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The fact that Indian food, especially South Indian dishes like dosa, idli, sambar and varieties of chutneys, are now popular around the world is very well known. From stalls in the streets of the USA to restaurants in the UK, there is no dearth of South Indian food options in foreign lands run by Indians or South Asians living abroad. But have you ever heard of a South Indian restaurant that serves authentic food run by non-Indians? If you haven’t, meet the two Japanese men running Tadka in Kyoto, Japan.
During his recent visit to Japan, Prasanna Karthik, a former policy advisor to the Chief Minister of Goa, came across a South Indian eatery in Kyoto that surprised him. In a thread on X, previously known as Twitter, Karthik explained how this “kick-ass” restaurant in Kyoto, Japan “is owned and run by Japanese people.” He writes that the owners of Tadka visit Chennai every six months in order to learn new dishes and then practice those recipes until they perfect them. It is only after they learn how to make the dish completely that these men add the new dishes to their menu at Tadka.
Karthik, who was brought up in Chennai himself, revealed that the standard and flavours of the food were quite good. In fact, he said that the meal he had at Tadka was “one of the best South Indian meals I’ve ever had”, which is high praise indeed. He also added that the “dosa and idli were unbelievably authentic.” Karthik also went on to explain that most of the customers eating at this restaurant run by two Japanese men are not Indian. In fact, they mostly get a Japanese customer footfall “who have fallen in love with the food there.”
Calling it a great way to contribute to India’s soft power, Karthik also says that all the customers at this South Indian eatery in Kyoto are taught how to eat by their hands instead of the traditional Japanese chopsticks. A placard explaining how to eat by hand helps the customers make the transition. This is truly something that makes this Japanese-run Indian restaurant exceptional as even in the European and North American nations, Indian restaurants don’t insist that their non-Indian customers eat by hand like Indians traditionally do.
This is just among the many things that prove that the two Japanese men running Tadka in Kyoto have embraced Indian culture, says Karthik in the thread. He explains that whenever they visit Chennai, the owners of Tadka visit Tiruvannamalai, a temple town, and spend time at the ashram of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi, a renowned Advaita Vedanta teacher. A picture of their guru holds a place of prominence at their restaurant.
