Recently visited Meenakshi Bhavan. Food was excellent. Several vegan dishes. Tried their upma idli…read morecombo as well as masala dosa. Upma was excellent, potato masala in the dosa was not too spicy, tasted great. It comes with tasty chutneys and sambar. Service was very quick on a weekend morning. Give it a try

Weekend breakfast at Meenakshi Bhavan has the right soundtrack. Tamil film songs at a comfortable…read morevolume, two or three tables already into their meals, the steady clink of steel tumblers filling the room just enough to feel alive without tipping into noisy. For a Saturday morning, the energy was calm -- a good sign for a small spot that could easily get overwhelmed. The waitress set the tone early. Warm, unhurried, she asked how we had heard about the place before taking the order -- the kind of question a restaurant only asks when it is still building its crowd and actually wants to know the answer. Filter coffee arrived without delay, hot, no shortcuts. The upma and mini tiffin combo followed. Portions were generous and the food arrived warm. But dish after dish played it safe right up to the edge of forgettable. The upma had correct texture with none of the assertiveness that makes a good upma worth finishing slowly. The sambar leaned thin. The chutneys were there, present and accounted for, doing the minimum. Everything assembled correctly, nothing bold enough to make you look up from the table. Meenakshi Bhavan gets enough right on a weekend morning to be worth knowing about -- clean space, genuinely warm service, honest portions. The waitress clearly takes pride in the hospitality side of things. The kitchen needs to match that energy with a firmer hand on the seasoning. Good enough for a familiar weekend breakfast. Not yet good enough to become a habit. The paintings on the walls that were Indian and Tamilnadu related was great, but the other art work seemed out of place, not sure what the thought process there was with the management. Things where this could improve: Coffee taste can improve (may be sourcing from a different coffee vendor may help, seemed like a standard Narassu's powder from a grocery shop near by that probably was at least a few months old) Chutneys need a certain kick and that was definitely missing. Cleanliness can be improved for sure.

Lovely ambiance. We were here to celebrate a special occasion. The decor needs a special mention!…read moreThe staff were so much fun and made the experience better. We ordered a few small plates. Pani Puri Surprise (3/5) was a bit of disappointment. Seemed bland. Fritters with chaat (4/5), I do not remember the dish name, but this was good. The best was the Vada Bao (5/5). It is a great twist on the traditional Vada Pav with Bao buns. It was fun and yummy. For the main dishes, we ordered pinwheel ghatta (4/5) with chur chur naan (4/5) and onion kulcha (4/5) and Donne Biryani (4/5). We ordered Rose Khulfi for dessert. The experience stands out and it was super yummy. Kokum drink (3/5) was just ok We were also served a small special treat (chocolate cake) to celebrate the birthday. Overall, everything tasted good but no dish really stood out to me. The ambiance and the fun dishes make up for it. I will come back to try the non-vegetarian menu!

Came in with high expectations and left a little underwhelmed. Most of the food arrived lukewarm,…read morewhich was already a rough start. The dahi kebabs felt like a lesser version of what you'd get at Bungalow NYC -- not enough going on flavor-wise. The white butter chicken was surprisingly bland for a dish with "butter chicken" in the name. The lamb chops had a great presentation (they do the tableside fire thing, which is fun), but the flavor itself was bitter and fell flat. The cocktails, though? Actually really good..refreshing, well-balanced, and clearly crafted with some thought. That was the highlight of the night. Overall, for the price and the hype, I expected more. Would come back just for drinks at the bar, but probably wouldn't do a full dinner again. The service was also slow. We had to ask multiple times for a server to come take our order.

