Sinchon Indian curry house revisited: mutton masala A set, Meno Kamena

Meno Kamena near Sinchon Station: the Indian curry that changed my mind

Meno Kamena Sinchon Branch is an Indian curry restaurant a 5-minute walk from Sinchon Station, where a local chef cooks for you himself. I'm sharing it because it's a place I'll probably come back to with my husband 🍛

Honestly, I used to have a prejudice about Indian food. A vague resistance: the spice smell would be too strong, and it probably wouldn't suit Korean tastes.

But a year ago a coworker took me to Meno Kamena Sinchon Branch, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about the curry I ate that day, hahaha

My coworker is a Yonsei University graduate and had been coming here since student days, which is why we went, haha. The taste stuck with me so much that this time I went back with my husband 🥰

What's the atmosphere like at Meno Kamena Sinchon Branch?

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building, and once you step inside, it feels like real India.

Go up to the 2nd floor and the mood is so different you can't tell whether you're in Korea or India, hahaha. It's full of exotic decor and lighting.

There's group seating too, so it's great for a quiet get-together. Lots of foreign guests come, along with couples on dates and groups on company dinners. It's the kind of place anyone can enjoy comfortably 🙂

Meno Kamena menu and how to order

Just the curries alone are split into chicken / lamb / vegetable / shrimp, and you can pick a spice level from 1 to 3. You order by scanning the QR code at your table.

The menu is really varied, so browsing it is half the fun. It can be hard to choose at first, but the set menus are well put together, so I recommend a set if it's your first visit!

Meno Kamena set menus at a glance

• A set — ₩25,000 per person (minimum 2 people): chicken mushroom soup + samosa + green salad + king prawn + tandoori chicken + choice of curry + choice of naan + white rice + lassi or red wine
• B set — ₩16,000 per person (minimum 2 people): green salad + chicken tikka + choice of curry + naan + white rice + lassi
• Weekday lunch set — ₩14,000 per person (weekdays 11:00–15:00 only): green salad + chicken tikka + curry of the day + naan + rice + small lassi

We ordered the A set for two, and chose mutton (lamb) masala as our curry!

Meno Kamena A set: every dish was delicious

Green salad and three kinds of pickles

The A set's green salad is fresh vegetables with a refreshing dressing. It looks like a simple side, but it plays a big role. Eating it between bites of curry and grilled dishes resets your mouth, so you never get tired of the food 🙂

Chicken mushroom soup

The chicken mushroom soup is a chicken soup with mild spices and mushrooms. I didn't know what to expect at first, but it's nutty, savory and creamy, almost like powdered creamer.

The mushroom aroma is subtle and it isn't heavy, so it was easy to slurp down. Eat it while it's hot 🔥

Samosa (appetizer)

A samosa is a traditional Indian and Nepali fried dumpling filled with potato, vegetables and spices. Bite through the crispy shell and it's packed with filling, nutty and warm, a bit like a pie.

It's about the size of a child's fist, which is pretty hefty for an appetizer, hahaha. My husband's eyes sparkled because it's a food he ate on a trip to India and has missed ever since ✨

Tandoori king prawn and tandoori chicken

The tandoori king prawn and tandoori chicken are king prawns and chicken marinated in various Indian spices and baked in a clay oven. The springy prawns pick up a smoky char, and dipped in the sauce I couldn't stop eating, hahaha. The spices are subtle, so the smokiness and savory depth build the more you eat.

Lassi: plain and mango

Lassi is a traditional Indian yogurt drink. The plain one is light and nutty, the mango one is sweet and fragrant, and both neutralize the curry's heat perfectly. I wondered if there's any other drink that pairs this well 😄 I'll be back whenever I crave lassi, hahaha.

Mutton (lamb) masala curry and naan

We both love lamb, so we chose mutton masala for the curry. The well-cooked lamb is soaked through with the curry sauce, and the slightly spicy, deep flavor suits Korean tastes perfectly.

Naan is a chewy traditional bread baked in a clay oven, and tearing it up and dunking it generously in the curry is truly the best combo 💛 The moment the owner brought the curry and naan to our table, that excitement was the real highlight of the set, hahaha.

Verdict: wary of Indian food? Start with Meno Kamena Sinchon Branch

Near the cashier at the entrance of Meno Kamena Sinchon Branch, there are several awards on display. They say a local chef with over 15 years of experience cooks everything himself, and you can tell the balance has been tuned for Korean tastes.

The owner speaks Korean very well and is super kind, so it's easy to enjoy even on a first visit 🙂 If you have a prejudice about Indian food, just try this place once. Your mind might change completely, like mine did, hahaha.