date: 11/15/05
location: columbia heights
grade: a-

a guest review.

this place is fantastic. unless you're a true carnivore as there is no meat served here. though I will say this...i know of a woman who had udupi cater her wedding. not one of the carnivores there had any complaints about the food. i recall several of them even going back for 2nds and 3rds.

this is a traditional southern indian vegetarian restaurant the like of which is not found elsewhere in the twin cities. we visited on a blustery night, roads were terrible and it seemed quite a long haul to columbia heights. however, walk in the door, smell the wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen and you're transported to a warmer, happier place.

everything was beautifully prepared. the table seemed a bit small once all the huge plates of food and the accompaniments were brought out. service was quite good, though water refills were a bit slow and plates were allowed to linger on the table. it's probably more of a cultural thing...it seemed more as if they didn't want to rush us. all of the food is served w/ a variety of condiments including: coconut chutney, hot chutney, tamarind chutney, cilantro chili sauce, tomato chutney and sambar, a vegetable/lentil soup.

for appetizers we shared the following:

• kancheepurum iddly (steamed rice and lentil patties garnished with cashew nuts, carrots, and coriander)
• chaat papri (crisp flour cookie sprinkled with puffed rice, crispy noodles, and plain yogurt tossed with potatoes, onions, fresh coriander and tamarind chutney). this was the hit of the night. a flavor combo quite unlike any other, and a blend of textures that was really superlative. crispy, smooth, crunchy, cool and hot all at once.
• vegetable samosa (crispy and flaky crust stuffed with potato, onions, and
  peas)

the entrees are all really too much for one person of average appetite to complete, sharing is recommended. all entrees are given a level of heat according to your preference. medium was had all around, this provided wonderful warmth without being too much for an american palate. also, the level of heat can be adjusted at the table with the addition of one of the various chutneys or sauces provided. we had:

• masala dosai (thin rice crepe filled with spiced potatoes and onions) - huge and wonderful...comfort food for people who like their food to have flavor. warning...the dosais are quite a bit bigger than a standard burrito size tortilla...really a lot of food.
• special rava masala dosai (thin wheat and lentil crepe grilled with onions and chilies, filled with onions and potatoes). a kicked up version of the masala dosai, the addition of a layer of hot chutney on the inside and the onions and chilies in the crepe provided great flavor and some welcome textural enhancement.
• mutter paneer (green peas and home made fresh cheese cooked with tomato, onion, and indian spices)
• palak paneer (spinach and home made fresh cheese cooked with onion, tomato, and indian spices). both paneers were excellent, i'd say the best versions of these dishes i've had here in the cities, excepting a home made version made by the mother of a friend of mine from india.

for breads we chose poori (deep fried, whole wheat, fluffy bread) highly recommended, and chapati (thin, soft, whole wheat bread).

dessert was falooda (rose milk, scented rose water, fine rice noodles and a scoop of rose ice cream) i know the rose flavoring sounds strange...but once you've had it you'll never forget it. really an exotic treat. if you're not up for noodles in your dessert, order a rose lassi instead.

beverage-wise we went with flying horse beer. several other indian varieties of beer available, it matches well with indian food, the brits knew what they were doing with that. they also serve several non-alcoholic beverages and a decent wine list.

total tab for 4 people including beer, wine, tax + tip : $95.00

great meal, good value, good service.