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Tue-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Best South Indian restaurant in town!
If you are into vegetarian food, or even south indian food (which in my opinion you have to get used to, especially if u are used to the typical north Indian restaurant), this is the perfect place :)
Being Indian, I can tell you that its not easy to find a place that makes their sambar and dosa to perfection. Nearly everything on the menu is delectable. The service is nice- the wait staff knows my whole family by now if that counts ( :-) ).
I think the food has a bit of a kick (which doesnt affect my tastebuds in any way), They have good combos for a good price. Their 'thali' has a lot of variety which is good-gives a good taste of different dishes.
As for their dosas- they are fanstastic :) Their masala dosa and even their special rava masala dosa are outstanding. I enjoy every bit and piece. Their vadas/idli are really good too!
If you have room, do try their mango shake- it certainly hits the spot. And if you have even MORE room, have their Mysore coffee. Its got milk, but the coffee blend reminds me if being in India- its got a very good aroma and flavor- not like the regular instant coffees or even any coffee house coffee here.
(Oh! And they dont mind bringing you extra sambar... that too at no extra charge ;) How many Indian restaurants do that? :) )
I loved it! Absolutely 5 stars, no questions asked. The place was clean, nice, minimalist (in a good way), some great photos of India on the walls, etc. The servers and everyone working there were so nice, so responsive, so good. I can't say enough.
And then there is a food. I went to order and the server was a little weak with his English. I had no idea what I was getting so I asked him to explain and he basically repeated the food items listed. I finally concluded when asking the difference between two dishes that one had dessert. Okay, good, now we're onto something! haha
I went with the express lunch. I'm pretty adventurous and people on yelp raved about this place so I figured it had to be good no matter what. Quite honestly, I still don't know if I ate it "right" but I improvised and mixed the ingredients I felt went together well and figured it out from there! ha!
So the express lunch comes on a silver platter... two breads- Chapati, which is a flatbread made on a griddle and papad, which is a thin crispy wafer. Then I had like 6 different containers from lentil to mixed rice to soups and a yogurt dish. And in the middle was an equivalent of a bowl of rice.
To be perfectly honest, I would rather guess at what I am ordering then have the restaurant try to describe what it is and mess up the descriptions. In other words, no expectations is WAY better than some sort of expectation. Oh, and the express lunch came out in maybe a minute, if that. Appropriately named!
How could you go wrong with this place? Nice interior. Great people. Phenomenal food.
I didn't like this place very much. Maybe it was the odd waiter who kept staring at our group, or perhaps the use of onions in just about everything.
I went here with a small group of people. Much food was ordered. Most of it had a lot of flavor, but it wasn't good flavor at all. Either extremely spicy or just unusual. Normally I really enjoy Indian food, however this place was not enjoyable at all!
i live Not Close To Artesia. so whenever my friend suggests a pilgrimage to this South Indian vegetarian place, my heart skips a beat in excitement. i'm not even vegetarian, but i LOVE pretty much everything about the fabulous Udipi Palace.
-easy, free parking in the back.
-clean, gracious restaurant space, which doesn't feel crowded even when busy.
-the service is as good as it gets -- the staff are friendly, knowledgeable about the food, gracious, and attentive. their shirts say "more sambar?" and they mean it.
-but of course, the star of Udipi Palace is the eye-rollingly, tummy-happyfying, tastebud glorifying FOOD. everything i've ever ordered has been top-notch, whether it be a curry, a dosa, an idli, or one of the excellent lunch specials. the dishes always taste fresh and "home-cooked," in other words, not made in a huge, bland batch.
tip: for a truly impressive visual experience (and a tasty one), order a paper dosa. that thing is HUGE. share with a friend. be happy.
I returned here on Saturday, after a long break, with my father and boyfriend. Our wonderful experience here made me wonder why I waited so long!
When we first walked in, we were warmly greeted and seated promptly, even though they were quite busy.
My father has diabetes and has to follow a super restricted diet, so when he explained what he can't eat to the waiter, the waiter understood immediately, and pointed out on the menu the items that would fit his dietary restrictions. That is more than I can say for most American food establishments!
