Kerala Bhavan — Restaurant in Tokyo

Not Authentic Kerala Cuisine

No BEEF: As someone who enjoys authentic Kerala cuisine, I was disappointed to find that the restaurant did not offer beef dishes. Typically, Kerala cuisine is known for its variety of flavors, including beef preparations. It would be great if they could consider including beef options on their menu.

Basmati Rice: For Kerala cuisine, traditionally, other types of rice such as Matta rice or Jeerakasala rice are commonly used. I was surprised to see that the restaurant served basmati rice instead. It didn't match the authentic taste that I was expecting.

Fish Pollichathu: I ordered the fish pollichathu, expecting a delicious and flavorful dish. However, what I received was a subpar fish curry served on a banana leaf. It lacked the traditional spices and flavors that make this dish special. The preparation could be improved to match the authentic taste of Kerala.

No Malayali Staff: Throughout my visit, I did not notice any Malayali staff members, which seemed unusual for a restaurant claiming to offer Kerala cuisine. It would be wonderful to have staff who are familiar with the cuisine and can provide insights and recommendations based on their cultural knowledge.

Misleading Name: While the restaurant's name implies a Kerala connection, the overall experience did not reflect an authentic Kerala dining experience. It would be beneficial for the restaurant to align its offerings and ambiance with the rich culinary heritage of Kerala.

I hope my feedback helps the restaurant improve its offerings and provide a more authentic Kerala dining experience to...

While in Tokyo, I decided to meet up with a friend in Nerima. While searching online for some Indian food, I saw good reviews of Kerala Bhavan. Thus, we decided to try it out. I had their C Set (which includes 2 curries, nan, malai tikka, nan, rice, salad, and dessert). It was absolutely delicious. I don’t even recall the two types of curries I had, which is unfortunate, but I did like it. What surprised me the most was the dessert: it was an Indian tapioca. I’m not big on desserts, however, the Indian tapioca is one to be remembered. The Malai Tikka tasted well, but it’s a little spicy, so keep that in mind.

I enjoyed the food and was curious about the owner’s (Sashi) story, such as why he came to Japan and began his own business. So a few days later, I went back and had an interview with him and his story was great. Before leaving, I asked Sashi what his recommendation was, and he said Masala Dosa.

I’ve never heard of the dish, but didn't think I would like it since it consisted of potato and I’m not the biggest fan of potato. So I ordered lentils and papadum (a lentil bread or cracker) along with it. However, I was surprised to actually really enjoy the masala dosa with the lentils and papadum.

I haven't had many fulfilling and delicious meals that didn't consist of any meat. The Masala Dosa is the second meal that has proved that you can have a large meal, without meat, and be full/satisfied. The first meal which proved that to me? The bibimbap.

Anyways, I enjoyed the South Indian food and would love to try out more...

I recently visited this restaurant as had heard very good reviews about it and my experience was almost as good. The owner was really warm and sweet and the service was very nice and quick. The restaurant had really nice ambience and it felt like you are in an authentic south indian restaurant in India. Combined with the warm fragrance of dosa aloo filling was enough to make my hunger doubled. I ordered Kerala bhavan special masala dosa and it was hands down one of the best dosa I've had in Japan, the sambar and chutneys provided along with were nice except the classic white coconut chutney. Very shockingly, the white chutney did not live up to the expectation. The dosa potion size was good and it was filling as well. I also ordered rasam which was tasty as well. The idlis may be needed a bit more time as they were quite undercooked. We also took a mutton biryani order which was more like a delicious pulao as the taste of rice was very good and would have been perfect if the meat wasn't as chewy. All the above costed around 6k yen which was definitely quite above average costs at usual indian restaurants. But it's definitely a place to give a try once if you're a vegetarian as it has a lot of really nice options. Another surprising thing was the owner enquiring about dishes and taking the feedback positively which was quite refreshing and gives me hope that the experience might be better next time! Definitely recommend this place for Kerala bhavan special veg masala dosa to everyone, it's every...