Ordered from Komala Vilas today instead of my usual Idly Express for South Indian breakfast and I'm honestly impressed! Mysore masala dosa - 8/10 Nice thin dosa with good potato masala inside, Vada - 3/10 Pretty hard almost like a rock, Pongal - 7.5/10 Decent but didn't really get the ghee flavor. The chutneys were really good, coconut was mild, tomato and the green chutney were both solid. The sambar was different from the usual restaurant sambar. It was thicker, almost like dal or tomato pappu. But it tasted fresh, homemade and had lots of veggies, which I actually liked. Except for the vada, I enjoyed everything! read more

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We visited on a Sunday afternoon and ordered the puri with chole and aloo masala, the peanut kara masala dosa, and the Sunday special unlimited thali. The puri, chole, and potato masala had a strong South Indian flavor profile, which we really loved. Everything tasted comforting and well-spiced. The peanut kara masala dosa was good and came with plenty of chutneys. The filling had a lot of raw onions and chopped bell peppers, which wasn't quite to our personal taste, but it was still flavorful overall. The unlimited Sunday lunch thali was phenomenal. It included bell pepper sambar (very flavorful), rasam, plain dal, potato fry, spinach kootu (which we absolutely loved), papad, yogurt, pickle, and pineapple kesari for dessert. Everything tasted fresh, homemade, and well prepared. At $15, it's an incredible value for the amount and quality of food. Service was fast and efficient. Even though the restaurant was packed, I received thali refills very quickly. There's also plenty of seating, which made it easier despite the crowd read more

Surprised at the low Yelp rating because this place is amazing! It truly is closest to home cooked food and they use oil/ghee judiciously. Food is ready in minutes, the coffee is piping hot, and everything we tried was delicious. We ordered- - Podi masala dosa - Rava masala dosa - Filter coffee - Sunday special combo which contained an idli, vada, pongal, and kesari Service is friendly. And ambiance reminds you of a typical South Indian joint, minimal decor but totally functional. read more

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(unda sottruku uriya kadan) after all these years simple mathiyana saapadu (VEG).... Do not come here for the fancy ambiance, service, etc etc, there are multiple others for that. This place is all about down to earth, typical South Indian (TamilNadu) bottom line everyday common man vegetarian food (esply: lunch[unlimited] - continues to be the most reasonably priced $$) Restaurant, was run by a family earlier about 15-20 years back, lunch served on a banana leaf, served out of a big vessel and with a ladle. Still can't forget on one occasion the owner(aunty) approached and said in a firm and respectful way (probably school teacher) not to waste anything served on the leaf (made my colleagues have a good laugh at my expense), quite traditional and authentic. It has changed a lot in that regard to being more a typical Mess food. Pandemic changed a bunch of things, banana leaf to plates, no more of that big vessel and ladle serving, to smaller sized container(kinnam) for every item etc, but certainly has not deteriorated the appetite or craving for a hearty everyday mess lunch (TamilNadu) brahmin style. Breakfast in the morning are. Idly, dosa(varieties), vada, pongal, sambar, coconut chutney, etc.. this again reminds me of india waiting at 6:30 am to get hot idlys, with chutney & sambar in that Patti's shop, However here in US few Indian restaurant opens at 8:30 AM in the morning. (Sat Morning: Fmly still asleep, I go for a quick breakfast. My Fav:[pongal, medhu vada combo both with coconut chutney]; esply Vada has to be had hot and crispy, not the same in a togo). There are couple of other restaurants that are similar but for the quality still I would come here any day. Lunch: One of My All time Fav, I have been a regular last couple of decades (almost once every 2-3 weeks so much so my kiddos hate it when I say KomalaVilas), and it continues to be my favorite with the same quality as always. Reminds me of my college days back in India (mess food at lunch, rice, sambar, rasam, poriyal, morru[buttermilk], appalam, pickle etc..) all of them multiple servings/unlimited. I would say, the ONLY place so far in Bay Area still the same [Quality & Quantity]. read more

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Lunch thali is perennially good! We come here for that often. Very fresh, healthy and wholesome food.

