Royal India

Some people won't go near this place, and others who have discovered it via guidebooks often turn and walk the other way as if they have made a mistake. Set in a dark and dingy alleyway on the fringes of Chinatown, with a few dozen rats guaranteed to be running around, this tiny Pahurat neighborhood diner doesn't win any ambiance awards, but yes, the food is fantastic, and no, you aren't going to faint or get sick. Royal India is one of the few places where you can get a decent thali (dal, vegetable, pickles, rice, and condiments all in one) at a very fair price and actually imagine that you are sitting somewhere in Calcutta or Delhi. Besides the excellent thalis and naan, there is also a fantastic sweet shop on premise as well.