On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Indian, Vegetarian
Neighborhood: MissionMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
Udupi has the best South Indian food I've had in the SF Bay Area. Not only are their Dosa's hugenormous and filled with amazingly spiced fillings, but the chutneys are absolutely fabulous. I've tried the Mysore Masala Dosa (#24), Spinach Masala Dosa (#25), the Spicy Vegetable Masala Dosa (#34), and the Onion Masala Dosa (#22); all were amazing! To top it off, the service was great and the food is downright inexpensive; the dosa prices range from approx. $7 to $8! If you're looking for a trendy ambience (and more expensive prices), walk a few doors down to Dosa; if you're looking for great food, look no further than Udupi.
I. love. potatoes. So naturally, I love masala dosas as well. I came here over the weekend with the boyfriend while exploring his new neighborhood. And by "exploring," I mean stay close to Valencia and away from Mission.
I got the Special Rava Masala Dosa, which looked as good as it tasted. A feast for my eyes AND tastebuds? LOVE IT. The prices are reasonable (especially for the sizable portions), the waiters are friendly and attentive, and the food is locatsOMNOMNOM-worthy. I finished my entire dosa, which wasn't an easy feat, but tasty Indian food is hard to access in yellow-washed Millbrae, so I had been deprived.
The one defect is that they're cash-only. Can I just go on a mini-rant and say that I absolutely HATE places that only accept cash?? I hate dealing with change and dirty bills, so I prefer to keep all of my transactions plastic-friendly. I mean, who knows where those dollar bills in my wallet have been before nestling comfortably in my knock-off Chanel wallet from China? In the grubby hands of some people who are stingy with toilet paper? Tucked into a stripper's g-string? The possibilities are ENDLESS and that scares the shit out of me, the germaphobe.
So please, invest in a card swiper KTHX.
At Udupi Palace, I can eat anything on the menu. This is such a huge relief (as I've said in other reviews)! Just to be able to walk in, sit down, and not have to scan the menu for my vegetarian options, because the whole menu is vegetarian!
Udupi Palace is also reasonably priced and you get a lot of tasty food for your money. I would actually warn people about that -- the food is filling, delicious, and there's a lot of it. Come prepared either to be stuffed, or take a lot of food home.
Been here for lunch about four times and it's on the radar for good. it's been consistently good all times. the ambiance is okay. I prefer Dosa for a dinner out with friends but for lunch or a regular week day meal or weekend where you dont want to spend as much, this place is great.
the portions are generous and the variety of vegetarian items makes you not miss the meat. I am not a vegetarian but I love coming here. If you are coming for lunch try the Vegetable curry. it rocks. The Dosa is too much food mid-day for me. The chai is good for those that dont like to too sweet.
Yummers. They'll get their 5th star as soon as they accept debit or credit lol for payment. FYI they only accept cash only. Otherwise, they're menu is not disappointing at all. My friend took me here for lunch and ordered me the Masala Dosa. Basically dosas are the South Indian version of a French crepe; however, the dosas are more on the salty side than sweet side. This is a vegetarian restaurant so most of the dosas are filled with potatoes, onions, spinach, etc...They serve them with different sauces. I like it that they've all got a kick to it-not too spicy but not bland. Their staff is friendly and they always refill my glass with water. Plus for me.
FYI: parking may be a bit difficult to find. There is street parking down Valencia but of course it's usually occupied. Don't forget you nee to feed the meter or else you may end up paying a parking ticket that's worth more than the actual meal...
