Indian Restaurant Taj Nikko インド料理タージ日光 — Restaurant in Nikko

Yay! At last a bit of competition for the only other Indian restaurant in Nikko. This one is much more convenient, located in front of bus stop #9 on the Tobu-Nikko Line, directly above Lawson convenience store.

The mini salad is an exact replica of their larger Taj Green Salad, and delicious. It has actual lettuce in it, as opposed to shredded cabbage which masquerades as salad in most Japanese restaurants, regardless of the food they serve.

The server indulged my request to have the samosas served with spicy mint sauce rather than the typical (and inferior, in my opinion) ketchup. Perhaps not enough people appreciate the spicy goodness of the mint when paired with the savory flavors of the Samosa? I frankly think they are missing out on the impact Samosa delivers when eaten with spicy mint sauce I did miss the crunch of pan fried cumin seeds and the visual of green peas, but the flavors were there, so this is not a complaint.

Tandoori Chicken was a generous leg and thigh for a single portion and served moist and nicely seasoned, needing only a spritz of fresh lemon.

The Pad Thai was a bit too sweet for my taste, but I'd bet nearly everyone else will like it, and I ate enough of it that I decided that there wasn't enough to take home. Sigh, I missed the crunchy peanut pieces that normally garnish the top of the dish. The noodles were a bit too chewy for me, but having worked in a Thai restaurant, I can attest to the difficulty of preparing and holding rice noodles for individual service. Plus, I am at an Indian restaurant, after all. Still, I would definitely return and order this dish.

I was a bit surprised when these four dishes showed up on the table together and mear minutes after I placed the order. It suggests a rather large steam table in the kitchen. I know that no restaurant can make these dishes on demand. It's just not possible at this volume. But the manager may want to instruct the wait staff to pace the courses a bit better.

Still, these are minor issues when the food is so good. I also ordered more than one double Jack Daniels on the rocks, which got progressively stronger for each drink ordered. For that, I thank the server, bartender or perhaps, the manager. ;-)

The server was kind enough to pack up my leftovers. I took home half the Tandoori chicken -- I ate the thigh and took the leg -- and one of the Samosa home. This is something that most restaurants will not do, so I appreciate the courtesy displayed at Taj Nikko.

I added an order of Sag Chicken and one Kabuli Naan, which I taste-tested when I got home and both are very good. I've made Sag at home from scratch, and this is, of course, better. The Kabuli Naan is filled with almonds, coconut and dried fruits. Some may enjoy the sweet, nutty flavor with their meal, but I like it as a delicious dessert, either at the restaurant or to take it home and eat for breakfast, like I do!

True to my usual dining alone experience, the bar bill was about the same as the food bill. In addition I added two main courses to the "to go" order. So overall the cost of the meal for a single person was quite low. And with the added items in the to go order, I can average the cost over three meals at least!

So queue at the Tobu-Nikko bus stop or walk (quite a distance and slightly uphill) from the Tobu-Nikko station, past the Tōshogū Shrine and indulge your taste buds in some good Indo and Thai food. You will not be...

I recently visited this restaurant while in the city and was excited to try it out. Overall, the experience was pretty underwhelming. The service was a little slow, but not terrible.

The biggest letdown was the food. The prices were quite high compared to the portion sizes we received. The portions were a lot smaller than expected, and definitely didn’t match what we paid. I also ordered a pizza that I was told would be 12 inches, but it was noticeably smaller, and unfortunately, it was undercooked and not really enjoyable.

I was really hoping for a better experience, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations. There are definitely better options around if you’re visiting the city.

(Update to comment by restaurant owner)

I did come back and get my money refunded for the pizza. The food was passed around the table to show the rest of the group of 8 how terrible of a pizza I got because it was unbelievable I really spent 16 dollars on it. Thank you very much. This owner has given us a very hard time ever since and still don’t...

Delicious food with generous portions at Taj Nikko Indian! We ordered the mixed grill platter, cheese garlic naan, cheese naan, a set menu with mini rice & naan, and gappao rice for our family meal. Despite some previous reviews mentioning small portions, we found quite the opposite - the servings were so substantial that we couldn't finish everything!

The food was flavorful and authentic. The mango lassi deserves special mention - it was wonderfully fresh with an authentic taste that transported me straight to India. After our meal, I enjoyed a very good chai which I was able to sweeten to my preference with some extra sugar.

When we needed to take our leftovers home, the staff packed everything up without any fuss or extra charges. Great service complementing the excellent food.

Highly recommend for anyone craving quality Indian cuisine with good value for money in Nikko. Just be careful not to over-order like we did unless you're planning...