Indian restaurant in Songdo with Indian music and lassis: Manokamana

One of those days when you crave something a little different from what you usually eat!

Where is Manokamana Songdo Branch?

Manokamana Songdo Branch (머노까머나 송도점) is a chain restaurant specializing in Indian food, on the ground floor of Building G at Songdo First World, right in front of First World Tea House. This time I headed to Songdo just for Indian food! It is open daily 10:30-22:30, and you can park in the Building G underground parking lot.

Exotic interior that feels like India

Even the outside screams "this is India!", but the first thing that caught my eye once I stepped in was the small, cute decorations. They were Indian through and through.

With the colorful, exotic décor and accessories, it honestly felt like I was traveling in India! Indian music was playing inside too, and the mood was spot on. The staff are all Indian as well, so it felt even more like a local restaurant!

The place is spacious with lots of tables. The view of First World through the window was nice too. There are also separate rooms, which you can use if you reserve ahead. They looked cozy.

How does QR ordering work at Manokamana Songdo Branch?

You sit down, look at the menu by QR code and order from there. Once we were told that and looked through the menu, there was a wider variety than I expected.

You order through Coupang Table, and you can choose everything from curries to naan, rice, tandoori and drinks. No need to call a staff member: check the menu, pick what you want and order right away!

Manokamana Songdo Branch menu at a glance

Lunch sets and set menus

Appetizers, salads and soups

Tandoori and curry menu

What comes in Set B at Manokamana Songdo Branch?

We ordered Set B: butter chicken curry, rice and naan (flatbread), with mango lassi and strawberry lassi as our drinks. Set B also comes with tandoori chicken, so you get to taste several Indian dishes at once, which I really liked.

The side dishes were pickles, marinated onions and jalapeños. It's not food I eat every day, and it had been a while since I'd had Indian food, so I was super excited!

The full Set B lineup!

• Naan
• Rice
• Butter chicken curry
• Salad
• Tandoori chicken
• Lassi

Starter salad

The Set B salad comes with a sweet-and-sour dressing! A fresh salad before everything else gently soothes the stomach.

The starter salad got my appetite going! It's also a refreshing way to start before the spiced dishes Indian food is known for. With a starter salad thrown in, the set felt even more generous!

Mango lassi and strawberry lassi

Lassi is a traditional Indian drink made with a yogurt base, known for its tangy yet smooth taste! The mango lassi had mango's sweet, fresh flavor, and the strawberry lassi, a familiar strawberry-and-yogurt combo, was easy to drink!

Butter chicken curry: okay even if it's your first Indian food?

The main dish of Set B is butter chicken curry! It's one of the most popular Indian curries: a tomato-based curry blended with butter, cream and various spices!

It looked rich in color and appetizing, and the first bite brought smooth creaminess and the nutty richness of butter. Then I tore off some soft, chewy naan and dipped it in! The chicken in the curry blended well with the sauce. It's a great match with naan, and of course just as great with rice!

People tend to think Indian curry is strongly spiced or hot, but butter chicken curry is relatively mild, so it's a great pick even for first-timers to Indian food!

Tandoori chicken with spice flavor and a smoky char

The tandoori chicken that came with Set B is a signature Indian dish, cooked in a tandoor, the traditional Indian clay oven!

The chicken is marinated in yogurt and various spices and grilled at high heat, so it has that distinctive spiced flavor and a subtle smoky char. Very appealing!

I tore off a bit of naan and wrapped the tandoori chicken in it. Delicious, as expected! Dipping it in the butter chicken curry made it the absolute best combo.

Special Indian food in Songdo

At Manokamana Songdo Branch, the food was great, but personally what I remembered most was the distinctly Indian atmosphere filling the whole restaurant! If you want a special meal, make a special memory at Manokamana!

Overall verdict

If you're tired of the usual Korean or Western food, how about Indian for a change? If you're looking for a good Indian curry restaurant in Songdo, I recommend Manokamana Songdo Branch. It's a great place to visit when you want tasty Indian food in an exotic atmosphere!

With the Indian-style interior, the music and the Indian staff, it felt like an overseas trip to India. When you miss the food you had in India, a totally local-style meal, Manokamana Songdo Branch is my recommendation!