Sillim Indian restaurant with moist tandoori and lassi: India Darbar

I visited India Darbar, an Indian and Nepali restaurant near Sillim Station 🍛 Apparently it's popular enough with Indian residents living in Korea that it's considered a hidden gem near Sillim Station.

India Darbar near Sillim Station: hours, parking and location

Open daily from 11am to 11pm, with last order at 10:30pm. It's a 5-minute walk from Sillim Station, and there's 1 hour of free parking.

What is on the India Darbar menu, and what is in Set B?

India Darbar has a really wide range of menu items, from appetizers, salads, and soups to tandoori chicken, curries, and desserts! There are also set menus so you can try a variety of dishes at a reasonable price — so many choices ❤️

We ordered India Darbar's Set B (₩34,000) and chicken mushroom soup (₩5,000).

• Set B: green salad, boneless tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala curry, naan & rice, lassi (drink)
• Chicken mushroom soup: ₩5,000

Green salad with citrus dressing

The green salad came out first — true to its name, a very green salad drizzled with a citrus and orange sauce 🍊 There were lots of different greens and it was a generous portion for two people, making it a nice light palate cleanser ✨️

Boneless tandoori chicken: moist rather than crisp

India Darbar's tandoori chicken came with six pieces, lemon, and a dipping sauce ✔️

The tandoori chicken was boneless and moist, and the aged spice flavor wasn't off-putting at all ❤️ It was a bit of a shame the outside wasn't crispy, but the moist, tender texture had its own charm!

The sauce had a flavor that wasn't unfamiliar at all, so if you're not a fan of spice, I'd recommend dipping the chicken in it 🌟

Huge naan and chicken tikka masala served warm over a candle

Right around when we'd finished most of the salad and tandoori chicken, the curry, naan, and rice arrived together! There was a small candle under the curry to keep it warm, and the naan was impressively huge ❤️ Bigger than two palms put together.

The curry was creamy with a hint of tomato, and the spices spread out gently, deep and exotic 🍅 There was plenty of chicken in it too, so it was great with rice, but dipping the nutty naan into it was an even better match 🌟

Chicken mushroom soup: thin but nutty

The soup was served in a neat bowl, and it definitely tasted different from Korean-style soup ✔️

It was very thin in texture but had a really strong milk-like, dairy aroma — almost like drinking seasoned boiled milk! Very nutty. It was a novel experience with big chunks of chicken and mushroom in the mix too 👍

Nutty lassi, tasted for the first time

This was my first time trying lassi. If you like yogurt drinks, you'll be 'very' satisfied 🌟 🌟 It had a Korean-style yogurt flavor, but rather than sweetness, it was more about a pleasant nuttiness — personally I really enjoyed it ❤️

The exotic dining room of India Darbar in Gwanak, Seoul

The restaurant is a 5-minute walk from Sillim Station, on the main street across from McDonald's ✔️ You won't spot it from the main road — head toward Sammo Sporex, look for Deungchon Kalguksu and Ililbandak, and it's on the 2nd floor of that building!

Inside felt like being transported to West Asia 🇮🇳 Even in the early evening, there were a lot of foreign diners there enjoying a meal!

What was worth it at India Darbar

• The food is special and delicious. Indian food is somewhat exotic and unusual, but the spices weren't overwhelming at all, so Koreans can enjoy it too 🌟 No wonder it's a hidden gem near Sillim Station haha
• The atmosphere is completely exotic. Between the interior and the many South Asian customers actually dining there, it felt like being on an overseas trip ✈️