They also checked on us a couple of times while we were trying to choose from the tempting assortment of items on the menu to make sure we didn't have any questions and that we understood what everything was. That was really nice for my father and my boyfriend, because they weren't familiar at all with Southern Indian cuisine.
We ended up getting their assorted hord'oures which consisted of Rasam (a spicy soup), Medhu vada (fried lentil donuts), Samosa (deep fried dough wrapped around potato, peas and spices), Cutlet (mixed vegetable patty w/spices), Mysore Bonda (Golden Brown round lentil dumplings) & Pakoras (Sliced vegetables breaded and deep fried). Everything was deep fried, delicious goodness and I ate the most out of everyone (it is well known in my family my love of fried yummy things). My two favorites were the mysore bonda and the cutlet, both in texture and taste were extremely flavorful and delicious. These came with three different dipping sauces/condiments, one of them sweet (and brown colored), the other savory with cilantro and chili, and the last one had coconut but wasn't super sweet and even a bit savory.
We then shared the mixed vegetable curry (Mixed vegetables cooked with coconut and tomato sauce), which was a really good curry and great mix of veggies. We also shared the South Indian Thali which had Rasam, sambar (vegetable stew which is spicy), poriyal (this was a bean dish without a curry but seasoned), daal (red lentils), 2 vegetables of the day, special rice (this was a type of brown rice mixed with herbs), white rice, chapati (whole wheat flat bread), papad (thin fried waffers made of lentil flour), pickle, raita (yogurt condiment) and payasam (a watery pudding with Vermicelli).
The veggies were mixed vegetables in different types of curries and tasted delicious, and so was everything else, including the lentils, the poriyal and the special rice, which was super interesting, textured and perfectly flavored and seasoned. The payasam was interesting; It tasted good but I wasn't used to the watery texture or vermicelli in my desserts. I really enjoyed both of the breads, and dipped my chapati in all the curries and sauces. I think I ate everyone's papads (nobody liked them except for me); I just loved the light and crispy texture and the flavor of the lentil flour. It's so interesting the flours other cultures and countries use to make things with!
My father and boyfriend finished off the meal with a cup of Indian Coffee which was different than what they are used to, but they enjoyed the flavor. I had a little taste and it was delicious coffee with hints of spices I couldn't place my finger on.
Everyone was more than satisfied with the meal; My father elated to find another good restaurant in Little India (he lives 5 minutes away), and my boyfriend excited to have expanded his palette yet again and enjoying the experience. And I left with the feeling of contentment only a deliciously prepared meal and wonderful service can produce.
I'll be back sooner than later, Udupi Palace.
So I was hanging out in Little India one day with one of my besties and we decided to grab some… Read more »
I will tell you this. I am Indian. I am also British. I grew up in Los Angeles. And I grew up with an AVERSION to veggies and rice.
Cut to maybe... five or six years ago? I'm JUST starting to get over my aversion to rice. I'm *TRYING* to open myself up to foods that do not sit in the range of: Meat, Cheese, Bread.
My father took my family to Artesia, and the food stop of his choice was Udupi Palace. I was wary. I was scared. It's a South Indian VEGETARIAN Restaurant. My usual Indian food usually consisted of, back then, chicken tikka and naan bread. That's all I'd eat.
So, you can imagine my surprise when my dad immediately says I should try the paper masala dosa.
I acquiesce, meek as a kitten, completely vulnerable in this place where there is no chicken available. And out comes this place with this MASSIVE thing rolled on top of it with these little cups full of things I don't know the names of!
But I try it. I try it and I am .... amazed. It's SO GOOD!
Needless to say, I tried to eat as much of it as possible. The potatoes were so good. The dosa was soooooo good. The side dishes were so good. I was so happy, in fact, that I was trying whatever else my dad had ordered that he offered to me.
Hands down, I love this place. And they're the first place I actually tried a Chai. And it was so superb to me.
I'm such an inexperienced Indian, but when something really makes me happy, I know it's delicious. I'm currently writing this review after spending the last half hour discussing Indian food with some... Harry Potter Chatters. Yep.
