Its a new indian chaat/ cafe corner opened within SoFa market. Hard to find street parking here. They do have indoor and patio seating. In $14, we got: - veg pizza sandwich 3/5 - it was three slices of bread which was good. Good stuffing. I wish they offered hot sauce. - masala chai 2/5 - they displayed a wide variety of chais in menu but all of them were out of stock and only masala chai was available. It was ok but nothing i would order again. Im hoping other menu items are better. Will try something else next time. I hated the fact that it was self ordering kiosk only while the staff was sitting there and watching tv shows. Seemed impersonal for an indian place or indian cafe read more

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This is located in the SoFa foodhall, on the right side at the end. You can order via in person or kiosk. My 8 oz chicken tikka masala and garlic naan came out to be less than $10, what a deal! The food came out piping hot , naan was definitely made fresh. The paneer masala and mango lassi are calling my name for the next visit . read more

Desi Express - Chicken Tikka Masala and garlic naan - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Located in a multinational food hall. Simply follow your nose to the deliciousness that awaits. Chicken Tikka rice bowl and garlic naan for $20 out the door. The chicken? Tender. Rice? Perfect. Sauce? Flavorful with perfect (and requested heat). Sop it up with garlic naan and you will be good to go! read more

I ordered a chicken tikka (8 oz) and garlic naan. The flavor was there but the chicken seemed processed and not fresh. The garlic naan had a nice garlic flavor. Could be that I didn't quite order the best item on their menu. Ordering was on a kiosk and this is located within a food court. read more

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This is my recent go-to when I go down to San Jose for Fanime. It's located in the Sofa market and it's very easy to order from their kiosk. There is also a lot of seating inside the building. The food is fast food Indian. It's not the best Indian food I've had but it's good for me when I need to eat something but I don't want to feel overly stuffed. I've gotten the rice and curry dishes and few times and they're good. I'm sure it could be more flavorful and could use some more pieces of meat or paneer but I find it fine for a quick lunch. read more

This is a gem tucked in the Sofa food hall in San Jose, one that can be easily missed. Ambience is like any other food hall. Bhel, sev Puri and Mumbai grilled sandwich were all great. Staff accommodated my vegan needs. May visit again if I'm in that part of the town again to try other items on the menu. read more

This is located in a food hall, where most of the vendors take orders through a self-serve kiosk. I didn't get any smiles from the person who handed me my food which would have been appreciated. The chicken tikka masala bowl cost $18 (including tip). I will say the flavor is quite delicious, but the rice wasn't the best quality and there was something off about the chicken texture. read more

Desi Express - Chicken tikka masala bowl - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Best customer service and the food is amazing. So many veggie options and drinks. Dev was soooooooo good

Not one dish was tasty. They used the same potato stuffing for puff and sandwich. The tea was really the worst I have had in the Bay Area. Items tried: 1. maharaja sandwich 3/10 2. Veg puff (with no veggies but only onion potato masala) 2/10 3. Ginger Tea 0/10 Edit: adding the following to answer the rude response from the owner: Yelp is a platform to give honest feedback. I gave the feedback based on my experience, but it looks like you only yearn for positive feedback. Negative feedback is an opportunity to improve, but looks like you don't like constructive feedback. 1. Your menu displayed on the monitors does not have description for veg puff (photo attached) or maharaja sandwich 2. Aloo puff is not the same as veg puff. A standard veg puff has aloo usually with carrots and peas. Aloo in a puff is spiced different than aloo masala in a sandwich. 3. The chai was so over steeped, it was bitter. I have had and liked good sandwiches and tea from other place to whom I have given 5 starts. I usually do not give poor reviews and certainly not 1 star but unfortunately your food fell really short on taste. read more

Desi Express - Menu on the displays does not have details on what's in the dish - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

I got a paneer tomato sandwich and hot chai for lunch and really enjoyed them. The sandwich was pretty simple, but tasty. I really liked the buttered white toast the paneer was sandwiched between -- almost reminded me of simpler times in my childhood. The hot chai was flavorful too. I almost did not want to return to the conference I was attending nearby. read more

Amazing desi version of sandwiches and chaats. My husband and I got the paneer tikka sandwich and the jumbo Bombay sandwich. They both tasted anazing-just like back in Mumbai but were a bit small for the price.The jumbo Bombay sandwich was a bit fluff and could have done with more stuffing. I tried my friends samosa chaat and dahi papdi chaat and they tasted great. Good value for money for the chaats and I'm getting that next time. read more

