Indian Curry for the Soul
On opening the door to Gautam Indian Restaurant, I was greeted with a cheerful, “Hello, George-san!” The kitchen staff stopped to wave and smile. It felt like I had dined there only yesterday, but in actual fact it had been six months since my last visit. Even if it is your first time, Gautam, his wife and staff will welcome you with smiles. This day, I was having lunch with a uni friend, who always comes from Kakogawa for Gautam’s curry.
After chiding me about always driving by without coming in, Gautam was within minutes asking my advice on something. It felt like going to lunch at an Indian relative’s home. His Nepalese wife came over with water and oshibori towels, berating me in Japanese for not visiting her more often—like your favourite aunt would.
Laxuman Gautam, the owner, worked in Indian restaurants in India, Hong Kong and various locations in Kansai before opening his own establishment in Okamoto, five years ago, with his wife, who spoke little Japanese and no English then.
The lunch menu ranges from a simple curry and rice with salad at 700 yen to a special lunch course, which includes tandoori chicken, sheek kabab, tandoori jheenga (king prawn), two curries, nan, rice and a drink, at 1,500 yen. I always order the B Lunch (pictured; 1,100 yen) and walk out full. The curry of the day was chick pea, but my guests did not like chick peas. Gautam was only too happy to substitute the chick pea curry with a vegetable curry. No special request is too difficult. I once rang ahead the day before taking some friends who could not eat spicy food, and Gautam made a special mild curry for them.
The dinner courses—ranging from 2,100 yen to 4,500 yen—will satiate you, too. The first time we dined at Gautam, we ordered Course B (2,700 yen) and we walked out tummies first, we were so full. We ordered the same thing the second time we dined here and we didn’t think we’d make it back up the hill to the station. Since then, we order a la carte. If there are three of us, we we are satisfied with two curries, tandoori chicken, nan, and pakora (Indian tempura) or samosa. Gautam offers over 25 varieties of chicken, keema (mince), lamb, mutton, fish, prawn and vegetable curries, ranging from 850 yen to 1,200 yen.
One of my vices is their home-made chili chutney, with renkon (lotus root), cauliflower and carrots. The spiciness hits after you have swallowed your first bite and the sweat seeps from the pores on your crown. You either reach for more, or reach for your lassi to extinguish the fire in your mouth and stay away from it. A friend was never fussed on tandoori chicken until he dined here. It is so succulent and delicious, cooked it fresh on order.
Gautam now has two cozy restaurants in eastern Kobe; the Hanshin Oishi branch (not listed on the web site) is managed by his son. He and his son speak English and Japanese, and Gautam’s wife speaks only Japanese, but the staff have very little Japanese and next to no English, which makes communicating with them fun when they bring the food to your table.
How to get there:
Okamoto Shop: From JR Settsumotoyama Stn, walk out the south exit and down the hill to Route 2. Turn left and you can’t miss the Indian flag. From Hankyu Okamoto Stn, head down to JR Settsumotoyama Stn, take the overhead bridge over the station. (If you do go by car, you can park out the front. Gautam keeps an eye open for the traffic police.)
Hanshin Oishi Shop (near Konan Home Centre on Route 2): Exit Hanshin Oishi Stn, turn left and walk up the hill until you will see the Indian flag on the left, just south of Route 2.
Kobe Indian Restaurant Gautam
4-3-3 Motoyamanakamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe
Tel: 078-453-6881
Official website: http://gautam.yu.to/index2.html
Open: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-22:30 everyday
