Samseong-dong Indian dinner course for two: India The Durbar

An authentic restaurant where you can feel the real spirit of India and Nepal / Curries and tandoori dishes cooked directly by local chefs

Tonight was one of those evenings when I really wanted Indian curry with delicious naan! I always love Indian food, so I decided to go again after a while. Turns out there's a real, authentic Indian restaurant near Samseong run by actual locals!! I can't resist that authentic local vibe haha.

Where India The Durbar Samseong is and when it opens

India The Durbar Samseong Station Branch is 605m from Exit 4 of Samseong Station, at 15 Samseong-ro 84-gil, B1F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, in Samseong-dong. It's open daily from 11:00 to 23:00, last order at 22:30, and there's no parking available.

• Authentic Indian restaurant run by locals themselves
• Tandoor oven cooking done in-house
• Wide variety of set menu combinations
• Sets available for two or more people
• Exotic interior and service atmosphere
• Located near Samseong Station

How to walk there from Samseong Station, and the entrance

Walking a short distance from the Samseong Station exit, the exotic sign already gets you excited. A guaranteed-good Indian curry restaurant sign, haha.

Once you step down into the basement, it really feels like an actual Indian restaurant. The BGM, the colors, the lighting — it felt completely different from the typical Indian restaurants you usually see in Korea, haha.

Inside India The Durbar Samseong: is it a good date spot?

The India The Durbar Samseong Station Branch space is quite spacious with generous spacing between tables. It's good for quiet conversation, perfect for a cozy meal for two.

The server was also from India, so for a moment I felt like I was traveling abroad, haha. I had to double-check that we were really still at Samseong Station.

The restaurant is quite spacious! It seems great for families too, and on weekday evenings it looks like a lot of couples come for dates.

The tables have generous spacing and it's quiet enough for conversation, perfect for an intimate meal for two.

There's fun in spotting the Indian-style tiles and decor scattered around here and there~!

India The Durbar Samseong menu and prices

Curry menu at India The Durbar

• Mutton curries — Mutton Masala ₩18,000 / Mutton Do Piaza ₩18,000 / Mutton Palak ₩18,000 / Mutton Korma ₩18,000 / Mutton Vindaloo ₩18,000 / Mutton Curry ₩18,000
• Prawn curries — Prawn Vindaloo ₩18,000 / Prawn Masala ₩18,000 / Prawn Makhani ₩18,000
• Vegetable curries — Paneer Makhani ₩14,000 / Palak Paneer ₩14,000 / Mix Vegetable ₩14,000 / Matar Paneer Masala ₩14,000 / Chana Masala ₩14,000 / Dal Makhani ₩14,500 / Aloo Matar ₩14,000 / Aloo Gobi ₩14,000 / Dal Fry ₩14,000
• Chicken curries — Butter Chicken Makhani ₩17,000 / Chicken Tikka Masala ₩17,000 / Chicken Do Piaza ₩17,000 / Chicken Korma ₩17,000 / Chicken Masala ₩17,000 / Chicken Palak ₩17,000 / Chicken Vindaloo ₩17,000 / Chicken Curry ₩17,000

Appetizers, salads and soups

• Samosa 2pcs ₩6,000 / Veg Pakora ₩10,000 / Aloo Jeera ₩10,000 / Papad ₩2,000 / Masala Papad ₩4,000
• Green Salad ₩6,000 / Tandoori Salad ₩10,000
• Chicken Mushroom Soup ₩5,000

Tandoori dishes and desserts

• Tandoori Chicken Full ₩25,000 / Half ₩13,000
• Chicken Tikka ₩15,000 / Chicken Chilli ₩15,000 / Paneer Chilli ₩14,000 / Prawn Chilli ₩18,000 / Tandoori King Prawn ₩28,000 / Chicken Malai Tikka ₩17,000 / Mutton Tikka ₩18,000
• Dahi Plain Yogurt ₩5,000 / Gulab Jamun 2pcs ₩3,000 / Rasgulla 2pcs ₩3,000

Naan, rice and noodles

• Naan ₩3,000 / Butter Naan ₩3,500 / Garlic Naan ₩3,500 / Garlic Butter Naan ₩4,000 / Sweet Naan ₩3,500 / Aloo Paratha ₩4,000 / Apple Kulcha ₩4,500 / Cheese Naan ₩6,000 / Paneer Kulcha ₩6,000 / Roti/Chapati ₩2,000
• Steamed Rice ₩2,000 / Basmati Rice ₩4,000 / Jeera Rice ₩5,000
• Biryani — Vegetable ₩15,000 / Chicken ₩17,000 / Mutton ₩17,500
• Pasta — Vegetable Curry ₩13,500 / Chicken Curry ₩14,000 / Lamb Curry ₩15,000 / Prawn Curry ₩15,000
• Fried noodles — Vegetable ₩12,000 / Chicken ₩13,000 / Mutton ₩13,500 / Prawn ₩13,500

Nepali dishes

• Pani Puri (10pcs) ₩10,000 / Mutton Sekuwa ₩18,000 / Chicken Sekuwa ₩16,000 / Chatpat ₩10,000
• Chicken MoMo ₩12,000 / C. Jhol MoMo ₩14,000 / Chilli MoMo ₩15,000 / Chicken Thukpa ₩14,000 / Veg. Thukpa ₩12,000
• Nepali Khana Set — Veg. ₩14,000 / Chicken ₩15,000 / Mutton ₩16,000

