India is a cultural area composed of many regions, each with its own language, script, customs, and traditions. Today is the Tamil New Year in Sri Lanka, and next week there will be other New Year celebrations in other South Indian regions. I recently discovered the best authentic Indian restaurant near my home, specializing in South Indian cuisine. I decided to try the biryani, which turned out to be a great choice. The lamb had a milky flavor and a mild aroma, making it incredibly delicious. However, the spices used had a slightly different taste than what I prefer, with hints of the pungent smell often found in kimchi or Southeast Asian cuisine. The fish tikka was served sizzling hot on a cast iron plate, creating a smoky spectacle. The flavor of the fish was boldly expressed, which was quite interesting. The masala chai was prepared in a unique way, enhancing the flavor through a series of steps. The result was a rich and delightful taste that differed from what I had experienced before. The dessert options were limited, which was a bit disappointing. Additionally, I find it odd that Indian restaurants offer highballs and chu-hi drinks, as spicy food does not pair well with alcohol, in my opinion. Despite these minor complaints, dining at a restaurant run by a genuine Indian chef is always a peaceful and enjoyable experience.

I had a vegan lunch plate from South India, and since I'm a beginner, I had it with Japanese rice. It was mostly curry flavored, but there was a variety of dishes, some with a thin sauce and others with a thick one. It had a spicy kick, but because it wasn't greasy, it wasn't heavy and was easy to eat! The spices were strong, so it felt like there was less salt, and I didn't feel thirsty or bloated after eating. It was a really nice lunch. I heard that even actors from RRR came to eat here, so I took a commemorative photo with the photo of the actor (lol)! The staff at the restaurant were very kind and fun people!

ONAM Festival Banana Leaf Meals 2300 yen Kerala Fish Curry 300 yen Dry Roast Chicken Curry 300 yen Lassi 250 yen The visuals are amazing! And everything tastes delicious! You can have refills of Rasam, Sambar, Dal, and Matta Rice. Great cost performance! I left with a full stomach and completely satisfied.

I had the regular lunch with a drink. The soup was like a dal soup and very delicious. The curry for lunch on a hot summer day had a good amount of spices and I really enjoyed the flavor, so I plan to try the delicious biryani next time. Thank you for the meal.

I went to dinner. An Indian waiter served authentic curries and soups. I had chicken curry and soup masala chai! The chai was hot even in the summer! I went with my Indian friend who said this is how you enjoy authentic chai. For those who love Indian culture, this is a must-visit restaurant! ☺︎

At first, I thought it would be difficult to enter the restaurant, but once inside, the excellent service made me feel at ease. I ordered the classic set for lunch, but I wish I had studied how to eat it beforehand, or asked for advice, because I didn't know the correct way to eat it. I feel like I need a rematch.

I tried authentic Indian cuisine at a restaurant called Biryani for the first time. A colleague recommended this place as delicious, so I decided to come. It's a bit pricey, but the dish was delicious with various ingredients. The side dish, something like yogurt, had a strange taste that was somehow addictive! I would like to come back again.

Close to Omiya Station and Shijo-Omiya Station. I stopped by here today. The interior of the restaurant consists of table seats and counter seats, and the main menu is South Indian cuisine. I ordered the Chicken Biryani. (I also added a draft beer later because the water served was at room temperature.) Now, let's dig in! The Biryani had a lot of moisture, and despite using Basmati rice, the taste was ruined. It lacked spiciness and the spice level was quite mild. This wasn't the flavor I was looking for. If this was just a one-time thing, it would be okay. So, thanks for the meal. If this Biryani was priced at a thousand yen, it would be okay, but it's priced at more than 1.5 times that, so as a Biryani lover, I was a bit disappointed.