We were craving some Mumbai street food and decided to give pav bhaji and more a try, it exceeded…read moreour expectations. We got the masala Vada pav, pav bhaji, chase, spdp and the paneer sandwich. My husband loved the Vada pav and said it's the best he has had in the Bay Area. My favorite was the spdp. The service was quick and made it extra spicy upon request. The restaurant was cozy with good decor, the bell near the door was a cute addition

We really have enjoyed coming here even though we are not vegetarian…read more You order at the counter and wait for a table. The place is small and can get packed by 6:30PM. Specially if you are a big arty of more than two, allow yourself time to get seated. The food is amazing, and the staff is great and helpful. Each time we have come, we asked them for recommendations and they have done a great job with new recommendations. I didn't think there was anything that we did not enjoy here and will be back to try additional menu items.

Wow. I'd love to leave this review just saying that but it wouldn't do it justice. Got the chole…read morebhatura and OMGGGG this was unbelievably delicious! Def hit the spot! Will be coming my back for sure, Service is also 100%! Guy at the front was so friendly and welcoming and was attentive as well. He was multitasking the register, cleanup, and serving (not in that order )!

1 star= Not good…read more Ordered a Thali set (combo) This was ordered by my dining partner for us to share as it staTed it good for 2 ppl. But when unpacked, it looked it was more for one hungry person. it had 1 cup of lamb curry, 1 cup chicken curry, 1 cup of rice, 1 cup unfilled salad, 1 gulab jamon in syrup and soufflé cup of raita and 2 half rounds of plain naan. If it's for 2, how come only a single gulab Jamon. Also it states 2 curry's and 1 masala, but it was missing 1 of the proteins. This was the description: "Chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, naan, rice, raita, dessert, and salad typically compose this non-vegetarian thali for two" $27.50. Special instructions field was not operable as we woukd have asjed for mild and we were ok with the spice. it was between mild and medium. We both had a warmth over out beings and reached fir the raita to cool our mouths. My dining partner didn't eat much and got a really bad stomach ache. I didn't have a stomach ache bc I did not have any of the items in this Thali set. With my dining partner getting a bad stomachache, missing one of the proteins in the order and the minimal dessert of one when it's described as a set for two people. My partner shouted a strong zero. 0/5 Since I thought the combo above would be enough, I ordered garlic naan, it also came into half circles. Naan was thick and very dry. It reminded me of Greek pita bread but with scorches from a clay oven or skillet. Im used to get getting a green and reddish dip sauce but not from this restaurant. A la carte garlic naan iis $ 4.50 person naan. 2/5 In addition I ordered mushroom matter/mutter @ $14.50. This was very different than others I've had. At other pl all, whole mushrooms. But in this container, it barely had any and the mushrooms were sliced thinly and swimming in masala sauce. It was more saucy than it's contents. I felt like perhaps it was the end of the night and they were running low on mushrooms and peas. It was more a 1/5 . Needless to say, I would not recommend this establishment based on this experience.

I'm a huge fan of Maharashtrian food, so while visiting San Jose we had to stop and try the…read morePuranpoli Sharing some thoughts on everything we ate (even though we forgot to take pics of half the dishes!) Misal Pav & Vada Misal - Absolutely loved the Misal! Authentic flavor, perfect spice level, and so hearty. I especially appreciated that it wasn't just sprouted moong--there was moong, matki, yellow peas, black-eyed peas, and green peas. A true protein-packed bowl. Two thumbs up Vada Pav - Another hit! We devoured it Sabudana Vada - Crispy outside, soft inside, and just the right size. Didn't care much for the chutney though. Sabudana Khichdi - This one didn't work for me; it leaned a bit too sweet. Ukadiche Modak & Puranpoli - The stars of the meal! Highly recommend both. The modak was soft, pillowy, and melt-in-your-mouth with a great dough-to-filling balance. The Puranpoli was super soft, ultra-thin dough, and perfectly flavored stuffing--excellent in both taste and quantity Sol Kadhi - Just okay for me; not something I'd return specifically for. Kokam Sharbat - Loved it! Overall, a wonderful spot for authentic Maharashtrian flavors with warm, welcoming staff. I'd definitely come back!

