Daegu restaurant with a filling tandoori tikka dinner: Rama & Bavana

Wanting to eat dinner with a view of Suseong Lake, my partner and I visited Rama & Bavana, an Indian restaurant that's a well-known spot near the lake. There were a lot of dishes I don't usually get to try, so it was fun just deciding what to order. We ended up ordering three things — chicken curry, nasi goreng, and tandoori tikka — and tried a bit of everything. With the lake view and the warm wood interior, it was the perfect way to soak up an autumn evening.

From chicken curry and naan to the generous tandoori tikka, we got to try a real variety, and eating with a view of Suseong Lake was especially memorable. I'm curious about the other menu items too, so I'd love to come back.

Parking and how to find Rama & Bavana

We came by car, and there was a parking lot behind the building, so parking was easy.

After parking, the big Rama & Bavana sign on the upper floor of the building caught our eye right away.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and you can see the interior right through the glass door at the entrance.

Suseong Lake views and the warm wood interior

Once inside, the typical atmosphere of an Indian restaurant blended with the wood tones to feel warm overall.

What I loved most that day was our seat with a direct view of Suseong Lake. The window was even open, so we could feel the cool autumn air while we ate — the mood of the season paired with the lake scenery made the evening feel even better.

The staff were friendly too, explaining each dish as it came out, which made it easy to enjoy menu items I was trying for the first time.

Three dishes ordered by two people

That day we ordered chicken curry, nasi goreng, and tandoori tikka. We ordered all three because we wanted to try a variety, but once the table was full, the portions were bigger than we expected. If you're planning to try several Indian dishes at this Suseong-gu spot, it's worth thinking about how much you order. The two of us ate until we were full and still had food left over, so we packed the rest to take home.

How spicy is the chicken curry with naan?

The chicken curry was spice level 3, with no option to adjust it. For my low spice tolerance it felt a bit hot, but my partner, who loves spicy food, happily dug in and said it was delicious. Even with the same curry, how spicy it feels probably depends a lot on how much heat you're used to.

You can choose rice or naan with the curry — since I'm a naan person, I added an extra order of naan to go with it. Tearing off pieces of naan and scooping up the curry was exactly the way I like to eat it, so that made it even better.

Nasi goreng with cheese and seafood

I ordered the nasi goreng because it's introduced as the restaurant's signature dish. When it arrived, it looked nothing like the fried rice I usually picture, which made me even more curious.

It was rice loaded with cheese and seafood, wrapped in what looked like naan. The rich cheese flavor combined with a slightly spicy kick suited our taste well. It felt familiar yet unique at the same time, making it one of the most memorable dishes we ordered that day.

How generous is the tandoori tikka?

I chose the tandoori tikka partly because the name was cute and I was curious what it would be. When it arrived, it turned out to be a single plate loaded with shrimp skewers, chicken thigh skewers, and salad. The plate looked completely full, and I could tell right away it was a generous portion.

The shrimp were large, and the chicken thigh pieces were thick and hearty, so it was quite filling. The chicken thigh had a nice chewy texture, and alternating between it and the shrimp was fun.

The salad on the side was fresh and refreshing. Eating salad between bites of skewers instead of just eating skewers the whole time made for a nice combination.

The tandoori tikka in particular felt even more generous in person than in photos, so if you're ordering several dishes together, it's worth keeping the portion sizes in mind. Thanks to trying all three, we got to enjoy very different styles — curry with naan, a cheese-based dish, and shrimp-and-chicken skewers.

Final verdict on Rama & Bavana Suseong Lake Branch

Rama & Bavana, an Indian restaurant that's a favorite in Suseong-gu, let us enjoy unusual dishes in a warm atmosphere with a view of Suseong Lake. The chicken curry was spicy for my taste, but my partner, who loves spicy food, loved it, and eating it with naan was fun.

The nasi goreng, with its unique combination of cheese and seafood, stuck with me, and the tandoori tikka was generous with its big shrimp, chicken thigh, and refreshing salad. With two of us ordering three dishes, there was enough left to pack up. The staff's friendly explanations were a nice touch too, and I'm curious about the other unusual dishes we didn't get to try, so I'd like to come back and taste more.