I really hope I get a chance to go to this place ASAP, because I'm fantasizing about you, Paper Masala Dosa.
Amazing chana batura, masala dosa and sambar. I walked out of here completely stuffed. If you find yourself in Little India near Pioneer and Artesia, this is the place to go.
Nothing special about this place. The service and prices are reasonable. The south indian thali dinner was totally unimpressive. I recently had the south indian thali at the Toronto location of Udupi Vegetarian Palace, and was hoping, praying, that the one here would be at least half as good. No such luck.
If you're craving vegetarian south indian, I personally think that Annapurna in Culver City is a better option...
Came here on fourth of July because my sister had been here with a friend and she enjoyed it.
We ordered: Vegetable pakoras, Samosas, Channa Bhatura, Special South Indian Thali, Gobi Masala, Vegetable Masala.
I think pretty much everything comes with a small side of boiled rice and a chapati which is nice. Unfortunately when our food arrived our the rice and chapatis were both cold, and the rice was very bland (which may not matter to some).
The vegetable pakoras were not great, they were really over battered in besan so that's all you could taste, the samosas were pretty good.
South Indian Thali was nothing spectacular but most of the stuff on it were good, i think i only didn't like one or two things from it.
Channa Bhatura was pretty awesome, Channa masala was by far my favorite thing we ordered. It was delicious but it could of been spicier (for my taste).
The Vegetable and Gobi Masala were okay but a bit creamy for me.
Overall think the food is worth trying, specially if you're vegetarian and want to try Indian food. Prices are i think a little above reasonable but you do kinda get a lot of food, you could probably share!
The only thing I really didn't like about this place is that it doesn't really have an atmosphere. It's pretty quiet inside, and it felt a bit awkward at times.
The bathroom smelled REALLY bad.
The chana masala tasted strongly of salt. The rice was not basmati. If not for a good mango lassi, it would have been two stars for these guys
I'm not Indian. But to be certain, I know my Indian food. I didn't dub myself the 'Curry Hunter' for nothing. I've been on the hunt for a good dosa in Southern California for nearly a year, I've had A LOT of dosai, some excellent, some meh and some absolutely intolerable. Tonight however, I found the best one in Artesia at a little South Indian restaurant called Udupi Palace.
Astrid and I rolled into Udupi around 6:00 pm and the place was packed with Indian families stuffing their faces with crispy dosa, idly and utthappam. One look at the clientele and their extensive dosa menu and I was ready for something spectacular.
I ordered a Mysore Masala Dosa, a triangluar-shaped spicy thin rice crepe stuffed with masala potatoes. Astrid ordered a Special Rava Masala Dosa, a thin, crispy crepe made from creamed semolia bursting with chopped onions and chilies. The masala filling in both dosai were loaded with potato, dal and spices and was EXCELLENT! The cooling coconut chatni was the best I've had in SoCal, loaded with mustard seed and spices, but still cool to the taste. The sambar was some of the spiciest I've had since coming back from India a year ago. We also ordered sweet lassi which were a perfect accompaniment for the spicy meal.
The waiters shirts invite you to ask for 'MORE SAMBAR!' So we did, and were presented with two full cups of the spicy ambrosia. The top of my head was sweating in happiness!
Now I know most yelpers don't know squat about Indian food, but please let me break it down for you so you don't complain about or write stupid shit in your reviews:
1. South Indian food is NOT North Indian food. Don't expect them to do rich curries very well. It's not in their blood. Get over it.
2. The metal plates and cups in which they serve their food is VERY traditional in India. If you don't like it, eat somewhere else.
3. Chili pakoras are hot. They're made with chilies. DUH.
4. Please read the menu- it's RAVA not SAVA.
Seriously though, go here for an amazing dosa. You won't be sorry. Tell them the Curry Hunter sent you. They'll just look at you dumbfounded, but tell them anyway.
[The Curry Hunter™ Seal of Approval]
I don't know why John S. had such a bad experience here... but for me, an Indian college student, I love coming here anytime I can! I have been eating here since it opened many years ago.