1. It's cheap.
2. The portions are huge. My boyfriend and I order an appetizer and split an entree and we were stuffed.
3. The service is super quick.
4. The waitstaff is extremely friendly.
5. It's better than Dosa. (and substancially cheaper- save ur money)
Three words: Paneer Peas Uthappam. :)
YUM! I bookmarked this place a while ago and finally just ate here. Now I will definitely come back ... for multiple reasons:
1. absolutely delicious vegetarian food, so much flavor in both of the dosas we ate, and no indigestion
2. very inexpensive for a large amount of food, especially as compared to DOSA down the street
3. short wait for a table and friendly waitstaff, especially as compared to DOSA down the street
4. seating is a little cramped but the high ceilings reduce the discomfort of close proximity to strangers; overall, the atmosphere is warm, inviting, and lively
5. I love this neighborhood; Valencia and 21st is perfect for a post-meal stroll
I realize this may seem like a half-assed review (I didn't really describe the food) but that's not important right now. I just wanted to add to their star count. For the high quality of their meals and the low prices, they deserve it.
Love the food (4 stars!), but when I tried to get them to deliver today they told me that:
- they only deliver within 3 miles of the mission
- my place, which is about 2.5 miles from their door, is "too far"
Boo. :( Trying again tomorrow, with my handy google mapped data to back me up. If they change their tune, I'll change mine.
I haven't been this happy eating out in a long time.
I ordered a Mysore Masala Dosa and asked to make sure it came out spicy. Not only was it very spicy (in a good way), it was well-seasoned, perfectly cooked, and just absolutely delicious. Their chutneys are all flavorful as well as their sambar.
I ate at Dosa on Fillmore awhile ago and Udupi is seriously a better place. More flavor, larger portion (only ate half, so I get to eat this delicious concoction for lunch tomorrow!), and about $2 cheaper per entree. The coconut chutney was particularly noteworthy, since I absolutely love coconut, and I do remember that I was seriously disappointed in Dosa's coconut chutney (it was bland).
Service is super friendly and the servers are really cute. Not necessarily in the "i want to take you back to bed" cute, but more in the "can i just give you a big fat hug?" kind of cute. I will definitely be back. No more Dosa (on Fillmore or Valencia) for me!
One of my favorate restaruants on Valencia.
YUMMY
Overall very delicious.
SERVICE
Outstanding; very polite and fast.
ATMOSPHERE
Above average for the price range
Another solid meal at Udupi Palace on Saturday night. Note that they take reservations. We were seated in about two minutes despite the line because we had phoned ahead.
The dosa with potato and the chickpea masala were both good but I give the edge to the chickpea masala again.
Fast, friendly and efficient service, tasty food, and bargain prices will keep me coming back.
Very good south indian food and a great value. Udupi Palace is a vegetarian restaurant so if you… Read more »
I love this place! Indian, affordable, vegetarian, spicy and coconut-y. Yum. And the service? The staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. And they know their food too.
I'm on a really restrictive diet that can make dining out a challenge. While my options at Udupi (or anywhere else for that matter) are limited, the servers know what's in everything and have gone out of their way to make sure I get what I need. They're always ready with a smile and, surprisingly in such a high volume restaurant, they remember me and my dietary needs every time.
Sadly, I can't have the dosas, but they are beautiful. Get the giant paper masala dosa; it's 2 feet long. But really, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.
Sometimes the place is packed, but the turnover of customers is high, so your wait shouldn't be too long.
My only real criticism would be the noise level. When the place is hopping it can be hard to hear your friends, but really, this isn't a place to spend a long relaxing evening. It's a place to get a great meal, and in that respect, it delivers.
So I had just moved up to SF, so my friend (who has probably been here 10+ times) took me here. She recommended we split a Dosai (Dosa) and indicated with her hands that it would be around the size of a Totally did not believe her because I thought she was just exaggerating and toying with my emotions because I do love good (and abundant) Indian food...BUT IT REALLY WAS HUGE. AND SO GOOD! The Dosa came with 3 dipping sauces and also a potato side. YUM. And the two of us couldn't even finish (even though it was delicious). That's how amazingly large it was. Next time, will try other dishes because there will be a next time!
Udupi has the best South Indian food I've ever had. Granted, I've never been to Southern India, but a friend who lived there gave Udupi a stamp of "authentic" approval.