Food at Komala Vilas truly feels like home-cooked food. We visited on a Friday and ordered the thali, which included onion sambar, potato curry, kottu, and sweet pongal. The number of side dishes is limited, but you can ask for refills or additional sides, rice, and sambar. We asked for ghee and were happily served extra sambar and rice. I ended up eating like I did in my 20s! The experience genuinely made me feel like I was back home. Tamil songs were playing in the background, which added to the nostalgic atmosphere. There isn't a lot of variety on the menu, but the food is simple, decent, and tastes good. Overall, it's a comforting place if you're looking for a homely South Indian meal read more

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Ambience felt like I was right back in India, which I loved. Service was quick and efficient too. Lowkey one of the best spots for a South Indian meal. The daily thali is elite, portions are super generous, and everything tastes fresh and comforting. Great value for the price and always hits the spot. read more

3.5 stars. Not bad for a quick lunch today in Sunnyvale. Our cousin suggested this place for south Indian food so that's where we went. We ordered idlis,medu vada,mysore masala dosa,rava dosa and kari dosa. All pretty good and authentic. The food has a real spice kick,just like in India (lived there for 9 years). Uttapam was also pretty good. Friendly and quick service, quite affordable and clean bathrooms overall. read more

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This place never disappoints me.. Go to place for breakfast, lunch and evening snack + tea read more

Komala Vilas - Sunday special breakfast combo - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Came here on a Saturday afternoon when the place gets a lot of lunch traffic. We lucked out, however, and were seated immediately. They gave us menus, but it's a little confusing. Not sure if we were supposed to wait for someone to take a order. We waited a bit and then got up and went to the counter and placed our order and gave the cashier our table number. The food came out pretty quickly. The coffee we asked to be served immediately so the cashier poured it for us. Piping hot! A good milky brew too. My wife had the Idli/Vada dish. You can see from the picture that this consists of 3 idli/1 vada and the chutnies and sambar. I had the Mysore Dosa to which I added some onion. Interestingly, the mashed potato came on the side rather than inside the dosa. This also comes with Chutnies and Sambar. Happily, it was very filling. The setting is a plain cafeteria. You come here to eat quickly and get on with your day which we did. read more

Komala Vilas - Mysore Plain Dosa You can see I couldn't wait to start in - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Amazing food, consistent taste! Idli is always soft, sambar piping hot and chutneys with perfect balance of spiciness. The dosa, vada, uttapam everything is always spot on too. Filter coffee smells so good and tastes even better. Service is also very courteous and prompt. Ambiance is pretty basic. This is our go to spot for South Indian food for years now! read more

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Food taste is amazing. This review is for the Sunday lunch delivered order which has the Potato special curry, which we had delivered through Uber Eats. For a 32oz order, the container was less than 3/4ths full. We specifically order from Komala vilas for this special delicacy and were disappointed to find the container poorly filled. read more

Komala Vilas - Potato 32oz curry - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Delicious food and chutney! The store was simple and they have a sink to wash hands in the back. The service was a bit confusing, wasn't sure if a server was coming or if we had to order up front. Turns out they come to you and you pay right when you order, that was a nice touch. Drinks will be served at the front. read more

Komala Vilas - Onion Masala Dosa - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Bad service. We ordered with the lady with a mask standing at the counter. She apparently forgot to enter the orders of many folks All those people who came much later and orders with the lady that walks around got their meals faster. The food was horrible too. Hated the potatoes which tasted like McDonald French fries DO NOT GO HERE read more

Unsure of low ratings but this is my go to place and never had issues. chapathi's are good among others items. South Indian style that my elderly parents enjoy with no issues. Picked up food to go today. Initially the vada looked refried( they denied but it was) . I requested I cannot accept it They made fresh new ones!! Thank you for the customer service! read more

