Indian Mo Mo is the best Indian restaurant in Hakuba; It is also the ONLY Indian restaurant in Hakuba. The presentation is average but the Chef's Indian and the food's great, (although you'll still notice the Japanese influences). The curries are light on the spice, which meant I didn't go to bed with the usual post Indian dinner intestinal gymnastics. However, their "Mo Mo Special" of steamed pork dumplings seemed suspiciously Chinese. Also, one chooses one's preferred level of spiciness, which ranges from sweet to usually (yes, usually) to very hot. I deigned to pick from the flaming red hot end of the spectrum, and what greeted me was a chicken masala spiked with taste bud-flagellating amounts of chili.
The starters are simple but tasty; go for the tandoori chicken, chicken tikka (one's leg meat and the other's breast), or the mixed platter, which comes with a minced meat kebab and the previously mentioned chicken bites. The naans are a generous size and delightfully soft and chewy. The cheese naan is a favourite, although, the plain naan sometimes arrives resembling the male appendage and encourages about 5 min of toilet humour. The rice dishes, including the plain rice, are disappointing. Japanese short grain rice, which is high in amylopectin (that is, "the stuff that makes rice sticky"), doesn't quite lend itself to Indian curries, and turns a Briyani into a cheese-less risotto.
There is a list of about 6 vegetarian and eat curries, and we usually order different ones (when we're in a group), and share them around. The serves are small, so do order a couple of each if you're arriving after an epic day's skiing. Feel free to experiment with the spice-o-meter, although, be warned: the difference between mild and hot is almost indiscernible, and remember what I said about playing with fire. Wash it all down with a bottle of Kingfisher (India's best selling beer), or a home made mango lassi.
Expect to pay about Yen 3,500 per person.
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