Nair’s Restaurant

Slightly separated from the busy centre of Ginza, not far from the Miharabashi intersection, Nair’s Restaurant 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 restaurant's famous ‘Murugi Lunch’, a hearty meal that includes mashed potatoes, 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 an incredible seven hours. You’ll probably want to tuck in as soon as it arrives at your table, however, the recommended way to enjoy this fantastic meal is to grab a spoon and mix everything – which includes a portion of turmeric flavoured rice made with Iwate prefecture rice – together. 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; however, upon sampling the results, it’s not hard to understand why this is such an incredibly popular dish. Don’t be fooled by the name; because although this unique curry is referred to as a ‘lunch’, it can in fact be ordered at anytime throughout the day, and additionally in the evenings as part of a set menu priced at ¥2,800. 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.