Ananda Bhavan - Cupertino

Initially, I planned to order the “Mini Sambhar Idly” (12 pieces), but I opted for a cup of hot tomato soup and the “Combo 3” instead, which included Idly, Vada, Ven Pongal, Bisibelabath, two chutneys (coconut and peanut), a sweet dessert, and a papad (which is more like a large, crispy chip made from flour rather than potato). Coming from Chennai, I can be tough in my assessments if a South Indian restaurant doesn't meet the high standards of the food I grew up with. However, I must say the Ven Pongal was delicious, and the Bisibelabath was both authentic and tasty. The chutneys were fresh, and the Idly and Vada were of excellent quality. The Sambhar also met my expectations. I say this with confidence, as I cook Sambhar frequently and make the Sambhar powder from scratch myself; it was clear to me that this restaurant does the same! Now, let me explain why I gave this restaurant 4 stars. First, while the tomato soup was hot and flavorful, it seemed to be a diluted version of store-bought tomato soup rather than made from scratch, which is what most Indian restaurants in India would do. Secondly, when I arrived, there were only two other customers seated, yet I found myself waiting a long time to be served and for my food to arrive. Despite these minor issues, I really enjoyed my experience and will definitely be returning many more times!

The food at the restaurant was delicious. We ordered a wide variety of dishes, particularly different kinds of dosas, and each one was flavorful. They also offer a long family dosa that is definitely worth a try. The waitstaff were friendly, and the host was exceptionally gracious.

I absolutely love this restaurant! We're regulars here and we've never been disappointed. The Rava Masala dosa is always perfectly crispy, and the chutneys are delicious! It's a fantastic spot for South Indian cuisine.

Pretty tasty South Indian food. We got the Masala Dosa and the Mysore Masala Dosa as well as the plantain Bhaji, idly, and vada everything was pretty tasty. Service was a little slow even though they weren’t very crowded. They’d forgotten one part of our order but got it out pretty quickly once reordered. One of the chutneys that’s the dosa come with is an unappetizing pink color, but it’s actually pretty tasty with a peanut flavor. The ratio of breading to plantain in the bahjis could have been better, but even with all the breading they still didn’t taste super oily. The masala potatoes in the dosa are a bit more mushy and cooked down than I’m used to but it was tasty. Would definitely go back.

Authentic South Indian food. The food quality is always great and especially there combo platter where you can always taste so many variety at one platter paying a reasonable price and you can call it a meal. So a must visit for all south Indian food lover.