INDUS // Best Modern Indian Restaurant in Manila? (A Review)

INDUS is a modern Indian kitchen known for their Tandoori cuisine and curries in a casual chic setting in Bonifacio Global City. Its name is a tribute to the earliest known urban culture in the Indian subcontinent that rose along the Indus River. Most people rave about Indus as the best Modern Indian Restaurant in Manila in the post-lockdown era (opened last Dec 2021).

Here’s what we think of Indus, including tips when you go try it with your family & friends.

ABOUT INDUS

INDUS demystifies the exotic and takes diners on a fun and fascinating culinary expedition going back centuries. Fast forward to contemporary times, one can take pleasure in colourful renditions of long-held traditions in food and drink and in a brand of service that is very simply refined.

Located in the vibrant Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in the City of Taguig, INDUS is a modern Indian kitchen that specializes in tandoori cuisine and curries in a semi-formal dining setting.

There are indoor private dining spaces in the restaurant to suit your requirements. Takeaway and delivery services are likewise available.

For your greater comfort and peace of mind, INDUS has put stringent health and safety measures in place.

INDUS MODERN INDIAN KITCHEN
25th St. corner 5th Ave.,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Open daily 12:00 – 10:30 p.m. Attire Dressy Casual
📞 +63 917 311 1312 +63 917 311 1297
📩 contact@indus.ph
FB: Indus Modern Indian Kitchen
IG: @indus.ph
Visit http://www.indus.ph

I loved the high-ceiling ambiance which beats that of Indian restaurants located in mall settings. You can reserve the circular table for family sharing dining or the corner tables in the lounge seat section.

The best is the elegant private dining area (good for 12) on the mezzanine for your intimate family gatherings or boardroom discussions. To top it all, it has its own private restroom for added privacy and safety.

(Note: There is also a smaller private dining area that’s good for 4 pax on the ground level.)

DRINKS

The best mango lassi we tasted! It still has the sourness of yogurt and lets you taste the fruity mango flavor without being overly sweet. It’s smooth and light when you drink it, ideal for cleaning your palate after eating the curries.

**Mumbai’s Julep** (₱295). *Whiskey, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, cherry syrup, fresh thyme, honey and soda water*

We loved their Indian-inspired cocktails like this whiskey-based citrusy cocktail with fresh orange and lemon juice, plus sweetness from the cherry and honey.

**Indo Italian** (₱295). *Cardamom infused gin, amaretto, lemon juice*

I prefer gin-based cocktails as aperitifs like this cardamom-infused gin with lemon juice crossed with amaretto, an Italian almond-flavored liqueur, to give a refreshing start.

(Note: We tried the other cocktails, and we only feature the ones that we liked in the post.)

MAHARAJA FEAST (₱2,500 nett per person – min of 2 pax)

We tried their premium signature set menu called the Maharaja Feast because it features the best tandoori, curries and their bread. We had a dilemma whether to just order the family style or the set menu.

(Tip: We did not have time to compute which one would be cost effective, but with each featured item in the set menu, I indicated the a la carte price for you to be able to do a cost analysis depending on how many you are in your group.)

KABABS

Mint Chutney, Mango Chutney, Mushroom Galouti (pate), Papadum

The feast starts with a bruschetta-style piece of crisp Indian bread with tomato salsa. The mint and mango chutney and mushroom pate are served in silver cups on the side of the plate.

This was so good and bitin, making us wonder if should order a basket of fried papadums (₱180).

**Chicken Malai Tikka** (₱495 a la carte)
Boneless chicken marinated with cream, cheese and spices
**Original Chicken Tikka** (₱495 a la carte)
Boneless chicken marinated with yogurt, Kashmiri chili and spices

We had two orders of chicken: one was the usual traditional Chicken Tikka Masala (ordered a la carte as appetizer) and the other was the Malai version which was part of the Maharaja Feast.

The winner was the Malai version because it was still juicy, with creamy flavors and some spices.

**Tandoori Prawns** (₱950 a la carte)
Marinated with garlic & spices

The shrimp was still juicy and you could still taste the tandoori char and easily remove the shell from the tail. Just wondering if they can serve this with shrimp heads because it will surely be juicy, sweet with smoky flavor.

**Australian Lamb Chop** (₱700 a la carte)
Marinated with yogurt in a modern spice mix

The best! The meat was tender—you’d love to bite the meat off the bones to savor the flavors and spices. No need for additional sauce actually, or you can just have the mint chutney to counterbalance the flavor in between bites.

**Tandoori Broccoli** (₱400 a la carte) with mustard marination

Charred broccoli with hints of mustard. Goes well with the meats.

