udupi palace

udupi palace
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on my 101 in 1001 list (39/143)
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.

we should have stopped there, but we had to have some baigan bartha, 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.