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Udipi Indian Cuisine
Rating Details »
Categories: Vegetarian, Indian, Pakistani [Edit]
Neighborhood: University City9510 University City Blvd
Ste 101
Charlotte, NC 28263
(704) 549-0600
- Hours:
Mon., Wed-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon., Wed-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
5 reviews for Udipi Indian Cuisine
My sister, Mom, and I have dined here a couple of times. Great lunch buffet and good service. Good naan and freshly-prepared dosas, although, as Mimi B. mentioned, the crepes aren't as crispy and golden as I've enjoyed at other restaurants . Chai is good, but the desserts are even better! Loved the carrot halwa.
Udipi is a region in India, as well as a style of cooking, that is known for its vegetarian specialties, so veggieheads, as well as carnivores, will love the vast menu options offered here. Definitely a great lunch stop in the Queen City!
Udipi was recommended to us when we asked someone for a good vegetarian restaurant. The restaurant is small and simple with a few tables and booths. The walls have large murals depicting Krishna.
The menu is large and while it is a South Indian restaurant they have as many if not more North Indian dishes. There was so much variation in dishes that even my boyfriend was not familiar with everything on the menu (he grew up eating Indian food).
We each decided to get a thali since its teh easiest way to try a lot of dishes at once. I ordered the Chennai thali while the bf got the Punjabi thali. We each ordered a kingfisher beer (bottled only). The waitress brought out papadam accompanied with mint and tamarind/date chutneys before bringing out our thalis. This was followed by the idly and wada of my thali with sambhar. All were tasty.
The thalis came out next. Each one was delicious - the different curries were flavorful and the basmati rice was high quality. My favorite dishes included the sambhar (yum!), kootu (sort of like a thick dahl with mixed vegetables - it had an intriguing buttery taste), and poriyal (tasty). Personally I didn't care for avial but I'm not a huge fan of cocunut based curries. The bf enjoyed his Punjabi thali especially the rasam (he loves the tart soup). He shared the samosa with me and it was yummy. Each thali also came with yogurt, another yogurt based dish and kheer (rice pudding) as well as fresh roti.
We decided to finish with dessert. I got the mango kulfi and the bf got their South Indian coffee which is served in a metal cup inside a metal bowl. You cool the coffee by pouring the liquid back and forth between the cup and bowl. The serving of mango kulfi was large - easily enough for two people and was delicious.
Service was prompt. Total came out to $55 with tip. We will definitely be back to try the buffet one weekend and again to order off the menu because they have a paneer dish I'd love to try.
Now that Indian food is growing on me.. I've been getting the urge to try it again. Udipi was a place I just happened to drive by and so I ordered take-out really quick. The inside is very cultural feeling with lanterns hanging from the ceiling and paintings of blue-skinned Krishna on the walls. Every Indian restaurant I've been to reminds me of Chinese restaurants with their decorations and honor they give to their culture through everything you see in the whole place.
I had to get an order of Naan, Indian bread, to eat with everything. So good! The Paneer Makhani, fried cheese cubes simmered in a creamy tomato sauce was amazing- kind of like an Indian style grilled cheese when you dip the Naan in it.
They do have wine and beers available, as well, but I'll have to try those when I dine-in!
I ate there the other night by myself, so I can't review much more food than I ate. Since the movie says "Yes, but can she make good aloo gobi" and since I like aloo gobi, I had it. It was good. Even the leftovers for breakfast.
The vegetable somosa was a bit more bread and fried than I'm used to (flatter, so less potato insides). I tried the Kashmiri naan, and it was quite good, although not as good as they make at Mehak back in Berkeley (I have yet to find a Kashmiri naan as good as Mehak's).
The chai was good, as was the service (although at first they did lose track of me for a short while).
Update: I ordered take out a week later, and even though they asked me how to spell my name when I place the order, when I showed up 30 minutes later they could not find my order. Instead of saying "we'll cook it up for you right now," they said "we're really busy and it will be 30 minutes before it will be ready." I decided to go elsewhere. Too bad, their food was good when I ate it previously, I was just too hungry and pissed at them for not offering to put me at the front of the kitchen line.
I am a fan of Indian food, have dined in countless Indian restaurants over more than 20 years, taken Indian cooking class and traveled in India. Most Indian restaurants in the U.S. offer the same exact dishes: Saag Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala, Biryani, etc. Udipi Pure Vegetarian Cuisine offers some less seen dishes from Southern India. I was visiting and at lunch here. The all-veg (woo hoo!) buffet had two soups (Rasam and Sambar), two types of rice (coconut and plain), a deep fried lentil donut called Madu Wada, idli (plump fluffy steamed lentil and rice flour pancakes) a legume dish made with urad dal (a type of lentil more typical in Southern India that I rarely see served in U.S. restaurants) a cabbage dish, and some familiar standbys such as Aloo Gobi, Navratam Korma, raita, assorted chutneys and naan bread. The spices have been toned down a bit from food in India but still have kick. One top of that they made me a mini Masala Dosa fresh to order. The filling was delicious but the dosa (lentil flour crepe) was pale and soft not cooked until it was golden and crispy as I like. The flavors were good here. Not outstanding but very good. I enjoyed my meal in a comfortable booth surrounded by murals of Krishna and Radha while Indian music videos played softly in the background on two flat screen TVs. The décor is simple with some hanging cloth lanterns and a tile floor. Not a fancy place. Could be good for a first date because it's not overly romantic, just casual feeling. You could also bring children here if they have adventurous palates.
