Located right in the heart of Nagano’s popular tourist area at an altitude of 1230 metres! Recharge your body and mind with wholesome Indian food at Mela Nataraj Tateshina by the lake.
Nataraj is an Indian vegetarian restaurant that has branches mainly across Tokyo. They offer beautiful dishes created with a wisdom of Ayurveda with an abundant of fresh vegetables grown on their own farm. The wholesome dishes are very delicious and healthy. Nataraj also attracts non-vegetarian customers as their delightful food can restore the balance of body and mind. Nataraj Tateshina branch is located next to the tourist information center alongside the famous Venus Line. There is Tateshina lake nearby and the restaurant is surrounded by the majestic nature.
Mela Nataraj Tateshina branch
Mela Nataraj is a lodge-style restaurant with high ceilings. They are usually open from April through the end of November and are closed during winter due to snow.
Mela Nataraj Tateshina branch
There are beautiful pet-friendly terrace seats available in the green garden surrounded by birch trees. It is such a perfect place to rejuvenate yourself with fresh air at an altitude of 1230 meters and healthy Indian food prepared with only the best ingredients.
Pet-friendly garden terrace
Nataraj accomodates a variety of needs for vegans, oriental vegans, and lacto-vegetarians avoiding meat yet consuming dairy products which are quite common in India. They also highly value the customer’s health and wellness, therefore do not use any artificial seasonings, preservatives, artificial colorings, and genetically modified food. There are a wide selection of beautiful vegetarian curries that are made with plant-based ingredients such as beans, soymeat combined with spices and organic vegetables. As they are very particular about the quality of sugars and oils, you will notice the detoxifying effects that make your body feel healthier and lighter, instead of feeling heavy and greasy in your stomach that can be caused by typical Indian food.
Meal set
Nataraj offers delicious dishes created harmoniously with beautiful spices and you will want to eat them everyday. Vegetarian curries are very tasty without meat and there is a wide variety of curries that come with different levels of how hot it is and flavors. The “Nataraj curry” is a very satisfying curry cooked with soy meat and different types of beautiful spices.
Nataraj curry
This “Baigan Bhata (vegan)“ is a rich spicy curry with tandoori-grilled eggplants, which make great match with fresh tomatoes.
Baigan bhata（vegan）
This is the most popular dish “Palak Paneer,” which has been featured on tv.
Palak panner
It is a very nutritious curry with plenty of spinach and cottage cheese. The paneer, cottage cheese in Hindu, is created in the kitchen contributes to bring out the rich flavors along with creamy spinach sauce.
Nataraj menu is written in English and Japanese with detailed information of specific dietary needs such as vegan and allergies, so they create an atmosphere that many people can enjoy their food feeling at ease.
Enjoy the Indian terracotta art after eating! The restaurant adjacent to the gallery where you can purchase miscellaneous goods from Asia.
Mela Nataraj Tateshina branch is adjacent to the Mano Kala art museum which is the only museum in Japan exhibiting Indian terracotta art. It is worth a visit to see the beautiful terracotta art which express the sacred world of the Indian mythology. They also exhibit rare ethnic art. The entrance fee is free if you dine at Nataraj and it is highly recommend to check them out. By the way, the restaurant name Mela means festival and Nataraj means dancing god.
You will feel healthier after eating! Beautiful organic & additive-free dishes prepared with fresh vegetables from thier own farm that are great for your body and mind.
Nataraj has an unwavering concept of “ to create healthy vegetable dishes that make your body happy and leave you feeling comfortable after eating, fulfilling body and mind.” Unlike the restaurants simply offering vegetalian menu, it’s their hospitality that makes Nataraj so special, being very particular about the ingredients such as natural yeast nann made from domestically-grown wheat, fresh vegetables grown on thier own farm, and additive-free oil, wishing customer’s health and wellness.
Take-out
As the concept suggests, there are certain people that feel the detoxifying effects such as feeling the comfortable warmth afterwards. I was one of them. I am not stoic vegetarian, but I have been choosing vegetarian/vegan options as I have not been founding meat as delicious for a while. I feel that vegetarian dishes are beneficial for my body, making me feel better. Although there is much smaller population of vegetarian in Japan compared to the Western countries, I think there might be quite a few people like me who notice the benefits of plant-based diet.
Mela Nataraj is a restaurant near Tateshina lake surrounded by majestic nature. Please come by to enjoy the wholesome Indian food and beautiful Indian art!
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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