The decor is nice and good enough for a family dinner or celebration such as a dinner. Its COMPLETELY vegetarian...so don't come here expecting meat..they'll be annoyed if you ask.
It's a South Indian restaurant which isn't my home cuisine, but it's delicious nonetheles.. I love getting their utthapaam(grilled pizza-like dish) because you can make it as spicy as you want! it's quite yummy.
My favorite dish there has to be the chana batura(chickpea curry with fried bread and onions). The flavors are so savory and fresh... you feel like you're in Hyderabad getting a fresh batch from a wala on the side of the street(in India, this is a good thing).
Definitely recommend this place to anyone, Indian or not.
Authentic South Indian cuisine, but I thought it was a little pricey relatively speaking. The food and service were good. I had the Udupi palace special with uthapam (although I prefer dosa I thought I'd give it a try). The Bhindi Masala was very flavorful with a good balance of spice.
This place is wonderful.. they have great thali's, pongol, and chai. The staff is friendly and very helpful in ordering if you are unsure of your wants. This is southern Indian vegetarian fare, which is uniquely different from northern Indian restaurants. Expect spicy, flavorful dishes, but this is not the place if you want tandori chicken, chicken masala, etc.
Good South Indian food... not North Indian... so if you are looking for curries and greasy, spicy food look elsewhere. South indian food mainly consists of lots of lentils, vegetables, vegetarian and healthy options. In fact, everything here is vegetarian. I prefer this South Indian restaurant to Tirupathi Bhimas (which is one block away). The service is better here, they were always checking on us and refilling our water (unlike at Tirupathi Bhimas), they have an A for health (while Tirupathi Bhimas has a C), and finally the food here tastes better.
Below are my top favorite items:
-Sava Dosa (made with cream of wheat... its like a pancake)
any regular dosa (made with white lentils.... thin fermented pancake)
-Idly Sambar - fluffy thick fermented pancake in a lentil soup
-Dahi Vada (like a lentil donut in yogurt sauce....)
- Spring Dosa (a thin pancake-like item made out of urad daal (black lentils) and rice... stuffed with potatoes and veggies)
Note: I've been to the Bellevue, WA location as well and the quality is pretty consistent.
I've been a fan of South Indian fare for ages, and am constantly on the lookout for good dosas. Udupi Palace does them really well along with other traditional South Indian items like idllies and vegetarian curries. Service is attentive and the restaurant is super clean which is refreshing. I would recommend the mysore rava dosa, any of their paper dosas (MASSIVE) and their aloo masala (cauliflower in tomato curry sauce). Though I found their chai just average, the mango lassis a table over looked great, especially in the summer weather. Udupi is right in the middle of Little India which is convenient if you want to check out the other restaurants and grocery stores in the area.
I should warn you, I am a bit tough on the South Indian restaurant scene. I've had the most amazing home-cooked South Indian food, including crazy delicious Udupi-style cuisine. My mother and the aunties in my community are the gold standard. Based on these experiences, I really can't give Udupi palace more than 3 stars. Decent utthappams (the thicker lentil/rice crepes seasoned with masala and vegetables), dosas (the thinner, generally longer and larger lentil/rice crepes), and idlis (steamed rice dumplings). The taste is nothing extraordinary. I don't care too much for their masala dosa filling (seasoned potatoes and onions). It's just so blase. And their sambhar (the lentil soup that comes with dosas and utthappams), which really makes or breaks a dosa experience, is just okay as well. Their bisi bele baath (a spiced lentils and rice dish with vegetables) can be satisfying.
What's really a feat of nature at Udupi Palace, that I majorly high five them for, is the sheer size of their paper dosa. It's huge! And so exciting to get. Tell them it's your birthday, and they'll make it even bigger! It's so big that it sticks out from all sides of the table, and is fun to share family-style. Also, Udupi Palace is completely vegetarian, which I think is great.
I will say this on behalf of Udupi Palace to people who don't think the North Indian dishes like chana batura are up to par here. Duh! It's a South Indian restaurant. It's not going to be their forte. If you want serious chana batura, you should have it at one of the North Indian places in the neighborhood. Smaller joints like Jay Bharat and Rasraj do a great job with dishes like that.
