Taj Indian Restaurant

Okinawa is home to many thriving Indian restaurants, but the consistently perfect naan bread and curries at Taj Okinawa rival the best on island. Tucked away in the three story shopping plaza on Highway 20, behind China Pete’s, Taj can seat more than 60 guests comfortably, and the plaza has plenty of parking.

The lunch menu is available Monday through Friday before 3 pm, and consists of 4 sets. The A Set (¥900) comes with one of six curries, naan, a small salad, and choice of drink, such as yogurt lassi. Set B (¥1,000) adds minestrone soup and a piece of chicken tikka to Set A. For larger appetites, Set C (¥1,300) has Set B items, plus dessert and a piece of chicken masala. The Kid’s Set (¥600) comes with curry, chicken, rice, a small piece of naan bread, and juice.

Dinner sets start at ¥1,600, and offer variations around the theme of naan and choice of curry, plus sheek kebab (a spiced sausage), saffron rice, and dessert, depending on the set. Other types of naan, curries, tandoor specialties, and “Indian snacks” are available on the dinner menu.

Taj’s curries are spiced, but don’t start overly spicy; more spice can be added by request. The seafood curry is sweet and has chunks of shrimp, mussels, and crab–perfect for dipping. The keema mutter, a lamb and pea curry, has a deeper, more complex flavor. Also worth checking out is Taj’s curry of the day,which can range from chicken with spinach to their seasonal pumpkin curry.

The staff are very friendly, and even let me take a peek inside their clay oven, which makes their naan bread both fluffy and slightly crispy. Guests can both hear and watch the chef in the glass “booth” slapping the dough and sticking it in the oven, just one of the many reasons to visit this fine establishment.

2-17-26 Chuo Okinawa City

¥, $ and C/Card

098-923-1312

Since this review was written, the Gate 2 location has now moved to 23. This is reflected in the Google map.