I had ordered takeout from this place during my visit to Santa Clara. My husband is from…read moreMaharashtra, and I've been there many times. My MIL has also made these dishes at home. So I was hoping for some amazing food from here. I haven't seen many Maharashtrian restaurants, so was very excited. Here is all I ordered: - Kothimbir Vadi: this is absolutely delicious. The flavor and seasoning is top notch. Loved it. - Sabudana Vada: we make this often at home and is one of my favorite Maharashtrian dishes. This was not bad. A bit bland for my liking. But was fried well and I loved the crispness. - Sabudana Khichdi: this was not good. I make this at home and what was sent to me was not cooked properly. Most of the grains were not cooked, and was too bland. - Bhakri: this was awful. No taste. No flavor. It was this white roti that was sent. Not at all like the Bhakri I've eaten in Maharashtra. - Puranpoli: I was super excited to try this as I absolutely love Puranpoli. But this didn't hit the mark. It was ok. Needed to be sweeter. There are many other things in the menu and I would love to try next time I'm in the area.

Delicious affordable Indian food! I've been on the hunt for a new takeout Indian food that…read moreaffordable with good portions, and I think I found the spot! I ordered the egg biryani, butter chicken, and their friday curry flight that came with the choice of 3 curries, a salad, raita, and naan. The biryani was super flavorful and not dry, and the egg paired with it well. All the curries were spicy and delicious, honestly not much more to say about it. I will say their raita is not my favorite, its just thick plain yogurt. I ordered online and I had to wait a little when I got there but that was okay. The interior is also spacious will lots of seating.

***USP: Pakistani Indian place with a huge menu ranging from kebabs to curries to chaat to…read morebiryanis. ***AMBIANCE: place is not very large but they have an open kitchen with kebabs hangings on skewers. Local Pakistani artwork adorning the walls. Delicious grilled meat smells wafting around as well. ***FOOD: we got chicken 65, naan and samosa chaat sans yogurt. *chicken 65-3/5- this was almost beetroot red in color. In my naivety I hoped it was some natural food color using beetroot. But I later learnt from them that it was not. It left me appalled at the liberal use of such toxic artificial colors. Colors aside, the chicken itself was delicious. But I will make sure to ask them beforehand next time and order something that doesn't have colors. *naan-5/5- this was amazing. Hot from the tandoor. It wasn't charred at the bottom. It was light and large. It was clear that it was made by someone who knew their craft. I will come back here just for the naan. *samosa chaat-3/5- this made me sick, I had an upset tummy for a few days after. It was hot day so I m assuming they had problems with their chutney or maybe it was the samosa with the potato filling. Upset tummy aside, the chaat flavors were decent, not the best of the lot but decent nonetheless.

Food and service were good! Been there a couple of times and both times I was quite happy with the…read moremeals. It can get busy, depending on when you go, though I have never had to wait for a table, which is a plus. Tikka fish was delish, butter chicken, eggplant dish, nungu dessert, chili cauliflower. The restaurant is clean and prepped well for meals. Will definitely return- this maybe my new go to place!

We loved their breakfast buffets and came back to try dinner…read more This review is specifically for their dine-in experience. I do believe that cutlery and plates make a big difference in the dining experience. They excel at it, despite it being a smaller restaurant. Seeraga samba chicken biryani was amazing, this is the ambur style biryani and the rice flavor and spices combo made it delicious. The chicken was fried. Great sides raita and salan as well. The dessert Thinnai stood out. It was Kesari made with foxtail millet. It is not your run of the mill kesari. I was pleasantly surprised with the taste. Must try.

An incredible dining experience! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the food is top-notch…read more It's rare to find a restaurant where the owner is so hands-on and genuinely cares about their guests' experience

This is everything that a Konkani girl in Mumbai dreams of.. surmai, paplet and Kolambi (in short…read morefish fish and more fish). The food was simply scrumptious. I could eat it everyday and would still crave every single day. Highly recommend the surmai thali, Konkani Chicken curry and sol kadi. Love love and love and ofcourse 100% recommend.