Very popular Indian restaurant offering authentic cuisine created by experienced Indian chefs
AHILYA is an Indian restaurant that has 3 branches mainly across Tokyo. They have an Indian head chef who had worked at renowned restaurant called Sagar Ratna and a chef who gained experience working at a 5 star hotel in India. The experienced Indian chefs offer authentic Indian cuisine from curries to desserts and ensure that you will enjoy the experience at AHILYA.
Osaki branch is located on the 1st floor of Gate city Osaki which is connected to the South exit of the Osaki station. You need to exit the Gate city first, then enter the the restaurant through the entrance along Yamanote street.
AHILYA Gate city Osaki branch
Inside the restaurant
Unlike inside the Gate city, it is a quiet area that feels like a hidden gem yet it is always packed at lunch time. Yoyogi, Osaki, and Utsunomiya branches specializes in Northern Indian cuisine while Aoyama branch specializes in both Northern and Southern Indian cuisine.
A wide variety of vegetarian items on the menu! Recommend by both Japanese and Indian foodies.
AHILYA’s owner is not a Muslim and they are not certified for halal restaurant. Although they offer some menu items with pork they don’t use beef on the menu since they are all Indian. There is vegetarian menu and also a menu that is free from pork and alcohol available for Muslims.
It may not be an appropriate place to eat for very religious Muslim people as AHILYA offer pork on the menu, but there are Muslim customers visiting here who are ok to eat the food as long as there is no pork in it.
The food here is not overly spicy and the flavors are not overpowering, a balanced taste can be enjoyed by Japanese people too. Tokyo is well-known for the most competitive Indian restaurant hub in Japan, foodies here are very particular about the taste and price. AHILYA has established a great reputation among both Japanese and foreigners in such competitive area.
A must try is the lunch meal set which comes with your own choice of curries from different types of special of the day. On the day of interview, I ordered a chicken curry and a shrimp curry.
Lunch menu B ￥1,000
The chicken curry was spicy and shrimp curry was mild-flavored with coconut milk. It was such a fragrant curry cooked with whole spices such as cinnamon and cardamon, going very well with a freshly baked nann. There is not a wide variety of items on the menu to chose from for lunch, but you won’t go wrong for sure.
Southern Indian style Shrimp curry
They always have at least one vegetarian curry among special of the day, so vegetarian customers can enjoy the food at ease. But the lunch meal set is usually prepared with dairy, which is for lacto-vegetarian who are most common in India. If you are stoic vegan, please ask for details.
Vegetarian set ￥1,000
Dhal curry, spinach curry, yogurt, papad Salad
Vegetarian curry makes a great match with whole meal roti. You can help yourself to nann as much as you like at lunch time.
Wholemeal tandoori roti
AHILYA is easily accessible from the station, please come by to enjoy the beautiful food.
Supervisor / Recommender
- Halal Supervisor and Foreigner Food Coordinator (Cooking, Consulting, Public Relations)
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Click here for introduction
I currently work as an editor, but my previous job was as a chef, with many years of experience working in hospitals, restaurants, and the food service industry. Looking back, I think my connection to halal may have already been there.
Decades ago, I once worked in a cafeteria at an auction venue. Over 60% of the visitors were foreigners. Many Muslims were present, and the venue had a mosque-like prayer space. I remember being frequently asked questions about whether the meat was halal and what kind of meat it was. At certain times, the cafeteria would become as lively as a festival. The Indian restaurant next door would generously serve free biryani, curry, and sweet drinks to everyone who came. Over 100 people, including people wearing bright red turbans, galabeyas, and traditional attire, gathered in the cafeteria, all sitting around the same table and enjoying a truly enjoyable time. Looking back, it was iftar, the end of fasting, and I understand the significance of sharing, but at the time I was ignorant of halal and Islam, and didn't even consider how to respond. They only ate the curry made by the Indians in the restaurant. As I studied halal, I realized, "I wanted to eat Japanese food, but I couldn't." I regret not doing anything even though there was something I could have done.
If only it didn't contain pork! If only it didn't contain wheat or buckwheat! I could eat it... Food insecurity is different for each person.
That's why I think it's important to learn about the differences in culture, religion, and lifestyle that underlie it, and to create an environment where everyone can enjoy delicious meals in comfort.
The desire for delicious, safe, and secure food is universal. The times are calling for people to live in new ways that transcend borders and religions. I hope that halal can be a gateway to eliminating food insecurity, contributing even in some small way to a society where people can coexist and prosper with more liberal thinking, and to global harmony beyond.
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