Desi Express - Chaats - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

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The gol guppe were very good! I'd say the water was the yummy part, however the masala that goes into the gol guppet can use some more spice. It felt a little bland. The chicken tikka rice bowl was really delicious and the flavour was spot on. The pav bhaji was okay as compared to the other places here in the southbay. It lacked the basic flavor of pav bhaji masala. The rose tres leches was good, it was a little too sweet after a couple of bites so I'd recommend sharing it between atleast two people! The service was fairly quick and it is inside the SoFa market so the ambiance is more like a foodcourt. Overall, I'd say it is a nice place for some indian snack items. I will definitely come back for the golgappe and try some chaats and sandwhiches next time! read more

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Food was sooo good. Flavors on point, so many diff flavors from toppings to sauces to the main dish. So happy and satisfied that I came here today. Service was ok. Once they helped me after awhile, they were nice and friendly. Not sure if they thought I wasn't ready or something, but then again you order through a kiosk. Guess it just took longer than what I expected to prepare during my 30. Took nearly half the time, so I only had 15mins to eat and then leave. Luckily I was just working at the Convention Center, so it wasn't too bad. Ambiance was cute. Great place to dine in, but the outside was even better!! It was a perfect day for it. With that said, I'll def be back and I highly recommend it. read more

Desi Express - Paneer combo plate w/ a side of samosas. - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Desi Express is a vendor in the SoFA market in downtown San Jose. Parking is limited, they take Apple Pay, and you can order in line, in store via kiosk or UberEats. There's plenty of place to sit in the food court if you choose, but we ordered takeout. The Dahi Puri Sev is flavorful and well balanced - it held well for takeout. The prices are also good for the quantity of food as well. I'd recommend this place if you're looking for an inexpensive Indian street food meal. read more

Desi Express - Dahi Sev Puri - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

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For ~$15, you can get the following: - Aloo Tikki Sandwich ($9.99) - Chips (comes with sandwich) - Mango Lassi ($3.99) Given most food and drink combos at other restaurants would be $20, this DEFINITELY is worth your money for the quality and quantity of food. I came with a friend on Tuesday 4 PM, where it wasn't busy. Our food came out in five minutes, and we delightfully chomped away at our meal. The sandwiches are pressed, where your teeth will dive right into the crispy texture of the bread. The sandwich was filled to the brim with chutney, potatoes, red onion, tomato, and some other fillings that made it such a hearty meal! A sandwich may not seem filling, but do not underestimate how the bursts of flavors and various textures will fill your mouth. The mango lassi was a really fair size! It was creamy, rich, fruity, with a slight tang of sour. I personally am not a fan of sweet drinks, but this was perfectly refreshing to me! I finished it in minutes. Overall, my experience here is so pleasant! I would surely come by again to try their other options, as there's much to select from! read more

Desi Express - Aloo Tikki Sandwich - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

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I was super excited seeing the menu and picked a variety of sandwiches to try on a cold rainy evening. The order arrived quickly. Each sandwich came with a mini bag of lays potato chips! The bread and the toast on the sandwiches was really impressive and delicious. However the filling left a lot to be desired. Pizza sandwich - the paneer and veggies were cut too chunky, oregano was too much, sauce was too mild and the cheese was merely sliced as opposed to being grated. Grating the cheese makes the cheese hold the sandwich together, but here it kept falling apart with each bite. Flavor was 2/5, tasted nothing like a pizza. Schezwan sandwich - tasted nothing like schezwan. The veggies were too chunky and sloppy cut, they kept falling out and the slippery Mayo made it so hard to keep things in place. But I still liked the peppers and the overall Mayo sandwich vibe. Just don't call it schezwan. Mumbai sandwich - had all the right components but giant thick chunks of cucumber and bland potato. Really good green chutney. Overall I don't know. Not the best Indian sandwich, I'll not crave it or remember it. I will be back though, to try some of the chaats. read more

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Desi express is located in a little food hall in San Jose. I visited here after seeing some posts on Instagram. The space was extremely inviting. We ordered the aloo tikki chaat, noodles samosa, gulab jamun rabri, maharaja sandwich and potato smiles. Aloo tikki chaat- absolutely delicious Noodle Samosa- I went there for this but it didn't live up to the hype for me. I wasn't a fan of the flaky crust. I wanted it to be a hard crispy shell. Maharaja sandwich- felt like it was missing an ingredient. It needed a bit more sauce in it. Gulab jamun Rabri- absolutely delicious. Didn't need the cracker dust at the bottom in my opinion Potato smiles- I had the least expectations for this one but it impressed me. The peri peri seasoning is delicious. Q read more