I am surprised at how low the rating is, but I had a much better experience reminding me of my childhood says of sambar from my amma (mom). The only thing I wish was not there was pepper in the rava dosa. I have ordered rava dosa countless times, and it was a little strange to have large pieces of pepper. Otherwise, I would rate this 5 stars. read more

Amazing South Indian, the masala dosa was hot and delicious. All the chutneys were fresh and good. Nice chunky coconut chutney. It's a big space, so lots of room. Chai was good too. Lovely food, glad I came. Prices are good! read more

Komala Vilas - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

We tried out this restaurant after a long time, after we heard great reviews about the changed management. We ordered a thali and vegetable biryani. Liked all the dishes that came with the thali. It is unlimited and you can order extra servings of any dish. Beetroot poriyal was great and we ordered an extra. Vegetable biryani tasted great, came with vegetable salan which was perfect combination. read more

Komala Vilas - Lunch Thali -- Available from 1130am - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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I came here with my family after we heard the thalis are very good here. We came in a Sunday during lunch time and it was very busy but we got our table right away. The Sunday thali came with rice, dal, spinach kottu, pickle, tomato rasam, sambar, buttermilk, papad, and pineapple keseri. Out of all the items, my favorite was the dal, tomato rasam, and pineapple keseri. The other items were the average taste you get anywhere else -- the sambar and spinach kottu were definitely lack luster and had minimal flavor. Overall, for $14.50, the unlimited thali was decent; it's perfect for people who tend to eat with less oil, less salt, and mild spices. My only comment regarding the service was it can be difficult to find waiters/staff to replace your items if you want more. You kind of have to go out of your way, especially when it is busy. read more

best south indian food in bayarea. lunch , happy hour bajji and dosa , coffee unbeatable. excellent service with smiles

The interior is very bare bones with a water pitcher already on the tables. Don't let this details fool you though. The service and chefs are fast. Servers make sure the pitcher is full. The food here is very flavorful and such good value especially in this economy. I ordered the following: * Sambar vada $8.00 * Tomato Onion Chili Uthappam - 10.50 * Filtered coffee $2.99 I'm not a fan of coffee but I am now of Indian filter coffee. It's not bitter. There's milk and chicory. I added two packets of sugar. read more

Komala Vilas suites us perfectly! They never take time to give us food and they have amazing food waiting for us to eat. My husband eats the masala dosa while I eat medu vada. Ambiance is normally splendid and we are extremely lucky that it is close to us in Sunnyvale. read more

4 stars only for the Thali and the dishes in it, and specifically for the Sunday Thali. I go here on Sunday's just to have the Potato Fry (spiced, crispy) and the Spinach Kootu. These are my favorite dishes from when I was young and this place does these well, although the spinach kootu can do with a bit more salt for most people. I prefer less salt though. The variety in the thali is not that great (compared to your usual thali), but that is okay, as long as you do the dishes you offer in an unlimited thali well. The Sambar feels a little diluted at times, but is good. Not a lot of drumstick though. I typically do not have the rasam a lot, but I think it's good. I wish they gave curd/yogurt on Sundays over buttermilk. The pineapple kesari is nice. You also get an appalam/papad. They serve potato chips on some other days and I prefer that. You get refills on everything, and I always ask for a second/third cup of the potato fry, and also the spinach kootu, and sambar/kesari at times. The meal leaves me very full and I probably end up skipping dinner that day. This is a heavy carb meal. I've also tried the thali on other days and I'm not as big a fan. They have rotating dishes. Their plaintain/raw banana fry and beetroot are good though, on other days. They serve chow chow kootu on Friday and a potato curry (not fry!), which I think they can make better! I have had all of these dishes through my childhood and judge the food here against that. The rest of their menu, I do not have mostly. Dosas are fine, but not the biggest fan of their chutney and tiffin sambar (I don't think they make a tiffin sambar, it's probably the same as the thali, usually it is supposed to be different). Set Dosa with Vada Curry and and Veechu Parotta are dishes you can try here, they are good, and are not offered by most South Indian restaurants in the area. You'd only get them at Madurai Idli Kadai, which is their sister restaurant. Sundays are very busy, and you'd have a 15-20 minutes wait in peak afternoon times to get a table because of the popularity of the thali. I'd recommend you go in before (11:30-12) or after (130+) the peak to be seated fast. You usually get your food in 10-15 minutes. Make sure you ask for refills when you get the thali itself, and when the servers are walking across, sometimes it might be a difficult to make eye contact. But they're generally pretty quick to refill and always come with extra portions. read more

