Fans of Indian food -- and the Food File is a lifelong member of that happy congregation -- are always pleased to discover new places to satisfy those insistent cravings for the spicy flavors of the subcontinent. As we sat down for dinner at Dhaba India, though, we felt overjoyed.
The reason was simple. Too many of Tokyo's Indian restaurants are virtually indistinguishable from each other. The decor, the music, the menus -- they could be clones. Dhaba India is different.
There are none of the usual ethnic trappings -- no baubles and tinsel and faux-Mughal carvings, no keening film-score music or Bollywood videos on flickering monitors. Instead, the interior is painted a tranquil sky-blue, accented only by a couple of carpets draped down the walls, and a few unobtrusive knickknacks in alcoves. Wooden beams around the entrance to the spotless kitchen evoke rustic simplicity.
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