The good news about Indian food in Tokyo is that there are a lot of restaurants to choose from. The bad news is that unless you’re in the mood for curry and naan, you’re usually out of luck. That’s why fans of authentic cooking from the subcontinent cheered the opening of Brasserie Chennai last summer. This outpost of Southern Indian cuisine offers a menu full of rare-in-Tokyo dishes, plus a lineup of seafood items inspired by the city of Chennai’s location on the Bay of Bengal.
In fact, you could enjoy a fantastic meal here without ever straying from the fish selections on the appetizer menu. Refreshingly seasoned and attractively presented, these light dishes call to mind the cooking at the brasseries that give Chennai its name. Grilled “Peri-Peri” shrimp have been marinated in an oaky vinegar and coated with masala spices (six for ¥880). Herb-infused sea scallops (two for ¥580) are tossed with white wine before being pan-seared. Tender calamari rings (¥680) benefit from a pungent South Indian spice mix, while deep-fried “Kovalam” prawns (four for ¥680) are dusted with coconut slivers.
As enchanting as these dishes are, the items not to be missed are the dosa. These savory South Indian crepes are fairly uncommon in Tokyo, but Brasserie Chennai serves a full 18 varieties. Fillings include onion (¥1,380), palak paneer (spinach and cottage cheese, ¥1,780), malli (coriander) masala (¥1,480), egg (¥1,480) and lots more; there’s even a “mega” variety for ¥1,880. Each dosa is as long as your arm and served with the South Indian vegetable stew known as sambar, as well as tomato and coconut chutneys.
Other interesting dishes include vada, a savory deep-fried lentil cake (¥980); grilled skewers of paneer cheese and vegetables (two for ¥780); mixed seafood curry with tomato-cashew nut gravy (¥1,780); and mutton pepper masala (¥1,480). One of our favorite discoveries was the bite-size fried-rice dumplings known as paniyaram—doughy and addictive (six for ¥580). The only down note was the idli (six for ¥1,480), a type of South Indian steamed rice cake that was too bland for our tastes.
Brasserie Chennai’s one-room space is notable for the absence of gewgaws that crowd most Indian restaurants in Tokyo—no elephant statues here. The friendly proprietor, Ami Shukla, works the room with deft efficiency. His restaurant is always bustling during lunch, when the all-you-can-eat buffet is a steal at ¥1,000. As befits its name, Brasserie Chennai also offers a full list of inexpensive French wines, and Shukla is happy to make recommendations on how best to manage the feat of pairing them with the creative Indian cuisine on offer.