I could have swore I did a review on Udupi Palace a long time ago. Anyway, the appetizer combo and the thali are awesome. The paper dosa is huge and is always a sight to behold. The clientele is Indian and you feel like the new kid on the block.
I'm on the search for the best Indian food and Yelp has led me to some good eats. We can't wait to travel to the source so we have the real comparison. But this place will leave you with a savory memory.
its a good sign when you're the only non-indian at an indian restaurant. granted, i've only started eating south indian food last year, but the spinach cheese dosa i had here is the best i've had in my limited experience. dosas are delicate but large crepes usually filled with some combination of potatoes, vegetables and/or spices. what makes the dosa and other dishes we ate here so great is how well spiced and balanced the flavors are. sporting a crispy chewy outside and only available on weekends, the spinach was well seasoned with wonderful curry and great with bits of cheese.
bf & i also shared the thali to try a little of everything, which comes with 2 veggie options--that day it was chana masala and gobi masala (both were good; the gobi was sweeter, while the chana had a tangy tamarind flavor)--, a delicious daal (one of the better i've had--most are usually a little bland--lentils with fennel and mustard seeds), sambar (a tasty lentil soup), rasam (broth cooked from lentils), poriyal which was spicy, turmeric-y cabbage, tomato rice, raita which is yogurt with chunks of cucumber, and payasam which appeared to be a sweet coconut milk flavored with saffron and chopped almonds. photo: http://www.flickr.com/...
we should have stopped there, but we had to have some baigan bartha ( http://www.flickr.com/... ), a slow cooked eggplant curry dish with some kick. i was eyeing our neighbors' poori, which are these puffed bread things, and paratha, which are thicker tortilla like bread, and was intrigued by the coconut rice, so will have to return to try other things. everything tasted great, and though there was some heat, it wasn't unbearable, especially if you have a sweet and creamy mango lassi.
service was friendly and fast. utensils are optional.
I remember coming here for the first time at the recommendation of my old college roommate, who's a South Indian.
The food here caters mainly to a vegetarian diet, and I remembering ordering a dosa will some type of filling in it. I can't remember exactly, as my friend placed the order for me.
I do remember that it was good though. The samosas they were serving for the lunch special were also pretty good...I recommend those as well for appetizers.
Service was good, and they take credit cards, which is important. The waiters kept refilling my water glass promptly, which was much appreciated as well.
We were fortunate enough to find street parking right outside the restaurant. I would imagine most people would have to park in a residential neighborhood nearby or the parking structure down the street and walk a small distance on most other days/nights.
I will surely come back here to satisfy my hankering of South Indian fare.
Chai tea was not spiced enough and had too much milk. It tasted watery. Sadness.
The crispy dosa was the best dish. Samosas were good, a little spicier than usual. Watch out for the chili pakoras -- HOT! They must have been made with super deadly jalapenos. Try a lassi to cool your burning tongue.
Vegetable curry was blah. Usually I love anything with coconut milk in it but this didn't taste spicy or sweet at all.
As with most restaurants around here, it could use a little revamping. They tried a little bit with the menu and some nice photographs on the walls, but some new tables and chairs and non-metal bowls and plates would improve the ambiance.
Wow! I love Udupi and don't think I can ever get sick of it.
Seems that everything that I've tried so far at Udupi is flavorful and perfect in spice.
I typically order the Gobi Masala. Just wonderful :) I usually need meat in my food, but Udupi's flavor makes it so that it feels like nothing is lacking!!
I tried their Paper Dosa Masala which is also really great.
My friends order a few appetizers which i cannot recall, but boy was it delicious!
First time I tried this restaurant was in 01/20/09, and since then i've visited the restaurant 6 times!
Wasn't expecting much, but the food is delicious. Well almost.
Their Dosa, thaali etc. was really tasty and fresh.
But we also ordered their "Vada Sambhar", which was fried lentil dough in sambhar curry. The Vada was really hard, and tasted stale. Ideally it should be slightly crunchy on the outside, and should be fresh. But this one was quite bad.