Their dosas are just out of this world. Served on tin trays the way they would be in India, they are large (I always take half home for lunch the next day) and come with three delicious sauces and a small, spicy lentil soup. Such a good deal. My favorite dosa is the spring dosa with raw vegetables. The spinach dosa is another good choice and you can ask them to make you a saag paneer dosa (not on the menu) so as to combine the deliciousness of the dosa with cottage cheese and spinach goodness inside.
The only reason I won't give them five stars is because despite the fact that I go every week at least once, they haven't seemed to figure out how to bring me water or my check in a more timely fashion.
In one word: YUM. We had two dosas and I don't even remember what kind they were - one had potatoes, the other didn't. And both had these amazing sauces. The portions were so generous we had to pack up the third dish we ordered. The service was fast and the wait staff was attentive and friendly. I will certainly come back here.
i read a few of the reviews and i admit i cant offer much new information, other than my opinion, which i suppose is the point of yelp. overall, great food, great service, nice ambiance, clean(ish) bathroom, good price for an everyday kind of experience. the dosas are very fresh looking (and big!) and are definitely the highlight. the curries and other rice dishes tend to be come a bit...looking....all the same? but still definitely delicious. dosas had the most discernible and relevant flavors.
ask for the specials or be sure to read the board at the front. it gets crowded during the week and on weekends so expect a wait if you have a party of 4 or more (not a long, deal breaker kind of wait, but at least 15-20 min.)
a GREAT option for vegetarians and vegans. most of the dairy based (yogurt) dips are served on the side.
Wow I never thought I could enjoy vegetarian Indian food so much! I love having meat during my meals but I now have a new appreciation for this genre of cooking. The color scheme and decor in the space were earthy/festive with plenty of seating. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) The food portions may look average but don't be fooled...they will fill you up! Service was wonderful since we were checked on often and the food came out in a timely manner. It didn't hurt that we had a cute waiter too. haha Remember it's cash only!
mixed vegetable uthappam ($7.95) - This was a rice and lentil pancake that came with 4 sauces/chutneys. OMG I adored every single one of those dips and was pleasantly surprised that they all tasted so different/unique. They had the right amount of spiciness and had varying flavors that challenged the palate. I think my faves were the tomato and coconut ones. That pancake (filled with peas, carrots, tomatoes and onions) was divine too...I couldn't stop eating it! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
special vegetable curry ($9.95) - My friend ordered this one and regretted picking the medium spice since it was a little too spicy. lol She really enjoyed it though and even had leftovers. The poori (inflated dough?) was interesting and went well with the curry too. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Come here for an affordable, filling, and healthy Indian meal! Can't wait until my next food adventure here!
"The dosa place across the street from Dosa"
Cheap, filling, authentic, delicious. Encapsulates what I love about San Francisco's food scene.
So I'm a harsher judge of South Indian restaurants than other types of cuisine -- I grew up on the stuff -- so indulge me please. Three Yelp stars is a pretty solid showing on my personal South Indian scale. Four stars = outstanding, and five stars can really only go to Mom for her impossibly amazing ability to make vegetarian food taste divine (and don't just take my word for it, all my friends used to try to finagle a meal at our place when I was a kid).
Udupi Palace gets three stars. Go here and order dosas, the thali (a smörgasbord that lets you try many different little traditional South Indian dishes -- my recommendation), or the uthappams. The sambar is delish, and the rasam packs a mean black pepper (not chilli powder) punch as its supposed to.
Do not go here to order North Indian dishes like samosas, saag paneer or pretty much anything you get at Pakwan or any Indian / Pakistani restaurant you're familiar with. Would you get kung pao chicken at a Japanese restaurant?
Minus a star or two for the following: (1) their coconut chutney was not fresh, and must have been made 1-2 days ago. The best coconut chutney doesn't taste obviously coconut-y. A South Indian place that messes this up is like a Korean restaurant screwing up kimchi; (2) the pappadam was stale -- the good kind should be crisp and crunchy, not soft with a paper-like texture; (3) Cash only? Do these places exist anymore?
