Thread by @prasannakarthik

I visited this kick-ass south Indian restaurant called Tadka in Kyoto, Japan. Tadka is owned and run by Japanese people. They visit Chennai once every 6 months, learn new dishes, practice it to perfection and add it to their menu.

In Tadka, I had one of the best south Indian meals I’ve ever had, even after judging by the standards of my Chennai upbringings. The dosa and idli were unbelievably authentic.

Apparently Tadka has very very few Indians eating there. Its customers are mostly Japanese customers who have fallen in love with the food there. what a way to contribute to India's soft power!!!

In a country that uses chop-sticks to eat food, Tadka actively promotes eating by hand… in true south Indian style.

In the process, the two have truly embraced Indian culture from the bottom of their heart. They developed a deeper understanding of Hinduism and fell in love with it.

During all their visits to Chennai, they visit Tiruvanamalai (a temple town in Tamil Nadu) and spend time for meditation in the Ashram of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi – a renowned Advaita Vedanta teacher and jivan mukta. Ramana's picture can be seen in the background.

I don’t have coffee or tea. But when I was leaving, they gave me a complimentary cup of south Indian filter coffee. Since I did not want to be rude, I accepted it. It turned out to be the best filter coffee I’ve ever had. These guys took Japanese precision to an all new level.