Now normally, I've seen Indian restaurants not handling such complaints properly, but this restaurant immediately took it off the bill. +1 point for that
A good place if you are on Pioneer, getting your Indian fix.
great prices, great service, giant portions. Now if you want to get a specific flavored Uttapam this is the place to go. I love the jalapeno and onions the best. Dosa's are great too. If you need some straight Indian all vegetarian dishes get to Udupi Palace
I've been going to Udupi Palace for the past four years, and I think, and through checking with members of the Indian community, you will be hard pressed to beat this restaurant for what they offer in Southern California.
Let me state early on that the restaurant specialises in Southern Indian food, which is somewhat different from North Indian cuisine (which I have found to be generally more common here.)
There are three dishes we always get when we go: the idli, which are small rice/lentil cakes steamed, medhu vada which is similar to an idli, but deep fried rather than steamed, and the masala dosa, a rice/lentil crepe served with curried potatoes inside. All of these dishes are the best I've had anywhere, and unfortunately, my other options to find South Indian food have disappeared over the last couple of years.
Other items have been unparalleled in quality including the Chana Batura (which I've also had listed on menus as Chole Bhatura, etc.), the Vegetable Korma, and Potato Bonda. Again, all of the utmost quality.
The service is excellent. The waiters and waitresses are very polite, and are willing to answer any questions I have ever had and quickly bring what you ask for. I have never had to wait to be seated when I go, but I would imagine that during the day on the weekends, you would probably have to wait in order to get a table.
There isn't really a parking lot, although there is parking around back, I've never had trouble finding parking on Pioneer Boulevard directly in front of this restaurant.
This is a vegetarian restaurant. While I'm not a vegetarian, it's nice to find a cuisine (Indian in general) where you don't necessarily miss the meat through good protein substitution, spicing, and texture contrast.
It can be relatively pricey for some wallets, (I usually get away at around $50 for three of us), but I feel the price to quality ratio is extremely good, as again, this isn't your run of the mill Indian restaurant, and their preparation is excellent to boot.
Summary based on 1 dinner:
--very good thali, with a lot of variety
--good service
--somewhat more expensive than nearby comparables, but not significantly so. Just squeaks into Yelp "moderate" at the bottom end.
--easy parking in the evening
--setting more like a restaurant than the coffee shop style of Jay Bharat
--free wifi
--GPS system thought it was Udipi Palace
I tried this place for a comparison with Tirupathi Bhimas across and down the street, where I'd gone the night before on my quest to find a thali that was as good as the nearby Jay Bharat and as good value.
So, it's better than Tirupathi Bhimas, but not as good as Jay Bharat. And no mini-thali option, which is more suited to the total amount of food I want to shovel in.
Next time I'll go Jay Bharat to reinforce my baseline and then try one of the other Artesia options on another night.
Yelpers, heed my warning! Do NOT order the chili pakoras as your appetizer. Unless you like when "it tastes like burrrrning," don't do it. I am pretty immune to most spices, but dayum...the chili pakoras were fire in my mouth. To be honest, the first few bites were good. Then, the heat became nuclear. I still cringe over the memory of those pakoras. Never again!
A much smarter choice would be the vegetable pakoras. I love fried things, and these had a wonderfully crispy batter. They are great with the accompanying chutney sauce. From their main menu, I've tried a few of their dosas, and I really like their Masala Dosa.
My favorite item on their menu is the Gobi Masala: potatoes and cauliflower in a thick, rich curry. I was always one of those kids who hated cauliflower, and I still do. However, I love the way they absorb all the spices and herbs in this dish.
It's not often that I crave Indian food. When I do, I head straight to Udupi Palace. It's the best Indian I've had in a long time.
Ah yes, this day has been long overdue. Yes, I'm 1/8 Indian for your information. I know. I said the same thing. I found out a few years ago that my great grandfather was Indian. Full on, you wouldn't believe it, Indian! No wonder why my mom and some of my cousins look of that descent. Who knew? Despite my Asian-y features and ways, the moment I found out, I'd always been interested in the culture. This was my first time in Little India just a few blocks from my neighborhood, nestled in Artesia / Cerritos area.