Drinks and alcohol

• Black Tea ₩3,000 / Milk Tea ₩3,000 / Lassi ₩4,500 / Mango or Strawberry Lassi ₩5,000 / Cola/Sprite ₩2,000 / Mango Juice ₩3,000
• Cass 500ml ₩6,000 / Terra 500ml ₩6,000 / Kingfisher/Barasinghe ₩9,000 / Soju ₩5,000
• Indian Whisky 750ml ₩45,000 · 375ml ₩25,000 · 180ml ₩15,000 · Peg ₩6,000
• Khukri Rum 750ml ₩70,000 · 375ml ₩40,000 · 180ml ₩20,000 · Peg ₩8,000
• House Wine glass ₩6,000 / Santa Helena Cabernet Sauvignon ₩30,000 / Sula Shiraz/Sula White (India) ₩35,000

Set menus for one and for two

• LUNCH A (for two) ₩36,000, extra person ₩18,000: green salad, boneless tandoori chicken, choice of 2 curries (butter chicken/chicken tikka masala), naan, rice, cola or sprite (11:00-14:00)
• LUNCH B (for two) ₩30,000, extra person ₩15,000: choice of 1 curry, chicken curry pasta, naan, rice, cola or sprite
• A Set (1 person) ₩18,000: naan x1, rice x1, lassi x1, chicken tikka 2 pieces, green salad, choice of 1 curry (palak paneer/chicken masala/chicken makhani)
• B Set (1 person) ₩15,000: naan x1, rice x1, choice of 1 curry (chicken masala/chicken makhani), lassi x1
• India The Durbar Set A (for two) ₩64,000, extra person ₩32,000: chicken mushroom soup, samosa, green salad, tandoori king prawn, tandoori chicken, choice of 2 curries, choice of naan, rice, special lassi or red wine
• India The Durbar Set B (for two) ₩45,000, extra person ₩22,500: green salad, boneless tandoori chicken, choice of 2 curries, naan, rice, sweet lassi
• India The Durbar Set C (for two) ₩40,000, extra person ₩20,000: chicken mushroom soup, boneless tandoori chicken, choice of 2 curries, naan, rice, cola or sprite

What we ordered: India The Durbar Set A for two, 64,000 won

That day the two of us went with the India The Durbar Set A (for two, ₩64,000). For the two curries, we picked mutton palak (mutton curry) and prawn masala (spicy king prawn curry).

• SOUP & APPETIZER: chicken mushroom soup, samosa, green salad
• TANDOORI: tandoori king prawn, tandoori chicken
• CURRY (choice of 2): mutton palak (mutton curry), prawn masala (spicy king prawn curry)
• BREAD & RICE: garlic naan, Indian rice
• DRINK: lassi or red wine (one lassi, one glass of red wine)

Just reading the menu makes it look really substantial and filling. We ordered just one set, but it comes out as such a varied combination!

Green salad and chicken mushroom soup

A refreshing salad with a sauce that tasted like mango, yuzu, and maybe tangerine?

The chicken mushroom soup's mushroom aroma wasn't as strong as I expected — it came through gently and softly. Even the scent wasn't sharp, just comfortable. What surprised me at first bite was that the mushroom flavor wasn't overpowering. It went down smoothly and wasn't greasy at all.

What is a samosa (fried stuffed pastry)?

* Samosa * A representative street food and appetizer from India and other South Asian regions. A triangular (or cone-shaped) pastry dough filled with spiced potatoes, peas, and sometimes onions or minced meat, then deep-fried.

The samosa looks like a dumpling, but inside is potato coated in curry. Even before taking a bite, the curry aroma starts drifting up. The first bite is crispy outside and moist curried potato inside. That crispy-outside, soft-inside texture kept my hand reaching for more.

Tandoori king prawn and tandoori chicken

The tandoori king prawn and tandoori chicken had a red seasoning that instantly looked appetizing. That distinctive tandoori aroma hit us from a distance. The first bite is slightly spicy on the outside, tender on the inside.

The prawn was springy and the chicken was moist, so it was fun comparing the textures.

We dipped the grilled chicken and grilled prawn in the tasty chilli sauce, haha.

Garlic naan

* Garlic Naan *

The naan is crispy in the middle while the edges stay soft and chewy. The garlic aroma rises gently, so it's delicious even just torn off and eaten plain. Dipping it in curry meant we ended up wiping the sauce completely clean — a magical combination.

Endless naan dipping.

Mutton palak: lamb curry with spinach

The mutton palak (mutton curry) came with big chunks of mutton in a deep green sauce. The mutton was tender to chew and had almost none of that characteristic gaminess! Overall the flavor wasn't sharp, but rather subtly deep, so we kept scooping more.

Prawn masala, the spicy king prawn curry, with Indian rice

The prawn masala (spicy king prawn curry) had a reddish sauce with big chunks of prawn embedded in it. The spicy aroma hits you first. The first bite was tingly, but you could also taste the prawn's sweetness. The prawn was springy and the sauce was thick. It was a little spicy, exactly my taste!

Indian rice has long, fluffy grains, completely different from Korean steamed rice. In Korea, portions of Indian rice tend to be small, but here it was very generous, so my husband happily kept scooping it up, haha.

Mango lassi to finish the course

The sweet mango lassi arrived to finish the meal 💛💛 A fragrant mango aroma spread smoothly. It had a thick yet not-too-heavy texture.

When India The Durbar Samseong is worth the trip

It feels like enjoying a course meal as if you're on a trip to an exotic country, so it seems like a great choice for a special occasion. Above all, the seasoning is mild and gentle, like what you'd actually eat locally, so even someone unfamiliar with spices could give it a try without much worry! If you're near Samseong Station looking for an exotic meal, I'd recommend giving India The Durbar Samseong Station Branch a try at least once. ♥︎

Location: Exit 4 of Samseong Station.