A note on the words: masala means a blend of spices and, by extension, the dish built on it; gravy is the term Indian kitchens use for the base sauce a curry is finished from. Naan is the flatbread baked on the wall of a tandoor, the clay oven, and papad the thin crisp wafer of lentil flour served alongside. Bib Gourmand is the Michelin guide’s mark for good cooking at a moderate price. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Old Delhi on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want something good to eat today too. This is Hangover Meshi. A day off. With nothing particular planned I was wandering around Ginza on my own. Wondering what to do about lunch, I searched and found a curry place nearby. Old Delhi — I have heard that name, I thought, and decided to go. I could not find it for a while and got a little lost, but it is on the seventh floor of a building called EXITMELSA, in the restaurant floor.
Foliage plants set about the place, and a very stylish interior.
Old Delhi set, 2,640 yen
Tandoori set, 2,480 yen
Curry set, 1,580 yen
Vegetable set, 2,300 yen
They all look good. I wanted two curries, so I chose the Old Delhi set.
For the curries I picked mushroom and butter masala. And I went with saffron rice instead of naan.
Now, I had only ordered curry, but…
Perhaps just a little beer after all.
And the curry arrives!
It looks good. Alongside it, salad, yogurt for dessert, and a papad.
Butter masala and mushroom. I wonder whether the underlying gravy is the same for both? Even so, they give properly different impressions. The butter masala is characterized by a tomato-based creaminess; the mellow richness of butter and the depth of the spices mingle in good measure, and with saffron rice a rich, sweet savor spreads softly with every mouthful. The naan is good too, but choosing saffron rice may have been the right call.
In the mushroom curry the savor of a great deal of mushroom has dissolved into the spices, and while the aroma and depth of the fungus stand out it stays light and never grows heavy. Creamy, and yet the presence of the mushrooms holds its own, with a toasty note emphasized.
In the second half I put butter masala and mushroom around the saffron rice, added the yogurt, and enjoyed the shifting flavors as I mixed. Yes, very good indeed. The room included, there is a refined, comforting quality to the plate that feels very Ginza and is somehow lovely. It is a Bib Gourmand, apparently, which makes sense.
Ginza has no shortage of curry shops, and the level is very high. Authentic Indian curry is becoming a standard in Tokyo. As a solo Ginza lunch on a day off between bouts of shopping, this was a highly satisfying plate. Perhaps I shall come again. Recommended.
Old Delhi (Indian curry / Ginza Station, Higashi-Ginza Station, Yurakucho Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.6
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