I love South Indian curry, so I have been visiting various restaurants to eat it. I arrived around 12 o'clock on a weekday and was able to enter smoothly. I ordered the Veg 2650 yen South Indian Meals. Overall, it was just okay. The basmati rice had a slight odor. The papad was more on the soft side than crispy. I think preferences may vary, but I will give this place 5 stars as it is a favorite of mine and I would like to recommend it to friends. I will only post 5-star reviews on Instagram. IG: taiwan_natural_you

On July 13, 2022, at 2:30 PM, I decided to dine out. This time, I didn't go to the popular restaurant "Shomin 3.50" as it was always crowded, and I have never been able to get a table there in the past 8 years. Since check-in at the hotel was at 3:00 PM, I secured a parking spot at 2:00 PM for an additional 200 yen, making it a total of 1,400 yen. I was wondering where to eat, and since I couldn't check into the hotel until 3:00 PM, I thought about going to the original store of "Gyoza no Ohsho," which is located near the hotel. It's a well-known gyoza restaurant that is always packed with customers. I have visited this place several times before, and I plan to visit it at least once during my three-night stay. However, this time I decided to go to a popular Indian restaurant known for its biryani. I ordered a biryani and a beer as soon as I entered, and when asked if I wanted draft beer, I accidentally nodded in agreement. Later, I checked the menu but couldn't find bottled beer, which might have been cheaper. The restaurant had Indian-style background music playing, and it was about 60% full with all female customers. I noticed that the staff consisted of two men, one with a darker complexion and the other slightly darker. It made me wonder why Indian restaurants often have male staff members. After a 5-minute wait, my order was served. The portion was quite generous, and the appearance was different from what I was used to seeing in Japanese fried rice or pilaf. Each restaurant seems to have its own style of biryani, just like with fried rice or pilaf in Japan. In this particular biryani, there were small and large chunks of chicken, plenty of vegetables, a very tangy raita, a bit of gravy mixed in with the rice, and a uniform rice color. The raita was too sour for my liking, so I could only eat about two-thirds of it and left the rest. I have only had biryani four times so far, but in terms of my personal satisfaction, this meal ranked third out of the four. I wonder how long my biryani craze will last.

I found this place while cycling around and decided to give it a try. They serve authentic South Indian cuisine. I had been curious about Biryani for a while so I ordered it with excitement. It came out in a leaf-shaped plate with yogurt salad and vegetables on top. It is considered Indian pilaf and has a gentle and delicious flavor.

I had some errands to run in Shijo-Omiya and happened to pass by this restaurant. It was almost the end of lunchtime when I arrived, and the staff informed me that the last order was at 2:30 pm. Nevertheless, I decided to enter the restaurant. Both my daughter and I ordered the Naan set with "Mild" spice level, as we are not fans of spicy food. The Regular Lunch set costs 1000 yen (tax included) and includes two types of daily curry, salad, Naan, mini rice, and Chicken Tikka (Mild). The Special Lunch set costs 1150 yen (tax included) and includes two types of daily curry, salad, a soup called "Wada", Naan & rice, and Chicken Tikka (Mild). The two daily curry options were "Potato and Spinach Chicken Curry" and "Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry". The hot soup that was served seemed to be a potato soup. This restaurant serves South Indian cuisine, which has a light and mild taste. The Chicken Tikka was made with breast meat, making it easy on the stomach. If you prefer rich and flavorful curry, this might not be the place for you (laughs). If you opt for a spicier option instead of Mild, you might find the spice level satisfying. However, I had some concerns about the restaurant's awareness of infection prevention measures, which affected my overall evaluation. When I entered close to the last order time, I was told to sit at an available table, but when I looked around the restaurant, I noticed a large table with a "Reserved" sign placed on it and another table where the previous customers had left without their plates being cleared. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to sit next to the family who arrived before me (I'm too timid to ask them to clear the table). The first photo of the meal shows the tablecloth of the neighboring table, which was quite close to mine. During the meal, I found myself wanting to finish quickly and leave the restaurant. It was a shame because the food was delicious.

Lunch Biryani (Chicken, with Raita/Salad) - Large serving @ Tiraga (Kyoto, Shijo Omiya). Served at a restaurant offering both North Indian and South Indian cuisine. Dry, fluffy chicken rice with a wet type twist made at home. "Fragrant spices cooked into basmati rice using Tiraga's unique slow-cooking style, a recommended dish!" (from the menu). No additional mini curry. No custom toppings. Wondering if I should try the dosa or meals next time.

I had the Vegemite toast. It tastes similar to the authentic flavor, so first-timers might think "What's this?..." The staff will aggressively recommend adding Basmati rice (+250 yen). The cost performance is not great. I think it would be reasonable to pay around 1300-1400 yen with Basmati rice instead of Japanese rice.

