Indian curries: unpretentious comfort food beloved for the gravy-cloaked meats in a circus of blunt spices and herbs such as cumin, coriander, cardamom and copious amounts of garlic and onion. Savoured in a backdrop of live Indian music (or colourful Bollywood soundtracks blasting from the speakers), the city has welcomed such a sensory-overload for decades. Northern-style curries traditionally dominate the scene, distinguished by their rich and creamy tastes often studded with meats fired off the tandoor oven, something so easy to find in this town. But in the last few years we've noticed more eclectic and regional options creeping into the menus, as well as newbies dishing healthier adaptations especially during these lean times. We've narrowed down five of the best in town:

The granddaddy of all Indian restaurants in Hong Kong is Gaylord in Tsim Sha Tsui established in 1972 by restaurant empire Chiram Strategic Group. Chefs wield long skewers from the semi-open kitchen, roasting meats in the tandoor oven, so you'd be a fool if you don't try these grilled specialities. In terms of curries, the options are exhausting including dishes that will appease even your most finnicky vegetarian friends: alongside mock-meat curries (using textured soya), there are ayurvedic dishes revolving around a mystical ethos of eating only calming foods, meaning no loud spices and ingredients such as onion and garlic (apparently they over stimulate the body). The handiwork of head chef Jiwan Kumar, with15 years at five star hotels including the Le Meridian in India, is telling from our Kashmiri rogan josh (HK$108), an aromatic lamb fried in mustard oil then arriving in a brown gravy studded with cloves and other herbs and spices. Every few months, Gaylord's adds seasonal or festival dishes to the menu as well, in tune with major events in India, from Rajasthani festival foods to the Hindu festival of lights (Diwali) in November when the venue's packed for the country's biggest annual celebration. So diners can always expect a dynamic menu beyond the usual suspects. 1/F, Ashley Centre, 23-25 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852 2376-1001.

Increasingly famous for being packed with the corporate curry-loving crowd, Jashan consistently churns out superb dishes thanks to the panache of its chefs formerly of the Sheraton Hotel in Dubai. Swinging all over the Indian map, from northern to southern fare and everything exotic in between, you can be adventurous and try the more eclectic regional recipes. Uncommonly found in Indian menus in the city: Hyderabad-style mud-pot cooked lamb (HK$85), which to our disappointment didn't arrive in a mud-pot as imagined (it's just cooked in some terracotta vessel). But we perked up upon first bite anyway: the meat just tore apart, immersed in a heavy cumin-loaded garlic, onion and tomato base. Also try the Mangalorean chilli chicken (HK$79) full of capsicums and roasted chillies, which isn't as intimidating as it sounds as the long cooking process, sweet tomato-base, with generous helpings of poppy seeds, mellows out the more scorching ingredients. Aware of more health conscious diners in Hong Kong, Jashan also eschews MSG and artificial food colouring in their cooking. 1/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central. Tel: +852 3105-3500.

More unpredictable is the menu at Duetto, formerly The Viceroy that was much loved by the Indian community for decades. Merged with neighbouring Milano Italian restaurant last year, a lot of its former Bollywood-style lustre has gone, compounded by the now jumbled menu of both Italian and Indian dishes that's rather frustrating to sift through. Still, this establishment continues to distinguish itself with its atmospheric décor as much as it's diverse food. The huge space is looking a bit generic lately in beige-and-woods boredom until you step out to the sweeping outdoor terrace overlooking Wan Chai and the harbour. Food-wise, the Indian selection darts from traditional to contemporary, from the classic cashew nut-rich lamb korma (HK$108) and coconut Goan fish curry to unexpectedly finding salmon tucked into samosas (HK$62), kangaroo meat fired in the tandoor (HK$128), or luxe dishes like Boston lobster in a saffron-infused cream sauce flambéed with brandy (HK$268). A riot of laughs can also come accompany your meal: the venue's long-been a platform for the comedy circuit with a regular roaster of comedians from Asia to the UK and the US, staged monthly. Contact the establishment for their latest line up. 2/F, Sun Hung Kai Centre, 30 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel: +852 2598-1222.

Newest kid on the block is Guru in Soho is barely eight months old but already grown a following for its healthier adaptation of Indian cooking. "Working in the food industry, I always kept hearing people avoiding Indian food because it's too heavy and too filling. So I wanted to change that perception which is why Guru's Indian food is much lighter," says managing director H.Karki. Curry's heaviness stem from lashings of ghee (clarified butter), but Guru employs light cooking olive oil instead that blends harmoniously with Indian cooking. Our chicken makhani (HK$88), though devoid of butter and ghee, didn't taste like it's been compromised by such tweaks, a nourishing curry in a sweet tomato gravy centred with succulent chicken chunks grilled from the tandoor oven. Also try the laziz king prawn curry (HK$98), revved up with ginger and fresh chillies yet all tempered by the honey-sweetened tomato-base. G/F, 13 Elgin Street, Central. Tel: +852 2547-9998.

Ask any local Indian friend where to go for authentic Indian food and they'll direct you to Tandoor in Central. More endorsements stem from its elite regulars including city officials Martin Lee and Anson Chan as well as Hong Kong Police Force commissioner Tang King-shing. Partner B.S Rana says back when it opened in 1987, there were few upscale and hygienic Indian dining spots beyond the gritty Chung King mansion-variety. This classier and cleaner option filled that gap, and it's been a local institution ever since. Despite shuffling locations in Central over the years, originally at Wyndham Street in the 1980s to Lyndhurst Terrace now, wherever they are, you could always count on their regular standbys: folksy sitar and tabla performances nightly, a comfy venue with all the linen service, and food that's unflinchingly Indian prepared by chefs flown in from the motherland. Excellent chicken tikkas and shish kebabs arrive sizzling on hot plates best savoured with fluffy garlic-flecked naans. On the curry front, it's dominated by traditional favourites: from the cream-laden tandoor chicken tikka masala (HK$88) to the tangy yet fiercely hot seafood or meat vinderloos (starting from HK$98), which can make curry-rookies weep. Another must: their lunch buffets offer the most extensive spread we've ever encountered in any Indian restaurant in Hong Kong. At HK$118 per person, gorge on over 20 options: countless curries, tandoor-fired meats, biriyanis and a lentil crepes from the dosa-making station, plus half a dozen homemade Indian desserts. 1/F, Lyndhurst Tower, Central. Tel: +852 2845-2262.