CHATAN, Okinawa — When I’m hungry, I have absolutely no patience. I don’t like to wait in line, then wait to have my order taken or for my food to get to the table.
Waiting was not a problem at Kabab’s Indian Restaurant, on Highway 58 between Camp Lester and Kadena Air Base on the second floor of the same building that houses Obligato. If anything, service was almost too quick.
My dining companion and I walked in for lunch and were seated immediately. Within seconds of putting down our menus, in English with photos, a waitress who spoke English was on hand to get our order. In less than three minutes, our salads arrived. And five minutes later we had our curry.
The service was fast, but no one hovered over us to hurry us through the meal. Once our food was on the table, other than stopping by to see if we needed anything else, the staff was content to let us linger over lunch.
The low-key, pleasant strains of Indian music, bright plastered walls decorated with swaths of Indian-patterned cloth and quiet clatter of cutlery from the kitchen added to an environment conducive for a leisurely lunch.
But if you’re looking for spicy food, which my dining companion assures me Indian food is supposed to be, then be sure to request that your meal be prepared extra, extra spicy.
The lunch menu offers mostly sets of either beef, chicken or fish curry with a various side dishes, including some truly delicious garlic nan. You can also choose the spice level of your curry — mild, regular or spicy. We choose regular but it tasted mild to me — flavorful and tasty, but still mild.
Dinner has a more extensive menu that includes curry sets with beef, lamb, chicken or shrimp. Other dishes include samosa, beef korma and tandoori chicken and, of course, kebabs.
To see previous After Hours reviews, go to: stripes.com/afterhours
If you go
Prices: Lunch sets range from 800 to 1,000 yen. Dinner 1,880-2,400 yen. Indian beer is available for about 500 yen.Specialties: Numerous curry dishes and, for dinner, kebabs.English menu: Lunch menu is English. Dinner menu has some English and plenty of photos.Dress: Casual — with cammies and flight suits spotted during a recent lunch visit.Clientele: Mostly Americans, here for a quiet dining experience.Location: From Camp Lester, turn right on Highway 58. The restaurant is on the left, on the second floor above the Obligato restaurant. If you get to Kadena Air Base, you’ve gone too far. The restaurant serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. with the last order at 10 p.m.Phone number: 098-936-9998.
