Window-seat solo Set A at India Darbar, a Sillim Indian restaurant

These days I've been recording my delicious daily life thanks to the Superchart app.

Today I want to tell you about India Darbar, a Sillim restaurant that's perfect for whenever you suddenly crave Indian food.

Where is India Darbar, and how do you walk there from Sillim Station?

India Darbar's address is 2nd floor, 309 Sillim-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. It's a Sillim Station restaurant that's easy to find even on your first visit thanks to how close it is to the subway. Here's how I got there: I came out of Exit 3 of Sillim Station on Line 2 and walked straight ahead in the direction of the exit until I reached the Baskin Robbins building.

It's actually right next to that building, but you can't see the restaurant from that side, so if you go around the alley between the buildings the other way, you'll spot a colorful, local-feeling sign on the 2nd floor above a jjukkumi (spicy octopus) restaurant.

Climbing up to the 2nd floor, the distinctive spice aroma drifted out from the entrance, and I knew right away I'd found the right place.

What does the name 'Darbar' mean, and what is India Darbar like inside?

India Darbar had a certain local presence just from the name itself, which sparked my curiosity, so I looked up what 'Durbar' meant first. Durbar (also Durba) is a word originating from Persian, Hindi, Nepali and other languages, meaning 'palace,' 'the official audience hall where a king receives guests,' or 'royal court.'

Walking into this Sillim restaurant, this was the atmosphere I found — knowing the name carries the wonderful meaning of 'an Indian palace' or 'a noble place that treats guests like royalty' only raised my expectations for the food even more.

Settling into a 2nd-floor window seat, I loved the open, airy feel and the strong exotic vibe. I only came for a meal during the day this time, but next time it'd be nice to pair Indian food with an Indian beer — it'd feel just like traveling abroad.

India Darbar's menu: set meals and what they cost

Looking at India Darbar's menu and lineup, there was a wide variety of Indian dishes that felt exotic but still went down easily for Korean palates.

I took photos of the whole menu, so take a look — you can click and zoom in with your fingers to see the dish names and prices more clearly. What stood out was not just the huge variety, but how many reasonably priced set menu options there were.

Among them, I ordered the solo Set Menu A, which lets you taste a variety of Indian dishes, and also added an extra order of tandoori chicken, which I love.

Solo Set Menu A at 17,500 won: everything on the tray

India Darbar's Solo Set Menu A is ₩17,500. It's a hearty solo set that lets you comfortably taste a variety of dishes even when dining alone.

It's made up of a choice of 1 of 3 curries + naan + rice + salad + 3 side dishes + 2 pieces of tandoori chicken + lassi — it looked plentiful just by looking at it. It was priced at ₩17,500, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much came out for the price.

First, the eye-catching set of three side dishes served in a pretty Indian-style bowl.

I got a boost from the sweet-and-sour salad with mandarin orange pieces in it.

The curry had a rich yet mellow spice flavor that was excellent, and it was packed with fairly large chunks of meat.

Mixed into the rice, one bowl disappeared in no time.

Wrapping the curry in the warm naan fresh from the clay oven gave off a strong India vibe.

When dining alone it's usually hard to try curry, naan and tandoori chicken all together, so I thought it was great that there's a separate solo set menu with such a generous lineup.

The extra tandoori chicken at India Darbar: spice level and texture

Next came the tandoori chicken, the star of Indian cuisine, which I ordered separately as an à la carte dish. It was served on a thick pan lined with onions and garlic scapes, with the tandoori chicken on top — it stayed sizzling and warm on the table for a long while, which I loved.

Tandoori chicken is actually my favorite dish among Indian foods — grilled in a traditional clay oven that removes the excess fat, it's really delicious. It's a main dish you absolutely can't skip when visiting an Indian restaurant.

What stood out about the tandoori chicken here at this Sillim restaurant, India Darbar, was its moist texture — even though it looks bright red in color, it's actually not very spicy when you eat it, and the marinade of special Indian spices pairs well with the subtle smoky aroma.

I finished off this Sillim restaurant meal on a happy note with a thick, fermented-yogurt-like lassi. True to a name that means 'palace,' it felt like I'd been treated to a meal fit for royalty.

India Darbar currently has a receipt review event running too.