A tasty chaat spot tucked into the back of SoFa Market! I stopped by with some friends for a Sunday lunch and the food came out super quickly. The servers were really sweet and brought the food to our table. I got a Dahi Bhalla Chaat and it was really solid! The lentil patty was unique and the dahi was SO good. There are obviously a lot of chaat options in the Bay Area, but this one was pretty decent despite looking unassuming. The portion sizes were large and filling, and my friends got the sandwiches which looked delicious too. I would definitely come back if I was in the area! read more

Desi Express - Dahi Bhalla Papdi Chaat - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

So many dishes to choose from! It was a quick lunch and great food and experience.. the taste was spot on.. yum. read more

Desi Express - Paneer Tikka Sandwich, Aloo Tikki Chaat and Viral Dubai pistachio dessert truffle.. everything was spot on. - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

The serving size here is moderate so it's not large portion or too small, just enough to satisfy your appetite. Item one: First bite of the tomato sandwich it was super Tasty!! Item two: The avocado toast was full flavor and not dry Highly recommend! read more

Desi Express - Self Ofer station - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

A new and welcome addition to the San Jose downtown area. This food court has many good options and this fits rights in. They have a lot of unique items which you don't see often which was nice. The paneer and egg puff were flaky and delicious. The all women crew was awesome. More power to them! read more

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Was looking for a new place to order food and stumbled upon this place. The menu here looked very interesting. They serve chaat (Indian street food) and desserts with a twist. Ended up ordering thru DoorDash. The food was packed very well. Little to no spills. The food: 1. Paani Golgappe: This came with 5 different types of paani (water)! I liked all the flavors, specially Guava and Jeera. 2. Rice combo lunch plate: This came with saffron rice, paneer tikka and chana masala. The quantity was sufficient and the curries were tasty. I liked that they didnt cut the paneer in cubes. 3. Aloo tikki sandwich: This is a grilled sandwich with aloo tikki, chutney, cabbage and cheese. 4. Bhel Puri: The chutneys that came with this were very flavorful. Had a decent bhel puri after a long time. They followed the special instructions too. Overall I feel this place offers traditional street food with a twist for a reasonable price. read more

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My husband just found this place on Yelp! A hidden gem inside the market. We tried the Mumbai sandwich and the schwezwan sandwich! Both were SO delicious! The corn chaat and gulab jamun Rabdi were really great too!! Definitely will be back to try more items on the menu! read more

Desi Express - Schezwn veggie sandwich Corn Chaat Mumbai Sandwich - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

The THIRD time is the charm, I've visited them several times during their hours listed on Yelp, but they're always closed. I stopped by today at 4:30pm on a Wednesday and they have staff! I was DYING to try their Lassi though I was NOT impressed. Rose Lassi - Can taste the rose, on sweeter end Strawberry Lassi - Very sweet, not as good as Rose Anyways, I definitely recommend y'all stop by and check out their snacks and desserts. read more

I don't understand the good reviews, maybe the food quality went down. The only thing that was good off the menu was bhel puri- nothing extraordinary though. The dahi papdi chaat and mumbai sandwich were very disappointing. So sadly I wouldn't recommend, much better chaat places in the Bay. read more

Tried their Spicy Corn Sandwich & Bhel Puri. Sandwich was a delicious bite, but too much corn to handle, keeps falling off. Bhel Puri was fresh & nicely done as well. Will definitely go back to try some of their other sandwiches & chaat. Tucked in a developing market place, there is scope to improve the ambience. read more

Just glad to have an authentic tasting Indian street food place in San Jose and you don't have to drive to Fremont. This is a self serve kinda place. Located inside SOFA where there are multiple vendors I can imagine this place getting crowded over Friday Saturday. Since we went on a Sunday it was mostly quiet. You order food from the kiosk and choose dine in or to go options. We picked fine in and ordered Pani Puri and Aloo Tikki Chaat. Pani puri : 5/5 - comes with 5-6 flavors of pani. The puri was fresh and delicious! I really enjoyed it. Aloo Tikki Chaat - the flavors were really good. Portion was big too. It has too much chole for my liking and not big enough aloo Tikki. But still good. Definitely want to go back to try some sandwiches! read more

The food here is great, but I cannot use and throw away single plastic cutlery to this degree. I have brought my own but please Desi-consider metal reusable or compostable utensils. read more