When you first walk into the restaurant you will be greeted by wonderful and attentive hospitality. Seated and given the menu to look over. At this point I wouldn't' know where to begin. But alas, I find something. I chose the Spinach and Onion Curry Dish. Once served, it came with a tortilla like bread which was soft and warm, rice and another thinly crispy tortilla which tasted just like a Lay's potato chip. Yogurt too was accompanied with this meal. I know! Weird! But when mixed all together, yummy!
Our server made sure that our water glasses were always full. Now, that's a plus!
What a wonderful restaurant to stumble upon! My friend (who is married to an Indian man) and I just stopped and decided to eat here on our drive back from Tustin to LA. And what a treat! The Gobi Masala was scrumptious, and we also ordered a delicious cauliflower dish. We enjoyed every bite, and loved the friendly atmosphere. Next time we go, we'll take more time to explore "Little India" and enjoy the wonderful neighborhood and authentic shops -- all filled with beautiful things. Artesia's is much closer than Mumbai.. and easier to get to! So take the trip down there... it's so much fun.
A few doors down from Shan and a completely different cuisine. This is an all vegetarian southern Indian place. Get one of the special thali meals, which includes small portions of various vegetables and dairy products in wonderfully spiced sauces and fried bread to mop up the sauce. The baigan bartha (spiced mashed eggplant), the bgala bhath (rice in a yogurt sauce with mustard seeds) and the vegetable korma are my favorite dishes. The batura bread, fried puffy bread bigger than your head, is delicious and comes with a small side of perfect raita. Closed Mondays. Large parking lot in back.
"Damn, if I would have known, I would've ordered three of those things and not get anything else," exclaimed my homegirl, "B," after finishing the last of the masala dosa.
Perfect. Okay, Yelpers, you hooked me up. I needed a new Indian fix in Little India and I got it.
Here's what we got:
Vegetable pakoras (breaded vegetables that are deep fried aka "Indian tempura"): Perfect. Not quite the mess like most Indian restaurants make them. The texture was unlike any pakoras I've ever tasted. They emphasized the vegetable here and not the batter. One of the best pakoras I've ever had.
Mysore Masala Dosa (thin rice crepe topped with a hot chutney/sauce): Had some awesome Masala Dosas in Berkeley ages ago. This was as good as I've had it. It was crispy but then it melted into my throat after it graced my tongue. Bananas! "B" LOVED it for real. The hot chutney was great. I saved it to use as a sort of chili sauce on my rice dish later in the meal.
Gobi Masala (potatoes and cauliflower in a wonderful curry sauce): A whole 'nother level of spicy. Not hot...just tasty as sin. "B" ordered this and I was a jealous beeyatch because it tasted better than my...
Special Vegetable Curry (vegetables in a special curry...haha just kidding): Pretty good for what it was. The Mysore sauce from the dosa gave it the kick it needed.
All in all this was a very pleasant surprise. I used to think that I was jaded when it comes to being blown away by Indian restaurants. I've had incredible Indian Food from Hong Kong to the Bay Area. This place gave me that "first date with someone you really like" feeling. Its been awhile, but I think I'm in love with a new Indian joint.
The LOWDOWN
Plus 5 stars for the awesome food. Period...and stronje!
Go to this restaurant for really excellent VEGETARIAN south Indian cuisine. No meat here. Sorry, Carnivore David P.
The coconut chutney is so yummy. My favorite dish is your basic masala dosa -- a crisp crepe wrapped around curried potatoes with onions. My next favorite dish is the uthapam (a lentil flour pancake) with tomato and peas. If you want to see something BIG, order the paper masala dosa.
Try the Udupi Special to get an overview of what South Indian cuisine is all about. The Thali dinner lets you sample many different tastes in one meal. The baigan bartha and palak paneer are really good, too.
Another pretty bomb southern vegetarian Indian restaurant. The paper dosa's are freakin humongous. I prefer getting a dosa rather than their lunch special which was average.
Had a medhu vadai which was pretty good also. It came out like it was just fried(?) and pretty fulfulling.
