Located inside the Zhaolong (Great Dragon) Hotel, it was set up with the intention of becoming the best in town.

The restaurant has during that time earned a solid reputation amongst the city's many lovers of Indian food.

"We would like to give people more time to get to know and like Indian food, that is why we opened the Tandoor Beijing nine years after we started the first restaurant in Shanghai in partnership with the Jinjiang Group," explained manager Ravi Mehrota. "Similarly, we started the trial period last June in order to adjust and improve ourselves to provide the best in terms of both food and services."

The city's large expatriate community and a loyal local clientele have made him confident of a successful business.

"Indian tandoori cuisine and Chinese cuisine compliment each other in a similar way as Buddhism has been preserved by both societies," Mehrotra said.

The barbecue and curry-based dishes are prepared by Indian chefs who take into careful account the spice level preferred by individual guests.

To help introduce the breadth of menu, it offers an executive set lunch every day priced at 68 yuan (US$8) per person.

The Tandoor Beijing has a spectacular interior decoration on a theme of the ancient Silk Road, with different pavilions and a clear sense of Buddhism using old characters hung from the ceiling.

"Now with the opening of the Tandoor Beijing, our next step is to franchise this type of Indian cuisine in each major city of China. Hopefully in 10 years' time, Tandoor will be better known than KFC or Mcdonald's," added Mehrotra.

Around 200 distinguished guests from the Beijing municipal government, embassies and major companies attended the party, enjoying live Indian dance and delicious food.

Location: Zhaolong Hotel, 2 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang

Tel: 6597-2211