Apr 26, 20234 min read

Best Indian restaurant in Taipei—Out of India Review

Best Indian restaurant in Taipei, Out of India menu review, taipei indian curry, Mayur Indian restaurant Taipei, Saffron Taipei

It was my best friend's birthday and we are having a belated celebration. I have run out of ideas for birthday presents so I decided to take her out to lunch. She was craving Indian food so we ended up at Out of India, which is an Indian restaurant that I have heard great things about and I live across from but have somehow never set foot in. We always overlook the good things near us.

As soon as I set foot in the restaurant, I could smell the Indian incense, which was not just calming but adds to the overall dining experience. Paired with the distinct interior design, it almost felt as if I was transported to India.

The owner of the restaurant, Andy, came to study in Taiwan and intensely missed food from home. So he opened up Out of India in 2004 and centered his dishes around the unique use of spices that has been passed down in his family for centuries, hoping to spread Indian culture through amazing authentic cuisine.

Best Indian restaurant in Taipei—Out of India: Menu and Price

This is quite a busy location but I didn't find it expensive. We ordered way more than we could finish because there was just two of us but there was so many dishes we wanted to try. We ended up spending NTD$1,342, 10% gratuity included. We had some leftovers which we took home and we were so full that I skipped dinner that day. So I'd say that the food here is filling and affordable.

You order food here by scanning the QR code on the table, which would lead you to their menu. You can choose how you'd like to receive your receipt or if you'd like to donate it upon checkout, or choose to input your e-receipt code, then the receipt will automatically be synced to your Cloud Receipt app if you have one.

Best Indian restaurant in Taipei—Out of India: Appetizer

Samosa (Crispy Curry Dumplings) | NTD$200/4pcs

The samosa that I have had at other Indian restaurants are typically small triangles stuffed with either veggies or meat, with a strong curry flavor. The samosa at Out of India are massive and they are three-dimensional triangular dumplings that kind of look like fried wontons. They have a thicker wrapper than the other ones that I have tried. The outside of the wrapper is crispy while the center of the wrapper has a quite a nice bite to it. The samosa is stuffed full with potatoes and peas, and is served with the classic side of a cilantro dip.

The samosa here is not as strongly flavored as the other ones that I have tried. The cilantro dip is strong with a hint of sourness and a yogurt like consistency. Unfortunately, I absolutely hate cilantro. Don't come for me, scientists say that it's genetics. I really enjoyed dipping the samosa in the curry we ordered.

Pani Puri (Crispy Balls with Mango) | NTD$200

When we came here, we saw that everyone ordered pani puri, and it looked to fun to miss out on!

Pani puri are round deep-fried crisps that are empty in the center, served with mango cubes and 2 types of sauce. The green one is mango and mint sauce, the orange one is tamarind sauce. The mango and mint sauce is light and refreshing, with a hint of cool spice from the mint. The tamarind sauce is sour with a bit of sweetness.

To eat pani puri, first make a small hole on top by knocking on the crispy shell with the back of your spoon, scoop in some mango cubes and sauce, then fit the whole cookie into your mouth. This probably isn't my favorite dish of the day, because everything else was so much better. But it's an interesting and special dish that I think everyone must try. Plus, they are so fun to eat.

Best Indian restaurant in Taipei—Out of India: Curry and Naan

The curry at Out of India is all served with a food warmer with a lit candle inside so that you don't have to worry about your curry going cold.

Chicken Vindaloo | NTD$300

The menu described this as "highly spicy chicken cooked with potato." Of course I had to try it. How dare any dish claim to be "highly spicy"? Challenge accepted.

I ordered chicken vindaloo with chili naan(NTD$70). The chili naan is covered with small green chili. On top of the chicken vindaloo, lies a piece of dried chili pepper, which I believe was also used to infuse the curry with spice. I love spicy food so I didn't find the curry to be particularly spicy but extremely satisfying.

I normally don't like potato chunks, but the potato in Out of India's chicken vindaloo is cooked so soft that it melts in my mouth. I ate it all without even realizing it. The chicken is also extremely tender and flavorful.

Chicken Saag | NTD$320

Chicken saag is spinach curry with chicken , described as "spinach gravy cooked with chicken" in the menu. The sauce is therefore green. But I did not think that it tasted very strongly of spinach, instead, it has a more garlicky taste with a hint of cumin. I really liked the rich and smooth sauce, I think it would be acceptable even for people who do not like spinach, and is a good way to get in some green.

My friend had the chicken saag with garlic naan. Obviously, we love garlic. The naan was fragrant and went very well with the creamy chicken saag.

Best Indian restaurant in Taipei—Out of India: Drinks

My best friend ordered a masala tea (NTD$70), which is Indian style milk tea. Unlike Taiwanese milk tea, Indian milk tea is cooked with many different types of spices. The masala tea was mild in sweetness and smelled strongly of cinnamon. There was also a hint of spicy coming from the cardamom. I found it to be thirst quenching and not tiring like most sweet beverages.