I was in town visiting friends in So Cal and they suggested Udupi for dinner. I have had south indian veg in No Cal and thought it was good but this place takes the cake. I had the Madras dosa and it was yummy.
I love this place and don't mind driving the 30 minutes plus to get here. My friends love it when I drag them here. The special rava dosa is the bomb. A big beautiful dosa that must be 20 inches across and made with a blend of flours. I have yet to find this version of the dosa anywhere else. For comparison, order one of the other dosas also and share them at the table. The thali plate (a bunch of small portions of lots of things) is very good also. Friends seem to go for the sweet or mango lassi, but I think the salty version is the way to go with this meal. The cardamom tea is an interesting try also.
This veggie food is filling and good value, and you'll feel good enough to still shop for Lil' India goods up and down Pioneer Bl.
20 years ago when i was a student at CSUF my friend and tried to find a good indian restaurant in artesia. we always found 'good' food but never anything amazing. what a difference yelp makes. the wife was looking for a place to celebrate (with vegetarian food) after her graduation (Masters Social Work, yeah wife unit!) and she found udupi palace. i hadn't had any southern indian food, but it amazing! like most good indian meals you need to go with 4+ people to try a little bit of everything. since it was a celebration i didn't quite pay attention to exactly what we were eating and we are looking forward to go back again soon. already i know its well worth the drive from los angeles for such a fine meal.
Take-Out was so quick here. I got the #2 Lunch Special which is enough for 2 people for lunch and 2 Mango Lassi's. I love spicy food and I'm not an Indian food expert. Everything was vegetarian and good. It only took 5 minutes from ordering to me leaving the restaurant door. A little on the pricier side $18 for 2 for what I consider take-out/fast food. Without the Mango Lassi's it would have been about $10 or so, much better. I love spicy vegetarian food and this was very flavorful and I liked everything that came in the #2 Lunch combination. Let's not forget that this is a South Indian vegetarian restaurant. In other words you aren't going to find the traditional food of a North/Central Indian food restaurant. You can't rate on what they don't have (beer, meat) you gotta rate on what they do. The service was good, helpful, and communicative for my take-out order.
I love Indian food and this was the first time I tried South Indian food. I came with a group of… Read more »
I had a craving for Indian food. My husband suggested Rajdhani, but I thought we'd try something new. Thanks, fellow yelpers, for pointing me to Udupi Palace! He had the South Indian Thali, and I, the Udupi Palace Special.
My dish consisted of idli and medhu vada (fried to golden brown perfection!), served with rasam and sambar, and my choice of any dosa or uthapam. Our waiter recommended the Special Rava Masala Dosa (made with cream of wheat), also served with rasam and sambar. All tasted very fresh. As always, I loved the stark differences in textures. The rasam had just the right spice, and the sambar was rich in coconut flavor. My husband's thali came with rice (which we never got to), chapati, and papad. The chapati was the weakest part of the meal. It tasted of uncooked dough. I liked the curries, especially the chickpeas (I am sure the selections change often), but I have to say that I like them better at Rajdhani. Oh, I loved the Payasam! I tried it for the first time, so I have no point of comparison. But it reminded me of two of the desserts that you can find at almost any Indian restaurant, Kheer and Gulab Jamun. I liked that it was not overly sweet. I should also mention that my husband loved the milkshake of the day, chikoo. He likened it to mamey, but with an extra caramel flavor.
Service was incredibly cordial and friendly. It actually felt like they were happy to have us there? I liked the photos of food and people that decorated the walls. Otherwise, the space was non-descript. Our check was in the high $20s. Not too bad. I will go back for the dosas, and to try their uthapam.
I love this place. I wish I wasn't such a creature of habit and would order something other than the masala dosa, but why change? Great samosas too, and reasonable prices. Plus i can walk to the little grocery store next door and get Indian food packets i can take to work.
This Indian restaurant is sooooooooooooo delish!!! 5 stars A+++++ The dosa's are so good!!! Love it!
Artesia, CA
Category: Indian
Artesia, CA
Category: Indian
Artesia, CA
Category: Indian
Artesia, CA
Category: Indian
Artesia, CA
Category: Vegetarian
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