Still, a pretty solid showing. As is to be expected at most Indian restaurants, service is marginal and indifferent at best.
A poser place like Dosa just down Valencia makes me so mad that I can't even bring myself to rate it.
Ooooooh SNAP!
My second time with South Indian food and wow... I'm not sure I need to go anywhere else, ever again.
I was very impressed with everything here last night. The prices were great and the food was incredible. Dosas, the size of my forearms, packed full of delicious potatoes, peas, and other savory goodies. I believe we had the special rava masala dosa. It came with sambar and coconut chutney. It was incredible.
The pineapple Uthappam topped with diced Pineapple was mindblowing... and for $5.95, it was even better. We also had the paneer makhani: Cottage cheese cubes in Tomato & Cream gravy. It was delicious. Definitely my favorite, which is saying something since it was all so good!
I have yet to find anything in Seattle that serves up the deliciousness that Udupi does.
I still really like Dosa down the street, but I gotta say that Udupi is better and the price points are much, much more reasonable.
Cash only, but there's an ATM next door.
Dosas! Many things on this cheap, all-vegetarian menu enticed me; I went with the fantastic spinach dosa. We ordered a half carafe of wine and the total altogether was about what you'd expect for two entrees at some comparable restaurant. The paneer dishes are also worth checking out, especially if as a counterpoint to the dosas. Did I mention, Dosas?
Both times I've arrived, I was seated within 10 minutes even though the place was fairly filled out. Just make sure you've got cash...
Oh why yes - I think I will eat ALL of the sauce from that plate. Hand me a spoon!
Cheap and chilled, it's definitely a place where licking the plate is appropriate! Bring on the dosas (hugely delish), pineapple uthappam, paneer makhani! Nom, nom, nom. I'd say more but I'm busy daydreaming about this bit of tastebud euphoria!
I have now been to all three Udupi Palaces in the bay area, and they are all different. To compete with Dosa's ambiance, this UP has cloth napkins, and rolls your dosa so that it does not hang off the plate and touch the table when they serve you.
The food is good here. It's not California cuisine influenced by South India, it's South Indian food. Dosas, utthapam, rasam, everything is very good. The only thing I did not enjoy was the paneer.
South Indian Food Battle: DOSA vs. UP (Udupi Palace)
Ambience: DOSA definitely wins for style, cleanliness and overall appeal. No contest.
Service: Toss up. Although DOSA boasts a helpful and friendly staff, UP's staff is just as efficient, attentive and precise.
Authenticity: UP! You won't find cheese dosa or some jacked up fusion dessert anywhere near UP's menu. (Last time we ordered the Beet Halwa and Sago Payasam from DOSA - huge mistake!) Furthermore, UP serves a shockingly large paper dosa, biggest I've ever seen, it looks as long as my arm!
Taste: Both restaurants serve extremely good dosa and uttapam. DOSA edges UP out on the other dishes (curries, samosa, biriyanis, etc). DOSA serves up the best raita/chutneys I've ever had, and UP's raita/chutneys is severely deficient, esp the raita (talk about runny and sour to the point of being vinegary!). However, DOSA kills themselves with the worst desserts on the planet, they would do better to follow UP's lead and stick with the basics, i.e. good gulab jamun and call it a nite. In the end, I give this category to DOSA by an extremely thin sliver due to their raita.
Cost and Value: UP wins this category hands down. Note: UP has raised their prices, you can tell by looking at the menu online, everything is about $1 cheaper on the online menu in comparison to the restaurant menu. Still, DOSA is extremely overpriced, so it's no contest.
Miscellaneous: UP only takes cash which is inconvenient.
Overall: I'd say it's really close, after a visit to either of these restaurants, I'm full and satisfied as can be and burping up masala flavor for hours afterward...However, I'd wager a guess that all of my South Indian buddies would vote for UP in the end, so who am I to argue? Udupi Palace reigns supreme!