I don't say this lightly, but, it is the BEST collection of street food - gol gappa , grilled veggie schezwan sandwiches and aloo tikki are magnifico ! The cool part about the place is that owner and the staff are all passionate about their business and are creating an exquisite experience for their customers with the ambiance that resembles a food truck parked indoors. I wish they expanded to other parts of Santa Clara, so that it would be more accessible to the techie community, that craves for such snacks close to work ! I have tried over 6-7 so called "Chaat centers and food trucks" in the Bay Area over the past 9 years and this has to be one of the best food experience that I ever had thus far. PS: try the lemonade soda after the meal - it reminds of khatta Meeta banta soda in delhi :) read more

It's in a food court, but the staff were friendly and brought the food over to my table. I had the bhel puri and masala tea. Both were excellent. read more

Delicious food including street food and desserts! Mumbai sandwich, Schezwan bhel, Paneer tikka bowl were 5/5. The paneer tikka bowl had a generous amount of paneer. Portion size is good. Rabdi tres leches cake: 5/5 Gulab jamun rabdi truffle: 3/5 The rabdi could be more fresh. It's located in the sofa market. Highly recommend this place! read more

Desi Express - Gulab Jamun Rabdi Truffle - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Good food for the price. I got their chicken tikka masala bowl and garlic naan. Food was delicious, as I finished the bowl. The owner seems friendly, and I was also offered complimentary sweets due to their two year anniversay of being open. I'd recommend this place for Indian food on the go or dine in. It's not a fancy restaurant atmosphere, but it certainly hits the spot when you want Indian food in the area. read more

Desi Express - Chicken tikka masala bowl and garlic naan - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

The food was okay. We ordered Paneer makhani sandwich: there is not enough taste in paneer makhni, chutney to make it stand out. It was not as flavorful as expected. Ginger tea: the problem with tea is little diluted. It could be better. Bun maska: the bread for bun maska was not fresh, it was not soft, it felt hard. Bread becomes hard when it is 2-3 days old. Bun Maska had lot of butter in it which is not needed to just make it tastier. read more

It was our first time at this place and loved the food. We had the paneer Tikka sandwich and corn chat. Both were just like how it would be in India. The pricing was reasonable too. Their desserts looked interesting, but we were too full to try. Will definitely come back again. read more

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Went to the Sofa market and my daughter loves Indian food. She ordered food and rose Lessi drink. She said the food was good but did not like the drink at all as she said it was yogurt base. I told her to go back and let her know to see if there was anything they could do. The lady at the register told her if you don't like it there is a trash over there. My daughter asked her if she could have something else and the lady said no. Way to make a 11 year old cry. * your response back is exactly why I left this review. It doesn't matter if she took a sip, she is telling you that it doesn't taste good. Good customer service would be to ask her if she would like another drink or for you to remake it. Every single establishment offers that service because it's good customer service. If she had drank even more than a sip that I would understand you showing she where the trash. Your response was extremely rude and I hope anyone who reads this will stay far away for your business read more

Food was not worth the hype! We ordered 1. Paneer makhani sandwich: It didnt have enough sauce and chutney in it. The cheese was not even melted when served rather was just put on top. 2. Bun Maska and Adrak Chai - Bun Maska had so much butter in it and was not properly warmed up. Adrak chai also was diluted with no taste of adrak in it. 3. Bhel puri - This was good but not great Disappointed! :( read more

I tried a vegetarian sandwich which was deliciously creamy, flavorful, and super messy in a really fun way. The location inside SoFA Market is a great location that lets you get drinks or other dishes from other vendors. Almost all vendors, including Desi Express, use tablet self-ordering machines with text-message receipts and notifications - pretty convenient all told, so you don't need to wait around to hear your order. In my case my phone had piss-poor service so I missed my text messages for a while and the staff actually walked my order out to me, way more than they had to do. So nice! Super-fun street food which makes me want to try more dishes! I'll be back. read more

Both my friends who got the milkshakes came down with terrible food poisoning. I had the Mango Lassi and it was very good.

Amazing biscotti milkshake, a must have if you love desserts. The other dessert options were also unique.

Ratika catered a 50-person birthday party for us. Her chaat-style food was prepared fresh onsite and was a big hit, with people heading back for additional helpings. Our guests appreciated the Paani Puri, which she prepared in four different flavors. The paneer and chicken tikka sandwiches were also excellent. The customer service was excellent--she came on time to set things up, she was friendly, and attentive to all details, making sure everyone had a great experience. Her professionalism added to the overall enjoyment of the party. I would highly recommend her! read more