On a Monday when it rained heavily for the first time in a long while, I visited the Indian-Pakistani restaurant "Chinar" in Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya City. After entering the store at past 12 o’clock, I found it packed with businesspeople. The venue was fully booked. Although I had off work, ordinary employees continued to carry out their daily tasks as usual.
I felt uncomfortable, even though my feet were stained with mud from my socks. I decided to wait at the roof. Just like Totoro waits for a cat-bus, I stared intently at the rain and waited. Along the way, several customers peeked inside the restaurant before leaving in search of other options for lunch. After waiting for about 20 minutes, I finally managed to get inside.
I was guided to a table for four people. I ended up sitting with a customer who seemed to be an office worker. The Nepali staff members seemed extremely busy, even forgetting to bring us water. Wearing casual clothes, I realized that I was unnecessarily contributing to the chaos. It was a private event, so I should have rescheduled the time. That’s what I reflected on.
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Last time, I ate the original curry menu. However, the food served was quite different from the photos that appeared to be stylish. This left me with a slight sense of disappointment. This time, I decided to try Nepali cuisine.
★ネパールターリセット 880円
This is a translation of the provided restaurant review content from Japanese to English. Please note that only the relevant portions of the text are translated, and any unavoidable proper nouns are retained in their original form. The translation aims to maintain clarity and natural flow in the English text.
It was said that it would take some time, but I agreed. Given the level of congestion, that was only expected. However, I didn’t have to wait as long as I thought. The food arrived without any delay.
・ダル（豆カレー）は、北インド式のカレーの一歩手前というほどのとろみを持っています。黄色く、ホクホクとした豆の風味が強いです。おそらく、ナンに添えるためにそのまま使ったのか、あるいは少し修正を加えて時間を短縮したのかもしれません。
・私はチキンカレーを選びました。これはスープに近いナパール風のカレーです。かなりスパイシーな味付けです。一口サイズで食べやすく、中にはチキンが丸ごと入っていました。
・アチャールは漬け物です。人参、ジャガイモ、キュウリが使われています。
・パパドは豆のせんべいです。割るとパリッという音がします。
・The rice contained a mixture of long-grain rice and short-grain rice, typical of Japanese rice.
Overall, the portion seemed slightly smaller compared to typical dal bhat dishes. The serving bowls were small, and there were no toppings like tarkari or sarg. The rice also appeared to be in a smaller size. For those who have eaten dal bhat at other restaurants, this might seem insufficient. However, I thought this was just the right amount. By the time I finished eating, I didn’t experience any discomfort in my stomach after eating. This seems like a good option for a business lunch, allowing you to eat quickly and focus on your work in the afternoon. The price of 1000 yen is also a good point. The taste was delicious.
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Business district Indian-Puré restaurants (or rather, other restaurants in general) are known for having an extremely busy schedule during weekdays, especially between 12 and 13 o’clock. On the other hand, on weekends, they seem to be relatively quiet or even closed. Since I really dislike crowded places, I must choose my visits carefully based on the time of day and day of the week.
I thought that in Chinar’s lunch menu, customers mainly order Nankare. It’s an Inneepa restaurant with various Nepali dishes. But perhaps it seems like just another ordinary Inneepa restaurant, without any distinction. Maybe that’s not something I should worry about.
Dunnebird. Thank you for your hospitality.
※I accidentally went back to the draft once.
Located near the Otsu Kannon Station, there’s a restaurant serving Indonesian-Pakistani cuisine called “Chinar”. The atmosphere inside the store is quite lively. The staff members are from Nepal. We visited during lunchtime.
After glancing at the menu, I saw a photo of a spicy curry that resembled something like a stylish spiced curry. It was an unexpected encounter that made me feel excited. In terms of modern youth-style language, I was captivated by the "visual appeal" of the photo.
★ 뜨거운 치즈, 1100엔
I ordered this. (Is this the menu item?)
Looking at the photos, there is a yellow turmeric-based rice dish placed in the middle of the bowl of bean curry and spice chicken curry. On top of it are brightly colored orange and green side dishes. Moreover, cheese drizzles down from the spoon in a waterfall-like manner.
I asked to have the rice served in a larger portion for free, and I requested it with a strong spice level. The soup and salad were provided as a service.
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After about 10 minutes, the curry arrived. I didn’t know what to say. It seemed different from what I saw in the photos. Especially, the color was more towards brown. It gave the impression of being a “special curry”.
・カレーには豆カレーとチキンカレーがある。どちらもスパイスが効いている。
The bean curry is a type that is either smooth or thick, and it tastes delicious. It seems to be no different from what you put on the naan.
The chicken curry is also delicious. The green onions serve as an accent to the dish.
Indeed, cheese that has grown can soften the spiciness.
・ライスは日本製の米です。少し水分が足りない、硬めの米の方が合っていると思います。大盛りなので量は多いですが、お腹に重く響く感じがありました。
・パパド（豆せんべい）と茹で卵も付けられています。
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The visuals in the photos were so appealing that my expectations became somewhat high. If the curry served was exactly what appeared in the photos, I would have been satisfied. Perhaps my indifference towards fashion has influenced how stylish the curry itself turned out to be. The taste was generally good.
Even among people, the impression they have of someone based on a photograph can be completely different from their actual appearance when they meet in person. Therefore, it's quite natural that there can be differences in the appearance of food as well.
There are also dal bhat, Nepali meat dishes, and biryanis. Next time I come here, I would like to try those dishes.
Dunnebord. Thank you for your hospitality.