This affordable restaurant offers a warm environment and delicious food. The paneer makhani I had was delicious, and unique from other places I've had it before. It needed moore cheese cubes though. I have to admit I wasn't quite sure how to eat our huge dosa, but we dug in. Everything was delicious except for the chai. I was not a fan of the chai at all, it's too spicy and no sweet at all. Service was a little slow. I might have given it 4 stars if I didn't love Little Dheli so much (their chai is all you can drink for a dollar, and it's so delicious!)
It's about time I stop sitting around NOT reviewing Udupi and just review it already, although they don't need my 5 stars to boost their ratings. I'm with everyone here, this place is better then good, it's awesome.
I remember when this local was Firecracker, a Chinese joint that I had some rather lackluster experiences at so I was feeling superstitious about the location when the dr. took me here for the first time. Saturday night. The place was bustling with activity and there was a small wait for a table. Once seated though, I couldn't stop staring at the gigantic metal trays floating around. Everything looked and smelled good.
It was my first dosa. I had dreams of this dosa. Even leftovers the day after were good cold.
I've been back several times. I'm all about the dosas (masala) because I cannot say no to potatoes. I ventured to have the veggie korma and it was decent with crunchy fresh veggies, but I keep going back to the dosa. Mad props for the thali, which can be veganized if you ask for it.
I went tonight and got a appetizer with the lentil donuts then I got the Udupi sampler with #16. It was delicious. The chai tea was amazing! Mango lassi was good too. Awesome staff, I'll go back again for sure. Excellent prices for the amount of food. I love that this place is 100% vegetarian, i don't have to worry about them using chicken broth or sneaking meat into a dish somehow. 5 stars, no doubt about it.
Nice ambiance, nice service & nice food. But remember they accept only Cash / checks :). Authentic south Indian Taste, though we tried papdi-chat (appetizer, spicy, crispy & with lots of flavor) was on top. Chole Puri was little oily but as its supposed to be, its a fried Puffy Bread Served with Garbanzo beans with Indian sides & was yummy. The Dosa's looked good too. Also not over-priced at all for the place they are located. Would definitely recommend this one :)
I went here during SF Pride weekend and so my normally happy-go-lucky mood due to the lovely people of SF (and the Mission in particular) was even more uplifted due to the weekend celebrating freedom and love.
Anyways, onto the food. The wait was quite a few minutes long but was completely worth it.
I ordered samosas (as always) and some big doughy thing (it wasn't a dosa, it was called something else.....) yeah I know that's really descriptive but it doesn't matter because my food was awesome!!
The only thing was that they were cash only.
The waitstaff were very nice and attentive, and I live super-close so I will definitely be back here again. Take that DOSA!
How is it that I have not yet written a review for Udupi Palace? This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants, if not my fav.
I'm a confirmed carnivore so for a vegetarian restaurant to rank so highly on my list, is rather shocking. In fact, I eat here almost weekly.
I love love love South Indian food, and Udupi hits the spot. The food is out of this world. It never disappoints. Be sure to try the Samosa Chaat, a potato samosa in a bowl full of spicy broth, chickpeas and cheese.
The service is great; friendly and attentive.
Dinner for two with and appetizer and 1 glass of wine or beer, each, runs about $35 --seriously, and there are ALWAYS leftovers! What is not to love?
Wow, just writing this makes me ready to get my Udupi fix. God I love this restaurant!
This is definitely my wife's favorite restaurant, and it is by far the best vegetarian restaurant I have ever been to. The Samosa Chaat appetizer is very delicious, and as filling as any entree. The two of usually order that plus one dosa or uttapam, share everything and it is more than enough food. Everything is so rich and tasty that you never miss the fact that there's no meat. And, to top things off, it is ridiculously inexpensive. The two of us usually spend about $30, total, and that's including wine and beer. They are cash only, but they do deliver.
