites."

And for vegetarians? The Paneer Tikka gets the same tandoori treatment—cubes of Indian cottage cheese that emerge from the oven with those signature char marks, still soft inside but with a smoky exterior that makes the whole dish work.

Beyond the Chettinad lamb and butter chicken, there are dishes at Bombay Palace that deserve more attention. The Punjabi Dal, a spicy lentil curry, delivers amazing and authentic North Indian/Punjabi flavors. Lentils might sound boring, but when they're cooked with the right tempering of cumin seeds, garlic, and dried chilies, they become something you want to eat with every meal.

The biryani is another sleeper hit. One couple ordered the hot Lamb Biryani and reported it "tasted divine all while sucker punching my tastebuds with a bevy of flavors," noting that despite being hot, it was delicious. Biryani is one of those dishes where you can immediately tell if a restaurant knows what they're doing—the rice should be fragrant and separate, the meat tender, and the whole thing layered with flavors that reveal themselves bite after bite.

Then there are the samosas. Multiple reviewers specifically recommend the samosas, with one saying, "We also got veggie samosas. They are a dream and one of our personal favorites." They're served with chutneys, but honestly, some regulars just dip them in the butter chicken sauce because why not?

And don't sleep on the desserts. The pistachio ice cream earned the title of "hands down the best ice cream I've ever had" from one customer, with "plenty of pistachios and is absolutely heavenly." The restaurant also serves kheer, the Indian rice pudding that owner Lucky Singh sometimes brings to tables as a surprise ending to meals—it has the perfect blend of softly cooked rice, sweet but not too sweet milk, hint of cardamom, and nuts.

Murray's Indian Restaurant Scene Gets a Game-Changer

Before Bombay Palace opened on 900 East in August 2023, Murray residents often had to drive to other parts of Salt Lake County for quality Indian food. One local reviewer summed it up: "Bombay Palace is a much needed Indian Restaurant in Murray area. Now we don't have to travel too far to have flavorful Indian meal."

The restaurant fills a specific niche in Utah's food landscape. Service is consistently highlighted as exceptional, with knowledgeable and attentive staff ready to assist with menu selections and provide recommendations, ensuring a personalized dining experience. This isn't the kind of place where servers disappear after taking your order. They check in, they refill water without being asked, and they actually know the difference between vindaloo and korma.

One customer specifically thanked Lucky for "taking such great care of us," adding that the genuine kindness from the moment they walked in was "uncommon these days." That kind of service—where the staff and owner actually care about your experience—makes Bombay Palace more than just another restaurant. It's becoming a gathering place for the Murray community.

The restaurant also handles dietary restrictions better than most. Diners love the vegetarian options and appreciate seeing extensive vegan and gluten-free choices, with one reviewer noting "there is something for everyone here." In Utah's increasingly diverse food scene, that matters.

Planning Your Visit to Bombay Palace

Bombay Palace sits at 5468 S 900 East in Murray, tucked into a strip mall that you might drive past without noticing. As one reviewer noted, "It's tucked back in a strip mall off of 900 East in Murray, so you need to be looking for it." Parking is in the back—look for the gates.

Hours:

Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Dinner: Monday-Saturday, 4:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Closed Sundays

What to Order: If it's your first visit, start with the vegetable samosas. Then go for the Chettinad lamb if you're feeling adventurous, or stick with the butter chicken if you want something familiar but exceptional. Get garlic naan—always get garlic naan. And if you're with a group, order the Lamb Vindaloo or the Lamb Biryani to share.

One Indian food enthusiast who had been to India said, "I love Chicken Biryani the most! Bombay palace is the best with the original taste of Indian food and i can say this is the only place i usually visit."

The restaurant handles takeout through UberEats and DoorDash, though dining in gives you the full experience—the music, the aromas, the theater of watching naan being made. Bombay Palace also offers catering services perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events, and family gatherings, with freshly prepared food tailored to your event's needs.

Call ahead at (801) 890-0112 if you're coming with a large group, or follow them on Instagram @bombaypalaceut to see what's coming out of the kitchen.

The Bottom Line

Bombay Palace isn't trying to reinvent Indian food—they're doing something arguably harder: cooking traditional dishes with enough skill and authenticity that they transport you somewhere else entirely. The restaurant stands as a beacon of authentic Indian cuisine, captivating diners with rich flavors and vibrant atmosphere.

In a restaurant landscape where "fusion" and "creative interpretation" often mean "we don't know how to make the real thing," Bombay Palace doubles down on tradition. Chef Sonu Mahindra's Chettinad lamb isn't on every menu for a reason—it's hard to do right. The tandoori dishes require equipment and expertise most places don't bother with. The butter chicken achieves that perfect balance of rich without being heavy, spiced without being overwhelming.

This Indian restaurant in Murray Utah proves that authenticity and accessibility aren't mutually exclusive. Whether you grew up eating Indian food or you're trying it for the first time, whether you're vegan or you want lamb that falls off the bone, Bombay Palace has something that will make you understand why people drive across the valley for good Indian food.

And in Murray's evolving food scene—where strip malls are increasingly home to some of the most interesting restaurants in Utah—Bombay Palace is exactly the kind of place that makes the whole "don't judge a book by its cover" saying ring true. Sometimes the best food in town is hiding behind a parking lot, waiting for you to notice.

Bombay Palace
5468 S 900 East, Murray, UT 84107
(801) 890-0112
bombaypalace2.net
Instagram: @bombaypalaceut

Back to blog