**Naan** (₱130 a la carte). Traditional bread with choice of butter or garlic

The Kabab set is served with naan instead of rice because this is considered as an appetizer. You can use the bread to wrap your meats or break it up into pieces and dip it into the chutney to enjoy separately.

CURRIES

**Butter Chicken** (₱500 a la carte)
Chicken Tikka in a creamy tomato gravy

The curries are served as the main course in small good-for-one silver cup portions which you can replenish. The chunks of chicken tikka are served with a velvety smooth tomato gravy that is very creamy, pairing well with the yogurt raita.

**Dal Makhani (**₱350 a la carte). Black lentils cooked overnight and finished with butter
**Palak Panee**r (₱475 a la carte). Home made cottage cheese in spinach puree
**Raita** (₱120 a la carte). Cooling yogurt with roasted cumin in a choice of: vegetable, garlic, or mint

The other curries are served like side dishes with the creamy dal curry with lentils and the smooth spinach puree with their home-made cottage cheese. I liked dipping the different Indian breads in the curries. It is good practice to have your own serving to avoid double dipping.

RICE & BREADS

**Mutton Biryani** (₱650 a la carte)
Marinated lamb, into and rice cooked together dum style

We also loved the biryani with marinated lamb. While this is good by itself, it is best if you mix it with the butter chicken sauce and the raita.

**Roomali Roti** (₱95 a la carte). *Handkerchief thin flatbread made on an inverted wok*

The entire feast is like an education on different Indian breads, and you’ll be able to taste all of them throughout the meal. This one had more char, chewy with a smoky flavor.

**Kashmiri Kulcha** (₱150 a la carte). Flatbread with dried fruits and nuts

This was the first time I’ve tried this, like a fruit cake flatbread. Masarap rin to counter the taste of the curries with fruity notes that are not too sweet.

**Chili Cheese Kulcha** (₱200 a la carte). *Flatbread with chili and mozzarella*

My favorite. You can eat this like a pizza topped with butter chicken curry. Yum!

DESSERTS

Eating the bread is a bit messy so they provide a mini wash bowl with calamansi for your hands.

**Kaala Jamun** (₱150 a la carte). Enriched gulab jamun served hot
**Milk Cake** (₱200 a la carte). Reduced milk cooked with sugar
**Kulfi** (₱150 a la carte) with pistachio and reduced milk

I loved that they balanced the sweetness even with their desserts. The sampler is a good idea. I, for one, couldn’t eat a whole gulab jamun and the milk cake was like pastillas so you could only eat so much.

We also loved their Indian ice cream, very milky and with pistachio to counter the sweetness. It has a lot of sugar and it melts fast so a small serving is enough to satisfy your sweet ending.

**Butterscotch** with butter & crunchy caramel
**Masala Chai** Black tea ice cream with cardamom and cinnamon
**21 Love** Vanilla with milk chocolate chunks
(₱150/scoop or ₱500/pint )

Manila Creamery created three Indian-inspired flavors and our favorite was 21 Love for its milky vanilla flavor and chocolate chunks. The butterscotch was too sweet for us, and the Masala Chai was too Indian in terms of flavor and spices.

The signature tea of Indus was really good, and they let you smell the different teas and enjoy them to end your meal. You may also be tempted to buy to enjoy them at home.

You can end with Indian candies and Bethel leaf with mint to give you a freshly-brushed-teeth feeling without the curry smell in your breath.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is indeed the best modern Indian restaurant in Manila. I like the overall high-ceiling ambiance, the private boardroom with restroom, and the fact that you won’t smell the curries and tandoori smoke on your clothes.

We love all the tandoori, curries, cocktails, breads and dessert. The Maharaja Feast, that lets you enjoy individual servings and all the best food that Indus has to offer, is perfect for a boardroom meeting. But if I’ll go back with family and friends I would recommend Chicken Malai Tikka, Tandoori Shrimp, Lamb Chop, Butter Chicken Curry, and Lamb Biryani. Order the Mango Lassi definitely, and you can start with their Mumbai’s Julep and Indo Italian cocktails. End with the kulfi or the 21 Love ice cream. Budget about ₱1,000/head.

Congratulations to the Filipino owners and the Indian chefs of Indus Modern Kitchen for an awesome Modern Indian restaurant concept in BGC! Now I know why they are the go-to Indian restaurant for most people. Hindi mabaho, masarap yung food, and ang galing ng service!

Special shout out to Jenny for taking care of us during the lunch.

Live an Awesome Life with Christ,

Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet

Disclosure: We paid for our meal. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.

P.S. Yes, there is parking at the back of Indus. If you are coming from 5th Avenue, turn on 25th Street (landmark is Real Food) around the corner where Indus building is, and you’ll be able to see the parking entrance at the back.

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