A fascinating story about the discovery of a very real South Indian restaurant called Tadka in Kyoto, Japan—which is run by Japanese people—went viral on social media not too long ago.
Indian food has been increasingly popular throughout the world, and because of its rich flavour, it is frequently the food of choice for tourists visiting other countries. It can be difficult to locate an Indian restaurant outside of India that really embodies these flavours, though.
Former policy advisor to the Goan chief minister, Prasanna Karthik, shared his amazing experience in Tadka on the microblogging site X. “Kick-a** south Indian restaurant,” was how Karthik defined the eatery.
He stated, “I visited this kick-a** south Indian restaurant called Tadka in Kyoto, Japan. Tadka is owned and run by Japanese people. They visit Chennai once every 6 months, learn new dishes, practice it to perfection and add it to their menu. In Tadka, I had one of the best South Indian meals I’ve ever had, even after judging by the standards of my Chennai upbringings. The dosa and idli were unbelievably authentic.”
Karthik claims that Tadka serves very few Indian consumers and mostly serves Japanese customers. He praised the establishment for its role in advancing India’s soft power, pointing out that its tastes have won over Japanese clients.
The restaurant attracts Japanese customers more than Indians
“Apparently Tadka has very very few Indians eating there. Its customers are mostly Japanese customers who have fallen in love with the food there. what a way to contribute to India’s soft power!!!” he exclaimed.
“In a country that uses chop-sticks to eat food, Tadka actively promotes eating by hand… in true south Indian style,” Karthik said.
Karthik related a story of the cooks’ intense immersion in Indian customs, which is more evidence of the owners’ abiding appreciation of Indian culture. “During all their visits to Chennai, they visit Tiruvanamalai (a temple town in Tamil Nadu) and spend time for meditation in the Ashram of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi – a renowned Advaita Vedanta teacher and jivan mukta. Ramana’s picture can be seen in the background,” he added.
Additionally, Karthik praised the restaurant’s friendliness, pointing out that they had kindly given him a free cup of South Indian filter coffee. “I don’t have coffee or tea,” he continued. However, they handed me a free cup of south Indian filter coffee as I was leaving. I accepted it since I didn’t want to be impolite. I have never had better filter coffee than what I had with it. These individuals elevated Japanese accuracy to a whole new plane.”
Karthik’s story perfectly captures the depth of culinary skill, real appreciation of Indian and Japanese traditions, and authentic Indian tastes blossoming right in the middle of Japan at Tadka in Kyoto.
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