The preparations parallel authentic South Indian cuisine in flavor and appearance. Location is not that great, though parking is very close by. Ambience was not South Indian in any way, was more like a panorama of Indian culture and history. They serve food in traditional South Indian thalis (plates) which is kind of cool. They don't take plastic, only cash.
I'm an unabashed carnivore. I ate my first real salad in college, and even to this day lettuce is a chore to eat. Under normal circumstances, this restaurant would have never, ever, in a million years fallen under my foodie radar - carnivores don't go to anything with the word "vegetarian" printed on the awning. But I entered due to the fact that I: 1) am on this stupid South Beach Diet that doesn't allow me to eat anything unhealthy (aka "good"), and 2) was meeting up with an old high school friend I hadn't seen in years that had suggested this place. (What can I say, I'm polite.)
After nixing anything that contained rice, potatoes, and well...goodness, we settled on a whole wheat dosa, vegetable curry with several dipping sauces, and chana masala (chickpeas). One bite into the curry dishes and I forgot I was in a meat-challenged environment. The initial heat of the spice hit me immediately, but it quickly mellowed out into a nice, warm flavor. The dosa and rotis ripped into sloppy shreds made the perfect dipping instruments into the yummy sauces.
While this isn't the greatest Indian food I've ever had, the fact that I left happy and full at a vegetarian restaurant is enough to make them earn a five star review. Yum!
disclaimer: i'm not south indian. and i HATE places like DOSA.
yea yea...see, after you travel and realize that foods like dosas, naan, pad thai, etc...are all basically cheap street foods and aren't about pretension, you'd have a hard time paying a stupid ridiculous price for something the restaurant down the street can make, but for half the price. how you ask? b/c you're not paying for their upscale "fusion/designer" digs and their absurdly trendy locale.
ok, so the breakdown of the food:
1. samosa's: awesome. slightly greasy, but not soggy. nice texture of the filo coupled with the filling, which wasn't just mashed potatoes sprinkled with peas. the 2 sauces that came with it are the mint/spicy sauce, which was nice and thick...not runny. i think that's quality. the tamarind sauce was nice and thick and sweet, but still "earthy." sorry, only way to say it...not trying to be a food critic.
2. special dosa (spicy mango): huge, crispy, but slightly not so crispy where the filling was. but overall, the texture was still pronounced. the filling, chunks of mango, good smooth texture, not stringy. coconut based, so it was rich, but the spice was a nice break to that.
3. Uthappam: first time i've had this. it was a spice one with cauliflowers. the pancake-thing the toppings were on was abit thick...not really crunchy. so therefore it felt a little heavy, but it was still tasty. i can imagine taking it home and putting on the skillet to crisp up the bottom...that would have been a nice texture.
sorry for the long review. i've just been trying to find an alternative to DOSA here. the price is right. the place is not crazy busy like dosa. it's homey, clean, and simple. try it, let me know.
Romba Nandri!... that's Tamil for Thank you (very much!).
Headed here last night with my friend who just got back from 3 months in India and we just wanted to feast on some good South Indian food to remind us of home.
SAMBHAR VADA ($3.75)
The sambhar was cooked well, onions were soft, the sambhar mix was just the right consistency (not too thick and not too thin) and it came piping hot which is when it tastes best. Traditionally, we put in roasted chillis but I'm guessing stomachs here cannot handle that level of hotness.
The vadas (2 of them) came nicely fried and sitting in the sambhar mix just waiting to be devoured... and devoured they were. And oh! the coconut chutney was really good too!
THALI ($11.95)
My friend had the thali and by god! was it a thali with an assortment of 5 vegetables (dry as well as with gravy), a gulab jamun (heaven!!!), a puri (puffed bread), chutneys and pickles and each was just the right amount
PAPER MASALA DOSA ($6.95)
My ears turned beet root red when this arrived. Back home in India, the longest one I ever had was about 2 feet in length.
