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Toi Inshokuten
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Summary
Restaurant Details
Location
Michelin-featured pan-Indian cooking with heart and soul in Nara, with careful adjustments to classics served teishoku-style on a vibrant thali platter.
Restaurant Details
Toi Inshokuten is a breezy, two-story store occupying a space in the leafy Hanashibacho area, run by a husband-and-wife duo who fell in love with the cuisine. Owner-chef “Tam” had worked as a chef at another restaurant downtown and initially rented a room in Ayameike to start his business before finally opening his brick-and-mortar store in 2021. By 2024, Toi Inshokuten had already earned its Michelin feature.
The word “toi” in the restaurant name is an acronym for “trip to the imagination,” so a meal at Toi Inshokuten can be like a tour through India’s diverse regional cuisines. Curry selections are ever-changing, with twists and turns: spicy chicken madurai curry from South India, pork vindaloo stewed in dry vinegar, sweet potato curry stewed in bonito leaf paste and squid curry. The clever choice, however, is to pick the curry-tasting set, served in a round thali platter with rice centered around several types of curry and side dishes in an artistic arrangement — two words: simply stunning.
Toi Inshokuten’s cozy, minimalist interior is instantly recognizable in Nara. It has industrial lighting fixtures and concrete walls that continue to the ceilings. Little nods to India are everywhere, like the stairway lined with Hindi text.
Michelin Guide accolades:
2024 - Bib Gourmand
Reservations not available.
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Toi Inshokuten Access Info
Toi Inshokuten is a 3-minute walk from Kintetsu-Nara Station.
Toi Inshokuten Phone Number
0742-87-7014
Toi Inshokuten Business Days
Sunday
Closed
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
11:30 AM
02:30 PM
Wednesday
11:30 AM
02:30 PM
Thursday
11:30 AM
02:30 PM
Friday
11:30 AM
02:30 PM
-
05:30 PM
08:00 PM
Saturday
05:30 PM
08:00 PM
-
11:30 AM
02:30 PM
Toi Inshokuten Address
30-3 Hanashibacho, Nara, 630-8266, Japan
Restaurant location
The historic seat of power and faith in Japan, Nara has some of the most authentic and breathtaking culture in the entire country — and also friendly deer!
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Reservations not available.
Browse restaurants allowing seat reservations and course menu reservations.