I felt like having Indian food, so I visited for lunch around 1:30 pm on the weekend. The restaurant was about 80% full, showing its popularity. I ordered the Chicken Biryani shown in the photo, which was quite a generous portion. It could easily be shared with another person along with an additional dish. The price was just over 1,000 yen including tax, making it a great value. The lunch menu was quite extensive and offered good value for money. I will definitely visit again when the timing is right.

"Tiraga" @ Kyoto Shijo Omiya * Authentic Indian curry lunch where you can taste both South Indian and North Indian styles. North Indian Regular Lunch ¥1,000. #Curry #IndianCurry #NorthIndianCurry #IndianCuisine #Kyoto #Shijo Omiya #GourmetGirls #Kyoto #lunch #GourmetClub #GourmetExploration #GourmetInstagram #instafood #foodstagram #gourmet #foodie #japanesegourmet #Kyoto #curry"

When you want to feel India in Kyoto, this is the place to go. They offer both North Indian and South Indian menus, but I usually reminisce about my time in South India while enjoying dosa occasionally. They also offer delivery and takeout through Uber Eats, which is convenient. They seem to be participating in the GOTO EAT campaign, but unfortunately they do not accommodate solo diners. (As of November 1st)

I visited the restaurant right at 11:00 when it opened. ● Mini Meals 900 yen ◯ Rasam (sour soup) - It's the brown one next to the sambal. This had the second most curry flavor. ◯ Sambal (soupy curry with beans and vegetables) - The yellow one on the edge. This had the most curry flavor. ◯ Kootu (dry curry with beans and vegetables) - Didn't really taste like curry to me. ◯ Boriyal (stir-fried vegetables) - Colorful with a crunchy texture, tasted like root vegetables. ◯ Pachadi (vegetables mixed with yogurt) - Stronger flavor compared to other places. ◯ Pickle - Mild flavor. ◯ Rice (Japanese rice) - You can upgrade to fragrant basmati rice cooked with spices for an additional 250 yen. ● Chai 250 yen - Ordered a hot chai where they brew it after each order. The chai was poured from a silver cup to a silver saucer, then back to the cup in front of me. It was poured boldly from a height and seemed to be cooled down before serving. It didn't have much foam.

■Visit Date: March 15, 2020 ■Items Received: - Perfect Lunch (for me) - Mini Meals - Basmati Rice (for my wife) I visited the restaurant on March 15, 2020. It is located at the corner of Omiya Nishiki intersection. You can enjoy authentic curries from South India and North India here. My wife opted for the Mini Meals with a change to Basmati Rice. I chose the Perfect Lunch, which comes with Tandoori Chicken. The Perfect Lunch includes two curries, naan, soup, and side dishes, offering a satisfyingly generous portion. The Tandoori Chicken had a nice spicy kick and would pair well with drinks. It was a fulfilling lunchtime experience with delicious authentic curries. ■Blog Post https://ay-style.net/?p=47863

After finishing my errands in Shijo Omiya, I decided to have a quick lunch by myself and stumbled upon this place near the bus stop! I was in the mood for naan, so I came to this restaurant. The interior was like a typical Indian restaurant. I wonder why curry tastes even better when you eat it at this kind of place. The staff who served me was from overseas but spoke fluent Japanese and provided excellent service, which left a lasting impression. The lunch set with two types of curry was around 900 yen, so I think it's a good deal! I wished it came with a drink, but I guess that's okay. The naan, chicken, and curry were all delicious, and I left completely satisfied!

There are more and more South Indian restaurants popping up across the country, but in the Kansai region there aren't as many options as in Kanto. However, in Kyoto, there are a few notable South Indian restaurants, one of which is Tiraga. The chef honed his skills at a renowned hotel in India, and his selection of authentic South Indian dishes includes items that are not only authentic but also appealing to Japanese diners. I tried the Non-Veg Meals 9, which is a set meal with fewer items compared to the Non-Veg Meals 12. The main curries included chicken and shrimp, with a South Indian twist that is still approachable for Japanese palates. Each curry was delicious on its own, and the balance of flavors was just right. Mixing the curries together elevated the flavors even more, showcasing the chef's skill in creating a harmonious meal. This restaurant is on par with popular and well-known South Indian restaurants in Tokyo, with its own unique style. A must-visit for South Indian cuisine enthusiasts.