The waiter brought out this dosa that was easily 3 1/2 feet long and all heads turned to see who ordered it... ME! it was ME... so sue ME. And a round of applause followed that made the beet root turn crimson... never knew I could blush.
Anyhoo, the dosa was excellent! Crisp, thin and just a joy to eat as I dipped it first in the sambhar and then the coconut chutney. The masala potato was in the middle in a metal bowl.
Interestingly, I finished the whole thing on my own... OINK!
GULAB JAMUNS ($2.50)
I'd have been happier with jalebis but the gulab jamuns were equally good. The secret to knowing a good gulab jamun is:
- the core at the middle should not be even the slightest bit hard. Should be soft to the bite
- the sugar syrup (yes, folks, that's all sugar with some rose water, hence the word "gulab" which means "rose" in hindi) should be sweet but not overly sweet where you are unable to taste the flavor of the gulab jamun
- the dish should arrive warm with the sugar syrup slightly warmer than the slightly warm gulab jamuns
- when you bite into the gulab jamuns, they should not stick to your teeth
WINE ($28.00)
Yes, we did wine... even though Kingfisheer beer would have been the perfect accompaniment. We did the bottle of Bordeaux and it went very well with the spice level of the food and actually had a nice cooling affect to it.
All in all, meal came to about $60 (coz of the boozers that me and my friend are!). But actual food was only $32, which ain't bad!
I'm so going there again and again and am grateful I don't have to go all the way to Berkeley or San Mateo to get south indian food! NICE!!
Love this place. The food is great and the service is usually good. There is one server there that is consistently great. I wish I knew his name, but It seems like he is always there when we go to this restaurant. Anyway, I would recommend this place over Dosa if you want good food and a friendly atmosphere. Dosa is only better in its decor if you need to take out a client or something.
Growing up, my feeling for Indian food would have been defined as antipathy. I don't think I knew what this word meant until I was 16 or so but I felt it long before. I grew up in SF and grew up occasionally eating the somewhat (to me) bland and greasy Punjabi-style Indian food that's been ubiquitous in the US for decades. When I travelled to India in 2003 it was for a friend's wedding and the food was the thing I was looking forward to the least. Well, I was promptly bitch-slapped by about a jillion years of bad ass Indian culinary culture. Ambling the dusty byways of Southern India I quickly developed an abiding love for its food.
Upon returning home in late 04 I was heartened to find a spot in Berkeley that could satiate my Southern Indian jonez: Udupi Palace on University. Imagine my joy when they decided to open a location mere blocks from my crib on Valencia. It was sweetened by the location's proximity to that bastion of hipster lameness; Dosa. "Finally," I thought, "an end to the ill-informed crowing of my fellow Mission denizens over Dosa's 'amazing Southern Indian cuisine'". Udupi had arrived to serve up food twice as delicious for half the price. In typical Indian fashion, it took about 3 times longer for the restaurant to actually open than I expected but it was worth the wait. Don't fear to venture off the dosa path. Start with the Thali (a sort of sampler platter of dishes) then branch out into less known (but no less tasty) items such as the Uthappam.
Dosas and sambar are my crack! I could eat here every day of the week(and sometimes I do). I also LOVE the saag paneer with its deliciously fresh spinach. I order it without cream which always cues the server to ask,
"Oh, you want it vegan?" Huh-uh, don't forget the paneer please! Honestly, it's the best saag paneer I've had in the city(home cooking included, sorry guys).
Sorry mom,
Have to upgrade Udupi Palace to 5 stars. Not because of a more recent experience, but because I went to Dosa tonight and I realized how SOL I would be without Udupi Palace.
I can't give any indian restaurant five stars, because that would be an affront to the caliber of my… Read more »
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Category: Indian
There's a whole yelping world out there to…
stop being cheap, we spend good money at your…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Not too many spots serve dosa, so here are some…
I'm so glad that there are places that understand…
I know, it's a challenge. But I still believe it…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
These are some of the places I go during my lunch…
