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Idly Express - Santa Clara

3.8 (34 reviews)
Closed • 8:00 am - 9:30 pm

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VIP Combo (idly, pongal, vadai)
Michelle V.

I ordered online for pick up on a weekday during late lunch, and VIP Combo (idly, pongal, vada). The order was ready immediately. I like that this place has a cool drive-through. The shop itself is tiny with one or two tables. it was my first time having all three of the items in the condo. I found the pongal to be not very flavorful and dense. The idly was fluffy and quite big. My favorite thing was the vada, which was crispy on the outside, but so soft on the inside. It was addicting! I wish I got more. Once I come again, I would get solely that. Everything was filling, so I actually saved my pongal to eat the next day. I really enjoyed the flavors of this dish and it's affordable as well. I'd come back and try the different offerings on their menu!

Combo
Pranathi B.

***USP: new drive through South Indian restaurant from the same chain as mylapore and idli express. ***AMBIANCE and SERVICE: this is a drive through but I attempted a walk in as I needed a place to sit and eat. They don't have any tables inside but around 3 tables outside for customers. Upon entering in, I got this divine smell of incense often found in temples in South India! It was truly mesmerizing and instantly uplifted my mood!! The have take out curries for $10 and 2 for $18 in the fridges places upfront for grab and go. I noticed they made some changes in their packaging to move to fully compostable and eco friendly for some of the items. ***FOOD: I got a super combo for $9.99 which came with idli, dosa, vada, sambar and two varieties of chutney. They also had tiny complementary containers with sweet rava kesari. Having eaten in several of their restaurants thus far I can tell you that they strive to maintain a certain quality. But it's impossible to nail down the same flavor and taste across their restaurants. The food here was fairly good but nothing to knock my socks off. All the flavors were mild. The chutneys barely had any flavor to speak of and sambar was disappointing as well. The Vada was crispy, idli was spongy and the dosa came with some stuffed potatoes. But prices are low and quality is good.

Fely L.

I'm on a dosa phase and came here as it was drive thru although it defeats purpose as we still had to order at window. So no time save and more wait for cars since no kiosk to order thru. I knew coming not to expect the crispness of the crepe. I did a combo platter with came with small dosa, steam white donut like bread (sorry don't know what it's called) and the fried don't like bread. It came it all tasty. We also got the benne masala. The benne I'm used to had a more sweet taste then sour like this one. Not a fan of it and the potato masala for me was too spicy even the benne was spicy.

Menu
Apoorva R.

Best food as always! Love everything at idly express, all of the locations have amazing service and quality - very consistent. Had been waiting for this location to open up since this will be so close to home for me!

Benne Masala Dose
Chaithanya M.

Excellent benne masala dosa that's crispy outside, soft inside even as a to-go order. The potato masala was generous and filling. Loved the sambar! Tomato chutney wasn't for me but the coconut chutney was good, chutneys here are mild to suit most palates. The vada idly combo was light and not oily. Sweets are a standout, mysore pak from a previous visit was great and the jangri this time was perfectly crispy and juicy. Mostly a take out spot but they do have a few outdoor tables. Had a quick chat with Chef Saravanan, thoughtful and clearly well organized. After a disappointing experience at Mylapore Fremont, this branch exceeded expectations in both food and service!

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2 months ago

The food is great, the service us quick, and I find myself going here very often for idlis, coffee and more! Love it!!

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11 months ago

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8 months ago

Their chutneys are way too spicy, I wish they were milder. Idli was decent. Food was 6/10

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4 months ago

Quick grab and go with drive in experience. Food is hot. My go to place for comfort food

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One of the very few Indian cuisines with a drive through. Food & Service is great. Sometimes I go just for their coffee.

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Jashn - Pan fried branzino

Jashn

4.0(143 reviews)
0.8 mi•Newhall
Full bar
Locally owned & operated

Overall, I am looking forward to coming here again. The space itself is very nice with two dining…read morerooms and a bar area. The place is well lit, but still elegant. We had a reservation and there was no problem with seating us as we all arrived. The hostess and staff are friendly and eager to be of assistance. We had a reservation and our party of 5 was immediately seated. Of our party 4 are vegetarians (dairy ok) and I am the omnivore. During the course of the meal I tried the beet blush and vrindavan bloom cocktails. Neither can be said to pack a kick, but can be said to be well-balanced. Of the two I rate the beet blush more interesting as you get both the sweet and earthy tones of beets in the flavor profile. I had the goat chops which arrived on a sizzler with 4 small but meaty goat shops covered in a spice marinade. This was then set afire with spirits as a flourish. Very nice! For some reason, however, the flavor was just shy of next level. It's certainly good and I would order it again. It was enough meat for me that I joined my vegetarian companions ordering only vegetarian mains to share among us. The other appetizers were yogurt-soaked vegetable kebabs served on a walnut-based (muhamarra) paste that was quite good and an avocado tikki (mild flavor focused on the avocado). The latter comes with 4 pieces, but for a small additional charge they added a piece. I appreciate this. I don't know why all restaurants don't do this. Pleases the customer and ups the bill. We then had the bhindi which is essentially a large helping of very lightly battered okra pakoras cut in narrow strips, a kofta curry based on water chestnuts and asparagus (creative) and a well-flavored vegetable biryani that developed a nice heat in the background. The bread eaters enjoyed the plain rotis and chili naan. Plain raita and boondi raita cooled our mouths. For dessert we went with the rose kulfi. This is an impressive tableside preparation in which the kulfi preparation is cooled with liquid nitrogen in a glass bowl. As the server mixes the mixture actively to keep it from freezing solid, another server offers a frozen rose that members of our party were invited to crumble the brittle petals into the kulfi. Quite a sight! This had the attention of other diners throughout (and may have encouraged diners celebrating a birthday to order for themselves). Served out, the flavor was bland, without the expected rose flavor. Perhaps this was because it was just so cold. I don't know, but I encourage them to explore adding some additional rose flavor as they serve it out. No pictures this time as I didn't want our guests to be distracted, but we'll be back again for another special celebration!

