Tourist visiting or ex-pat living here in Tokyo and sick of guides like Zagat on where to eat? If so, this blog is for you. Check where locals go to eat.
NAIR'S RESTAURANT is the first real Indian restaurant in Japan and continues to produce Indian cuisine made from the same recipes that were first offered by its founder, Ayappan Pillai Mhadavan Nair, when it first opened in 1949.
Over 90% of the customers who come here opt for the restaurants famous Murugi Lunch, a hearty meal that includes mash potato, boiled cabbage and a curry that’s been simmered down along with a leg of chicken (which contains meat so soft that it practically falls off the bone the moment you pick it up) for seven hours.
The recommended way to enjoy this great meal is to grab a spoon and mix everything which includes a portion of turmeric flavoured rice made. You’ll be left with a mix of flavours that melt together to create a taste sensation that perfectly complements both the spicy curry roux and the sweet starch of the rice. Upon their first visit, many customers who haven’t been forewarned of the practice are often taken aback by the suggestion of mixing this curry all together. But sometimes I prefer not to mix everything together. Sorry, Mr. Nair.....
Other notable dishes are Chicken Masala
and Mutton Curry. But if its your first visit, I strongly recommend to order Murugi Lunch. I've never ordered anything else.
Don’t be fooled by the name Murugi Lunch because although this unique curry is referred to as a lunch, it can be ordered at anytime throughout the day, and additionally in the evenings as part of a set menu priced at 2,800 yen. Not only is the Murugi Lunch a chicken curry with a taste that can’t be found elsewhere, it’s also a curry that has helped make Nair’s Restaurant one of Tokyo’s most renowned Indian restaurants.
NAIR'S RESTAURANT (in Japanese, ナイルレストラン) Address: 4-10-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (in Japanese, 東京都中央区銀座4-10-7) Nearest train station: Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Higashi Ginza or Toei Subway Asakusa Line Higashi Ginza (1 min walk) Tel: 03-3541-8246 Reservations: No Website: http://www.ginza-nair.co.jp/index.html (in Japanese only) English menu: Yes Credit Card: Yes Open: Monday & Wednesday-Saturday 11:30am-9:30pm, Sunday & Holidays 11:30am-8:30pm Closed: Tuesday
Prices: Murugi Lunch 1,500 yen Chicken Masala 1,450 yen Mutton Curry 1,200 yen
Author:Tokyo Joe
Food, music, and sports is my princess.
Favorite food: Almost anything in Tokyo, Beef in Kobe, Kaiseki/Kappo in Kyoto, Seafood in Hokkaido & Northern Japan, Aranabe in Fukuoka, Udon in Kagawa, Korean in Korea, Thai in Bangkok, Cantonese in Hong Kong, Fishhead Curry & Chicken Rice in Singapore, French in Paris & Lyon, Italian in Napoli & Toscana, Spanish in Madrid & Basque, Brazilian in Sao Paolo, Cuban in Havana, Indian in Dehli, Mexican in Mexico City, and Junk food in States
Dislike: most of the food/restos in the UK, glass of milk, cooked chunks of liver, hoya, Korean dog stew, balut, cow & pork blood, bugs and funky Chinese dishes.