All my life I've know it to be Udupi and then I moved here and it suddenly became Udipi, pisses me off :(

- Thumbs up for Rasika :D
- Gotta try Heritage India

FWIW - in the DC area, Rasika (DC)

Have been to Rasika, amazing food, next time I will have pictures and a review.

Saravana Bhavan here is a ridiculous,

The name is overused. The one is Atlanta used to be good, Zagat Rated :), slowly sunk and the last time I was there, they changed management, name and were closed for remodeling.

but you get the same for less at either Amma’s (Vienna, Georgetown).

I can never compare Amma to anything. It is more like visiting a friends/ relatives place to me. I know what to expect and when Chetta says "You wanted Dosa, here is dosa" (Even when it was something I did not order) I cannot but feel at home.

well-cooked lunch buffet spread!

Heritage India at Dupont has a good Lunch Buffet.

Tell you what, the best places for Indian food anywhere is a temple canteen :),

Spoken like my dad. :)

most of the restaurants you have talked about are close by in Atlanta, Madras Saravana Bhavan - Dosa is half cooked, Udipi - it’s like buying a lottery ticket with 50% chance of winning, some days it’s good, some days it’s bad.

Minerva in Atlanta is one of the finest I have seen, the buffet is just overwhelming. But the desi babua there after an initial hesitation asks you to pay in “cash” for a small discount. The catch? No receipt!! Couldn’t believe it.

Been there too, the spread was good, the food was ok from what I remember, my meat eating friends had a very good time. I think it was lamb or something that they kept going back for.

And what’s the talk abt aversion to mushrooms??? 4 of my closest friends have changed their minds after they ate the mushroom curry I cook with heavy whipping cream, some girls absolutely love it :)

The girls I know would starve before they eat mushroom. My mom included. :)

Anyone wants a recipe kya?

YENtirely dependent on your ability to fit the owner’s daughter into your mother’s bharatanatyam beginner’s class. (Malabar, close to Short Pump center). If you neglect to take ‘teacher-ji’ you’re sunk.

If you use "influence" you always get the best treatment. Next time I should take 'teacher-ji' with me. :)

yeah sidhu, i generally avoid mushrooms because they don’t require sunlight to grow…but my grandmother’s mushroom curry (for lack of a better word–probably a set of flavors used for meat that is being thrown onto a vegetarian-appropriate base) consistently makes me break my own rule.

That is something a lot of my recently turned veggie friends have told me. Mushroom apparently is a great substitute for meat.

yeah sidhu, i generally avoid mushrooms because they don't require sunlight to grow...but my grandmother's mushroom curry (for lack of a better word--probably a set of flavors used for meat that is being thrown onto a vegetarian-appropriate base) consistently makes me break my own rule.

gosh, you guys all seem to have at least more than one quality option. Richmond has a truckload of shitty generic north indian restaurants and one southie (with credible thosai, non-credible rasam and a variety of goa specialties) place with service that is YENtirely dependent on your ability to fit the owner's daughter into your mother's bharatanatyam beginner's class. (Malabar, close to Short Pump center). If you neglect to take 'teacher-ji' you're sunk.

And what's the talk abt aversion to mushrooms??? 4 of my closest friends have changed their minds after they ate the mushroom curry I cook with heavy whipping cream, some girls absolutely love it :)

Anyone wants a recipe kya?

whoa, looks like ya'll are not anywhere close to south east.

Tell you what, the best places for Indian food anywhere is a temple canteen :), most of the restaurants you have talked about are close by in Atlanta, Madras Saravana Bhavan - Dosa is half cooked, Udipi - it's like buying a lottery ticket with 50% chance of winning, some days it's good, some days it's bad. Minerva in Atlanta is one of the finest I have seen, the buffet is just overwhelming. But the desi babua there after an initial hesitation asks you to pay in "cash" for a small discount. The catch? No receipt!! Couldn't believe it.
Zyka in Atlanta is a must for chicken biryani lovers, Zyka in Dallas is awesome too.
Another memorable Indian restaurant is Ruchi in Kansas city and I haven't mentioned at least 3 Indian restaurants that are less than 5 miles form home :), they are again like buying lottery tickets.

FWIW - in the DC area, Rasika (DC) & Rangoli (South Riding, Loudoun County, NoVA) are excellent.

Saravana Bhavan here is a ridiculous, muddled mess in terms of management and service. The food is average, but you get the same for less at either Amma's (Vienna, Georgetown).

There are a few more semi-decent desi restaurants - one or two in germantown/Rockville (names escape me now) are excellent for North indian food and a wide-ranging, well-cooked lunch buffet spread!

For the record, this North indian is also disgusted by the blended thalis that are forced down our gullets at most Southie places - leave the chhole & mushroom out, dangit!

Saravana Bhavan here in the SF BAy Area

I have been to the one in Silicon Valley, a few years ago. I remember the food being good.

I will buy you lunch there if you are ever in this area

:) I will gladly accept. It would be nice to meet a regular commenter.

aviyal is mushroom is a no-no.

True - the Southie aversion to mushrooms.My mom refuses to eat them!

I agree on mushroom being inserted into random dishes, but as a southie, I am totally cool with mushroom. My mom on the other hand will not even touch it.

Runa,
Thanks for the invite. I'll make sure I'm hungry a couple of days in advance :-)

Santosh,
:-)
Ha ha ..to prove that my intentions are totally pure ..I extend the invite to you as well.

True - the Southie aversion to mushrooms.My mom refuses to eat them!

usually “channa” or unmentionable mixed vegetable

Sacrilege!! I've been to this one restaurant (I think in NJ) where they use mushroom pieces in aviyal. That to me is blasphemy of unmentionable proportions. To us southies, mushroom is something that is besides a bathroom. Pizza w/ mushroom is good, aviyal in mushroom is a no-no.

Btw, Saravana Bhavan invite for Karthik only? :-)

Karthik,

Saravana Bhavan here in the SF BAy Area rarely disappoints whenever the mad urge for " Rasam saadam/Thayir saadam " hits me ! I will buy you lunch there if you are ever in this area :-)

My pet peeve with the Southie thalis that I have had here in the US are the unnecessary , gratuitous and usually badly cooked Northe interloper in the thali - usually "channa" or unmentionable mixed vegetable

That’s because you and Karthik live in a worthless hole of a city.

At least we don't get food poisoning in our worthless restaurants :-P

Also, with Zagat I've discovered that their reviews often don't do justice to "ethnic" restaurants. I would not heed them unless you're looking for Italian or Mexican.

Unfortunately, every single Indian restaurant I’ve been to in the US and A has been nothing short of disappointing.

Santosh, I have felt the same way about most places. Yet there are a few restaurants where I have been surprised over and over again. I will review them shortly.

If however, you do feel like eating something similar - head to Woodlands - it is not far from there.

I am going to give this a try next time I am in the area, but in the meanwhile, if you have pictures and can give us a short write up, we would gladly post it on UD.

Karthik - In the five years I spent in the area, I learned early on that Udipi is a place to avoid. You are lucky that they did not take the plate from you while you were still eating - they did this to us when we went there for a buffet. That was my first week in the area and I decided never to go back there again. If however, you do feel like eating something similar - head to Woodlands - it is not far from there. The service is good, the food is good (except they do not make coconut chutney from fresh coconut) and people very friendly.

Unfortunately, every single Indian restaurant I've been to in the US and A has been nothing short of disappointing. Too much or too little spice, overly greasy, microwaved rice, way-too-sour curd, stale food. I'm sure there are good ones just haven't been there. This one seems no different.