What a beautiful venue! Arriving on a weekday, it was pretty empty so no reservations were…read morerequired. The service was super friendly throughout the meal. Cuisine Style: This is an upscale, modern, and progressive take on Indian cuisine (drawing from both North and South Indian regional flavors, as well as coastal dishes) elevated with innovative molecular gastronomy techniques like dry ice presentations. * Naan ($4.00 - $6.00): Pretty good overall, though I personally wish it was a bit softer and puffier. * Guava Chaat / Crunchy Bean Salad ($16.00): Packed with lots of great contrasting textures and very filling due to all the beans and crunchy elements. It reminded me of a Burmese tea leaf salad! (Though for a super crunchy salad, my absolute gold standard is still the quinoa salad at Valley Goat). * Paneer Parche / Cloud Saag Paneer ($26.00): The flavors on this paneer dish were really good. * Paneer Trilogy ($20.00): A plain, pressed paneer dish served without a heavy gravy/sauce--it was just ok to me. * Dry Ice Starter / Snack Presentation: An interesting, theatrical presentation with dry ice! I really liked the cool ice cream element you could dip into, but the cracker itself was a bit too oily for my taste. * Flame-Grilled Chicken / Andhra Chicken ($18.00 - $20.00): Simple and tender, but nothing too special or memorable. * Complimentary Birthday Dessert: They brought out a beautiful, multi-layered milk dessert for the birthday girl (like tres leches?) - a lovely gesture! However, it wasn't quite my preference as it was a bit too sweet.

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Jashn - Bar seating

Bar seating

Jashn - Chicken Bao

Chicken Bao

Jashn - Bar seating

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Bar seating

Pav Bhaji and More - Dilkhush Dabeli

Pav Bhaji and More

4.5(73 reviews)
0.8 mi
•$$

Excellent service. Delicious jaw dropping food…read more Such nice and cozy place with excellent interior, seating. We ordered jain pavbhaji, regular tawa pulao, paneer ghotala sandwich, sez vada pav. Overall everything was very delicious. Specially breads they make completely in-house. I havent tried such a soft crunchy and light breads. So that 3 layer paneer ghotala sandwich comes out the best of it. Plus paneer cubes were the smallest of size and very nicely marinated with delicious sauce and some other veggies such as corn capsicum. Unbeatable tawa pulao, can be only found at Pav Bhaji hut. #Biryanisforvegetarian lol. Very much jain friendly. Only place we're you can find jain pav bhaji in bay area. Plus few more chaat options in jain. Overall must visit. Will take photos next time to share. *hope I wont be that hungry next time*

I had a chance to try pav bhaji and more from this spot and it was a great experience! We got…read moretakeout from this spot and got the food pretty quickly. For food we tried: * pav bhaji - this was solid yummy. we also got an order with cheese and enjoyed it thoroughly * spicy pav bhaji - if you are looking for something with a slightly spicier kick this was a good option. * veggie sandwich - this came with a potato filling and cucumber & tomatoes and we really liked this. Lots of flavor but relatively standard *paneer sandwich - this was my favorite and I really felt like the flavors came together really well. Would highly recommend to order this dish. Overall, great experience and worth trying this place out!

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Pav Bhaji and More - Warm & cozy indoors

Warm & cozy indoors

Pav Bhaji and More - Classic Vada Pav

Classic Vada Pav

Pav Bhaji and More - Ambience

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Puranpoli - Palak Paneer

Puranpoli

4.6(1.3k reviews)
1.7 mi•Newhall
•$$

Puranpoli was completely packed at 2PM, which was a great sign!…read more They have mostly indoor seating, with tables pretty close together. There is a patio in front by the parking lot as well. You go to the counter, they present you with menus and tell you where to sit, then you come back up to the counter when you're ready to order. Service was welcoming and helpful. We got the lunch special, which has pre-selected items for the day. One of the items was an item i was going to order separately, but decided to switch it out when I heard it was going to be in the special. The employee helpfully offered some popular alternatives. The food was absolutely delicious! A good amount of spice and not like some of the places more local to me. (I'm from Sac.) We ordered the following: Special Lunch Thali, Pav Bhaji, and Puranpoli. The only time I could've done without was the Puranpoli. I didn't care for the flavor of the spice/sweetness, but that's just me personally. I've never had that dessert before from anywhere and knew I'd regret not having the menu item that is the same as the restaurant's name. Definitely going to be craving the food from here! Wish I lived closer.

