Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2010

Photos by Justin Vunn

While we’d never suggest that the Indian cuisine served in Britain or the States is totally authentic, there’s no doubt that the curry houses of Japan do it a great disservice. So thank the Hindu food goddess Annapurna for Ginza restaurant Khyber.

Located on a forlorn main road near Ginza-Itchome station and placing its reputation squarely on the delights baked in its tandoor oven, Khyber is Indian food done right. Or at least, as close to right as we’ve found in Tokyo. The interior is elegant and spare: pale, roughly plastered walls lead to a high ceiling supported by sweeping arches and decorated with ethnic hats and rudimentary kitchenware. Dark wood and brass abound. There’s no music, just the murmurs of your fellow diners.

At the far end, windows offer a view of the kitchen—a charming chaos of metal walls and dangling skewers brightened by colored spices and clouded with steam. Indian chefs toil over a clay oven, the heart of any authentic Indian restaurant. Reaching almost 500 degrees Celsius, the tandoor seals flesh quickly, resulting in tender, juicy, flavorful meats.

Khyber’s main attraction is its mixed grill (¥2,800), a generous platter of tandoori dishes for two or more people. It includes morsels of succulent chicken tikka and pungent garlic chicken, soft and spicy sheek kebab (minced lamb and chili), flavorful marinated cauliflower, dense cubes of paneer cheese and more, all crisped in the tandoor.

Happily, the mixed grill is also included in the bountiful “party” menu (¥3,800), which also comes with a crisp green salad drizzled in a light dressing of olive oil, wine vinegar and tamarind; a couple of cone-shaped papadum crackers with thick mint sauce; a round kulcha flatbread oozing melted cheese; a choice of curry; fragrant long-grain basmati rice (a rarity in Japanese Indian restaurants); doughy naan; and dessert. Dishes are served slowly: the food at Khyber is to be savored.

For those with a smaller appetite, all of the above (except the paneer) are available à la carte. Also worth a look is the selection of biryani (from ¥1,260), which mix pilau rice and various meats into a hearty, homey dish.

Unfortunately, the curries do let the side down somewhat. While undeniably rich and creamy, the butter chicken (¥1,470) and ginger-laden mutton rajasthani (¥1,370) we had on our most recent visit were tart and lacked texture, perhaps aimed at the Japanese palate.

While beer may seem the obvious beverage to accompany an Indian meal, Khyber offers a selective wine menu. We were pleasantly surprised by the Sula Sauvignon blanc (¥780/glass, ¥3,800/bottle), a very drinkable dry white from India’s wine capital, Nashik. For non-drinkers, the mango juice (¥420) was thick, sweet and pulpy.

Actually, the mango sorbet (¥420) was the same in frozen form. This particularly silken frozen treat made the perfect palate cleanser, while the sweet and sour kulfi ice cream (¥420) is more of an acquired taste, and might be too heavy for most. Indeed, after a feast like that, we practically had to be rolled out the door, down the steps and into the night.

You don’t leave Khyber hungry. If we’d had the option, we wouldn’t have left at all.