International restaurants are becoming more common throughout Seoul, but the generally inflated price tag accompanying them requires that you be an especially discerning judge; there’s no dining injury more painful than a bruised wallet following an insulting meal. Thankfully, the restaurant DIWAN-I-AM offers authentic Indian cuisine that is well worth the price.
In Hindi, the DIWAN-I-AM is the main reception room of a palace, a forum in which the court ruler may address a large audience. Appropriately, both the restaurant’s exterior and interior are modeled after royal Indian palaces. Here, authenticity reigns. The furniture and dinnerware were imported from India, and management oversaw the recruitment of cooks from the country’s premier hotels.
Kheema Mutter
To start, we ordered kheema mutter, a minced lamb curry for KRW 18,000. This particular lamb dish isn’t easy to find in Korea, so we chose it without hesitation. Since I used to enjoy this dish during my studies in England, I was pleased to find the chefs at DIWAN-I-AM prepare it with a similar emphasis on spiciness and tangy accent. I did think the curry’s seasoning was a bit strong and drowned out a lot of the meat’s unique flavor, but still the dish was well prepared and was a treat to find in Korea.
Tandoori Chicken
Next we moved on to the tandoori chicken (KRW 20,000) with garlic nan (KRW 2,500) and basmati rice (KRW 2,000). Tandoori chicken requires a longer wait because the cooks roast it for 20 minutes in a clay tandoor oven. However, it’s well worth the wait, and a glass of wine from their healthy stock will do wonders to tide you over. The marinade was mild but flavorful, coating a tender and juicy bird, and the dipping sauce on the side complimented it perfectly. We asked the cook how it was prepared, and he kindly explained that it was a mixture of ginger garlic sauce, lemon juice, and Indian red-spicy sauce, all left to marinate for three hours.
Authentic Indian food in Korea is already a fine find, but DIWAN-I-AM takes that extra consumer-friendly step to make your experience even finer. You can regularly grab deals like two complimentary bottles of beer with an order of tandoori chicken or half-priced lunch. As if we needed convincing to return. Our compliments to the chef, and to the management.
The Good
- Authentic Indian food
- Mood-setting decor
- Course menu available
- Extensive selection of wines
- Many discounts and promotions
The Bad
- Pricey for Hongdae
- Small portions
- No valet service
Contact
02-326-0009
Address
서울시 마포구 서교동 409-12번지
Directions
Facing Hong-Ik university, turn right and go straight. Make sure that you are on the right hand side of the road. When you see Seven-Eleven on your right, go into the street between the Seven-Eleven and Yogi. Keep walking until you see the 화로사랑 (hwaro sarang). Make a left in front of 화로사랑 (hwaro sarang). Keep walking until you see the Museum Café aA on your right and DIWAN-I-AM on you left.
Map
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