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!

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Puranpoli - Interiors

Interiors

Puranpoli - Kothimbir Vadi (5)

Kothimbir Vadi (5)

Puranpoli - Kokam Sarbat

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Rusi Indian Cuisine

Rusi Indian Cuisine

4.2(71 reviews)
4.4 mi•West San Jose
•$$
Vegan friendly
Vegetarian friendly

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!

Updated review post the name change after several take out orders and one dine in experience…read more Rusi has deals through DoorDash and we ended up trying several dishes because of that. Though they have a lot of BOGO offers, the quantities are very less making the deal far less attractive than what it seems. Coming to the food itself, it's pretty average, the dum biryani had tandoori style red color chicken topped with flavored rice. Not dum biryani from any angle. The mild chicken curry we ordered for take out was literal fire and burnt through my tummy. We then saw a post for unlimited Thursday night chaat and made our way there inspite of being a weekday. After getting seated we were told they decided not to have it due to lack of sufficient patrons. Needless to say we were disappointed but ending up ordering a few dishes. We got chowmein, parotta and some chaat. All the items were good and well made. They also gave us a Bangalore style peas chaat on the house, it tasted exactly like the version my grandma makes. So this was a very decent meal. Overall lot of inconsistency and mixed experiences.

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Rusi Indian Cuisine
Rusi Indian Cuisine
Rusi Indian Cuisine - Andhra chicken curry(comes with rice) and Aapam combo with chicken korma.

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Andhra chicken curry(comes with rice) and Aapam combo with chicken korma.

Delhicacies - Paneer makhani!

Delhicacies

5.0(3 reviews)
1.4 mi•Meridian

We recently had Delhicacies prepare and deliver food for a small gathering at our place, and they…read moreexceeded our expectations in every way possible. First off, the delivery was a smooth process, dot on time and packaged with such precision. Ankush, who runs the show at Delhicacies came to do the honors and as well left detailed instruction on how to go about preparing one of the starter dishes that we had ordered (Bhalle Papdi chaat that is). The menu we chose included Bhalle Paapdi Chaat, Cocktail Samosas, Paneer Tikka Masala, Chana Masala, Baingan Bharta, accompanied by Roomali Roti and Lacchay Pyaaz as a side salad. The Bhalle Paapdi Chaat was an instant crowd-pleaser, with the perfect balance of crispy papdi, fresh bhalle, cool sweet yogurt, tangy tamarind along with green sauces, a secret masala powder and a garnish of beetroot , pomegranate and cilantro. All of these were packed separately and instructions were provided (step by step) to prepare the end result which tasted out of the world good. It was refreshing yet packed with flavors that kept everyone asking for seconds. The Cocktail Samosas were golden, crisp, and filled with a spiced potato mixture that made them an ideal finger food--perfectly bite-sized and not greasy at all. For the main course, the Paneer Tikka Masala (PTM) stole the show with its rich, velvety sauce that coated the tender paneer in just the right amount of spice. The flavors were balanced yet bold, making it a standout dish. The earthy flavor in the paneer made it finger licking good and definitely was the biggest hit of the evening. The Chana Masala had the perfect texture--soft chickpeas simmered in a well-spiced gravy that had just the right amount of heat and tang. Cubes of paneer in there definitely made it a good overall combination and complemented with the PTM. The smoky and flavorful Baingan Bharta added an earthy depth to the meal as well. The eggplant was roasted beautifully, bringing out its natural flavors, which paired wonderfully with the Romali Roti. The roti was soft, thin, and warm, making it the ideal vehicle to soak up the gravies. We did end up heating the rotis in our microwave oven for about 10-15 seconds in batches and they remained perfect in their texture and taste. The Lacchay Pyaaz--freshly sliced onions with a sprinkle of masala--added a crunchy, refreshing bite to balance the richness of the other dishes. Overall, Delhicacies delivered an out of the world authentic North Indian culinary experience with each dish tasting as though it was prepared with care and precision. The food was flavorful, perfectly spiced, and served fresh. Our guests were impressed, and we couldn't have been happier with the quality of food and service of delivery. If you're looking for reliable and delicious Indian catering, Delhicacies should be at the top of your list! Give them a chance and thank me later. You are welcome!!!

Great food! Loved the place! Amazing service! Must try paneer makhani and malai kofta! Great…read moreambiance!

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Idly Express - Santa Clara - indpak - Updated November 2026

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