While most restaurants have trouble staying open past their first year, The Tandoor has managed to go from Shanghai’s first Indian restaurant to its oldest in the past 16 years, and there are good reasons why.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is well planned out and every piece of furniture tells a story, from the bronzed entrance to the chairs with wheels that lead you on a journey through India. The “timeless” wheel motif is repeated throughout the restaurant and the Chinese characters hanging from the ceiling represent holy words from Buddhist texts.

With some guidance from the knowledgeable staff we had a well-balanced Indian feast. The murgh malai kebab (RMB105) was an excellent start. The flavor of the cheese and coriander marinade is seared into the tender chicken at temperatures of 200 degrees Celcius in the tandoor oven. If you like spice, the beef Madras impresses with its balance of sour, spicy and fruitiness (RMB120). The Navrattan Korma (RMB68) neutralizes your palate with a delicate mix of yoghurt, cream and nut paste in its Korma sauce. We were glad that we made room for the Dal Makhani (RMB78) as the meal would not have been complete without the smoky lentils simmered in cumin, chili powder, garam masala, ginger and garlic, and enriched with generous amounts of butter and cream. We mopped up all the remnants with some naan (RMB18).

The Tandoor is not the absolute best Indian option in town, but it’s up there. Vedas is still better and you will find cheaper, passable Indian fare at Punjabi, but only The Tandoor puts together such a complementary combination of history, ambiance, entertainment and food. Reviewed in October 2010 by Cristina Ng.