Kumar Act Plaza - Hamamatsu City

As a vegan, finding Indian restaurants with vegetarian food was as delightful in Iwata as having real aromatic Indian food. This success led me to look for similar surprises, seeking out vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Hamamatsu with its surprises for vegetarians and vegans, is the largest city in Shizuoka Prefecture and located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, about 260 kilometres southwest of Tokyo. It is flanked by Lake Hamana in the west, Tenryuu River in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the south.

Hamamatsu is home to the Act City Tower, a skyscraper which stands at 212 meters, designed like a harmonica in appreciation of the musical instruments manufacturers located in the city. Housing an observatory on its top floor, . Act City Tower's basement is also home to Kumar Act Plaza which offers truly delectable Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. So you enjoy the aroma and taste of authentic Indian food!

Lunch here includes the rice set or Naan set. The rice set includes rice with dal (lentils) and vegetable curries or fries with crunchy Indian pappadums as an accompaniment. The Naan set consists of naan bread, dal and curry or simply naan bread and spicy curry, with a vegetable salad prepared with buttermilk/curd.

Vegans will love Kumar Act Plaza's naan with vegetable curry accompanied by a cool raw vegetable salad sprinkled with salt, pepper and chaat masala, instead of buttermilk/curd. Vegans be careful though. Signing off the meal is India’s most-loved chai tea which, alas, is made with milk so off limits. You can always opt for some iced tea, orange juice or oolong tea instead.

Indian sculptures and figurines of the Buddha provide a pleasant Indian ambience. Prices, while reasonable, are on the higher side of cheap but, in my view, well worth it for the satisfying meals.