Asia Imports, Bombay 2 Deli Closing

I retrieved the latest issue of Northeaster from my mailbox yesterday, only to see very disturbing news above the fold: Asia Imports and the adjacent Bombay 2 Deli are closing. 

Did you hear that?  That was the sound of my heart breaking.

Asia Imports is closing after 29 years in business; apparently they just can't compete anymore.  For years, they were the only real Indian grocery in the Midwest, then Patel Groceries moved into the neighborhood, then 20 more such markets popped up in the metro area, and now you even can get prepared Indian foods at most area Cub and Rainbow stores.

The part setting off the water works, though, is that Bombay 2 Deli, the amazing vegetarian Indian takeout counter attached to Asia Imports (and incorrectly named as "Bangkok Deli" in the paper, nice work Gail Olson) is also shutting down operations.

That means no more of the metro's best, award-winning Indian curries, samosas and soups three blocks from my house.  Boo.

The light at the end of the tunnel (or article) is that the store owner's daughter, Reshma, who has been running the deli, plans to open a new location with her brother, Jit, in downtown Minneapolis.  It's not three-blocks-away convenient, but if I'll drive to Mahtomedi for a bowl of pasta, I'll certainly hike downtown for some more of that dal.

Comments

[Lewis]

That stinks about Bombay 2. While I do like flesh in the diet, that was a restaurant I totally dug, and was convenient for the workday lunch. Just flat-out good stuff, whatever your intake preferences. Hope it works for them in the new digs.

[christopher]

Bangkok? I take it Northeaster isn't distributed very widely or they don't think the readers know the difference between Thailand and India.

[Alexis]

The truly pathetic part is that the Northeaster office is at 1620 Central, just 2 blocks down from Asia Imports/Bombay 2 Deli at 1840 Central.

[Lucia]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/557649

[Amelia Sprout]

Have you heard anything about Bombay 2 yet? I expected an email from the owner and I was hoping they had given an open date. I'll be there with half of my office when they do.

[seriousfunmpls]

"For years, they were the only real Indian grocery in the Midwest..."

Assuming you meant midwest region of U.S.

Small correction if i may; there were few Indian grocery stores in Chicago before Asia Imports, Patel Brothers (not the one in Minnesota) being one of them and a few more on Devon Street in the North Side of Chicago. That portion of the street was later re-named as Mahatma Gandhi St, if i am not mistaken. I have family who used to live in Chicago from '72 through '76 and i have heard them mention a story about how their friend started one in the early '70s. (may be the first in "upper-Midwest?") Thought i should just bring this to your attention. Thank you

[Alexis]

Amelia, I haven't heard anything yet.

seriousfun, thanks for that. I believe I was paraphrasing a quote from the owner in the paper.