Daehangno Indian restaurant, 4 à la carte dishes and dal tadka: Meono

An Indian restaurant on the left side of Hyehwa Station. I stopped by for dinner before watching a play — this is Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch.

How do you get to Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch, and when is it open?

Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch is a 4-minute walk from Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station, on the 2nd floor of Ihwa Building, 236 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

< Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch hours > Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 22:30 ✔️ Reservations available (Naver Reservation) ✔️ Groups welcome ⭕️ ✔️ Takeout available ⭕️ ✔️ Parking available ⭕️ 1 hour free at Asia Parking Lot behind the restaurant

Meono Kkameona menu prices: curries, tandoori and naan

< Menu guide > Meono Kkameona Set A ₩26,000 (per person) Meono Kkameona Set B ₩16,000 (per person) Chicken masala ₩12,000, Mutton masala ₩13,000, Dal makhani ₩11,000, Tandoori chicken Full ₩18,000, Half ₩10,000, Plain naan ₩2,500, Garlic naan ₩3,000, Aloo paratha ₩4,000, Chicken curry pasta ₩10,500, Lassi ₩4,000

What is the restaurant like inside?

This is a tourism-association-certified restaurant, so foreign visitors can stop by and try Indian food with peace of mind.

Walking in, it feels like you've stepped into a clean, authentic Indian restaurant back in India. There's a kind of pleasant tidiness that's totally different from the raw, unfiltered image that often comes to mind with India.

The waiting seats are so exotic. Take a photo sitting here and you could almost convince people you'd actually been to India, haha.

There's always a certain vibe you feel walking into an Indian restaurant. Makes me want to visit India someday, though I probably can't expect this kind of cleanliness there. It was an especially hot day when I visited, and the AC inside was very welcome.

Ordering is simple — just scan the QR code with your phone and order from the menu that pops up.

Ordering for two: two curries, two breads and a tandoori half

Two Indian curries, two traditional breads, and a half-size tandoori chicken. Eating this much between two people usually leaves you quite full. My boyfriend has a big appetite so we managed to finish it all — the portions here are generally on the generous side.

Tandoori chicken half, ₩10,000

Tandoori chicken is quite different from Korean fried chicken. The spicy aroma was exactly to my taste — the distinctive spice flavor of tandoori chicken is really appealing.

Because the spice aroma is strong, squeezing on a bit of lemon juice balances out the flavor and actually brings out even more depth.

The chicken was cooked all the way through properly. The tender meat melted nicely with the seasoning in your mouth.

Aloo paratha and garlic naan at Meono Kkameona

Until now I'd only ever ordered plain naan for bread, but there was an unfamiliar traditional bread called aloo paratha (potato-stuffed flatbread), so I gave it a try. It's stuffed with potato, vegetables and spices and baked thick — I loved its distinct aroma.

Garlic naan costs a bit more than plain naan, but I think it's worth the upgrade. It adds garlic aroma to what could otherwise be a plain bread, lifting the overall flavor. Here, the serving basket has holes in it so the naan doesn't get soggy as it cools — thanks to that, it stayed crisp until the very end.

Chicken masala: how spicy is it?

Chicken masala (spiced tomato-based chicken curry), the classic of classics. The spice level was marked as level 2, and the moderately spicy flavor had an addictive pull.

I dipped both types of bread into it, and both paired beautifully with the chicken masala curry. Adding the spicy kick to the aloo paratha in particular meant I couldn't stop reaching for it 😄

Dal tadka, the milder curry of the two

Dal tadka (boiled lentils topped with spices sautéed in oil) is smooth and full of rich aroma. It had a texture reminiscent of hummus in Arab cuisine, but with Indian spices layered on top, giving it a feel quite different from curry — and I liked that.

If you want something mild and not too intense, this side dish sauce is worth recommending. If you're looking for something less punchy than curry, this is the one to try!

That was Meono Kkameona Daehangno Branch, a restaurant run by a local chef with over 10 years of experience, where you can try a whole range of Indian and Nepali dishes in one visit.