'This is special': New Downtown Peoria restaurant opening with Indian dishes and drinks

The red curtains have been pulled back as Bollywood Bites Bistro & Events Center prepares to take the stage in Peoria's downtown restaurant scene.

Situated inside of the MAXAM Building, the new restaurant plans to hold its grand opening on Friday, Oct. 13. Owner Irfan Mohammed and his wife, Shagufta “Muskan” Shaikh, hope to grow the culinary and cultural diversity of downtown.

"We would love to be busy (during) dinner and stuff," Mohammed said. "But also, we can now be one of the unique places for people to have a very different option of food."

Andrew Driscoll, who owns the MAXAM Building, said he has also noticed a "need for diversity in food options" downtown. He founded the Peoria Pitch contest, which ultimately brought Bollywood Bites to the space.

"What I have been gathering, especially here in downtown Peoria, is we are hungry for new experiences and new opportunities," Driscoll said.

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What's on the menu at Bollywood Bites?

Customers will find a variety of Indian cuisine − from curry to tandoori entrees − with more to come. Many of the dishes’ names also hold references to Bollywood films.

On Oct. 7, the restaurant hosted a soft opening that provided guests with a glimpse of what the business will offer. The menu featured a mix of vegetarian and meat-based appetizers and curries.

Mohammed said some of the popular appetizers include:

• Gogo Gobi Manchurian for $13.99: a vegetarian dish featuring fried cauliflower florets coated in a Manchurian sauce.

• PK Paneer for $14.99: For the "cheese lovers," the dish consists of paneer cheese, onions and bell peppers mixed in with a chili sauce, vinegar and soy sauce.

• Circuit Chicken 65 for $14.99: Described on the menu as "perfect for those who enjoy a fiery kick," the dish includes fried chicken pieces with a yogurt marinade and seasoning.

During the event, Mohammed said he was surprised by how strongly guests responded to the Main Hoon Na Majestic appetizer – which includes chicken marinated in yogurt, spices and curry leaves. He said the dish's blend of seasoning and tender chicken "gives you like a very tantalizing taste where it just melts in your mouth."

"Everyone who tasted it is like, 'Oh, this is amazing. We've never had this,'" Mohammed said.

For entrees, the menu includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. Customers can find Biryani, as well, which Mohammed described as "the dish in India." The meal consists of layered rice and protein that includes a variety of spices to make it "fragrant and flavorful."

The restaurant also serves a variety of foods cooked in a tandoor oven.

"A tandoor oven is an oven made out of clay," Mohammed explained. "So, all your kebabs and grills go into it with skewers, and it's cooked with the heat of that... So, it gives you a very rich flavor."

He said the Malai Chicken Tikka, which is prepared in the oven, features "very tender, juicy chicken." Mohammed said naan bread is also cooked in the oven − where the dough is stuck to the sides of the clay wall.

Aside from bringing in traditional Indian cooking methods, Mohammed said everything on the menu at Bollywood Bites is made fresh at the restaurant.

"Even the spices," he said.

One thing customers will not find at the restaurant is alcohol. Instead, Bollywood Bites will serve soda, nonalcoholic beer and a variety of mocktails. These include:

• Berry bliss for $5.99

• Mango lassi for $5.99

• Peach paradise punch for $6.99

• Virgin pina colada for $6.99

After operating for a while, the menu will expand. Shaikh said the full menu will include a popular Indian street food, and the couple plan to introduce other dishes as well.

"The start is not the full vision that they have for the menu, but it's kind of getting people acclimated to the quality and what they're serving," Driscoll said. "And so, with that said, yeah it is going to expand. But I really think this is a great way to start."

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Combining cuisine with culture

While Bollywood Bites will offer a variety of unique menu items, Driscoll said he is also looking forward to the experiences and cultural immersion the business will provide to the Peoria community.

A news release about the restaurant's opening noted said space plans to host Bollywood-themed dance nights, henna events and more.

"What I think is going to be so different of Bollywood Bites (compared) to other traditional Indian restaurants is how much it's welcoming and giving a new experience to the entire population of central Illinois," Driscoll said.

Inside, customers can find artwork depicting Bollywood characters from the '70s to more modern films. Walls on the lower level and mezzanine also feature scannable Spotify labels for over 100 Bollywood soundtracks.

Mohammed said he hopes to offer a Bollywood/Hollywood event ahead of Halloween, where guests can dress as their favorite actors in movies. In November, his wife said they hope to host an event for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

In the end, Mohammed said he and Shaikh want to offer Peoria more than a restaurant and event center.

"Hopefully we're able to help people learn more about Bollywood, and more cultures and diversity and different things," Mohammed said. "So that would be like really heart-soothing for us.”

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‘This is special’

Both Mohammed and Driscoll said they are excited to see Bollywood Bites come to life.

The business is starting out slow and steady. The mezzanine is not yet open for dining. Once it is, Driscoll said it will roughly double capacity. Online ordering options will also not go into effect right away, and Mohammed said reservations are strongly recommended.

Even so, Driscoll hopes the dining room is completely filled during the first days, "because that means the community has embraced this from day one." Driscoll said he believes Bollywood Bites will eventually draw people from outside Peoria, as well.

"People are gonna start traveling here for this because this is special," Driscoll said. "This concept is special, what they're doing is special, the menu special − it's really exciting."

Situated near fine dining restaurants, BBQ joints and Mexican shops, Driscoll said Bollywood Bites will complement the existing downtown restaurant scene. From Driscoll's perspective, the success of the restaurant could also inspire other new entrepreneurs to follow their dreams and bring more business to the area.

Mohammed said he is grateful for all the guidance and support Driscoll has offered. He said, overall, bringing the restaurant to life has been a fun experience.

"If (people are) looking for new ideas, or plans, or something new to try, or even if they're familiar with the food, it gives them a new place to hang out − a new place to explore," Mohammed said. "Maybe this could be their favorite place when they come down here."

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Visiting Bollywood Bites Bistro & Events Center

Address: 316 SW Washington St., Peoria

Hours: Lunch will be offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Dinner will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bollywood Bites restaurant in Peoria offers Indian cuisine, events