Komala Vilas - Lunch Thali -- Available from 1130am (Sunday) - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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This is hands down one of our favorite spots for dosa. Where else can you enjoy a perfectly crisp Masala Dosa, a refreshing Mango Lassi, and unlimited masala and chutneys (just flag down the server) for only $13? But it's not just about the price--the dosa is consistently fresh, fast, and absolutely tasty, and the chutneys are always on point. Some savory, some spicy if you are into the heat. All delicious. Sure, it's no-frills, but unless you're prioritizing ambiance over flavor, you really can't go wrong with Komala Villas. For incredible value and authentic South Indian flavors, this place is a winner. read more

Still loved this place. Yes ambiance is no frills and basic but it works. Service was nice and friendly but the dosas here are consistently good along with the dips. The poori was oily but okay but dosa is the thing you want to get, always will be back! read more

A reliable place for South Indian food, focused on good food and efficient service. If you're looking for a leisurely meal, please find another place! We went by for lunch on a Sunday. There was a wait, and we put our names on a waitlist, which moved through pretty quickly. This place has a dining hall kind of an ambiance, which is focused on a quick turnaround time. They have a pretty limited set of dishes on their menu, but it works to their advantage, since they do those well. They are super efficient with the meal serving and our food was served within minutes. We got the Sunday lunch meal, which had sambar, rasam, rice, buttermilk, veggie varieties, and papad and pickle sides. The veggie varieties change based on the day, so I'd recommend checking the menu for the day if you are looking for a particular dish. The food was good, but I did find it to be at a lower spice level (possibly to cater to those who may prefer less spicy flavors). You can also ask for additional helpings of items if you need more. You can aim to be in/out of this place in under 45 mins from the time you are seated. If you're craving a South Indian thali and want a quick, reasonably priced meal, this is the spot! read more

Completely shows no commitment to cooking well and give good food. Vada was not well cooked and cold Uttapam is very thick and shows just put together in a hurry. read more

Today 8/10 we went to komala vilas, the food taste become very normal. The Sambar is very normal not much taste, it is unlimited meals but when we four of asked for extra meals they are not serving we waited for almost 5-10 minutes with empty plates. They are serving food for new people but not for us we almost asked all of the employees, I asked for extra pappad and poriyal at the end I left the hotel losing my patience. I would recommend not this restaurantant read more

Our go-to place for AYCE tali and dosa. The food was good and hit the spot. A reco place for vegetarian cafe. There are plenty of parking. Come early if you don't want to wait in line. Get a table, check your table #, and order & pay at the cashier. Your order should come soon. You want more of any items in you tali tray, just ask any staff. read more

Komala Vilas - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

This place was busy for a Sunday lunch, and has been there for over 20 years so it's a veteran in the South Indian food scene. People come here for the thali, but they serve breakfast items too like idly, dosa, and poori. We put our name on a wait-list and waited to get called for an empty table, where we then ordered and paid for it right away while we waited for our food to come out. We ordered sambar idly and vada, kara masala dosa, and poori kurma. If you read my reviews, you would know that I am a huge critic of breakfast sambar, and it's not the best here. I appreciated the fact that it was fresh and had a bunch of vegetables, but it was under seasoned and could have used that special sambar masala taste. The vada and idly were good though and fresh. The dosa could have been crispier too, but the chutneys were excellent. We didn't order the ghee version but it still felt like it was in the dosa, maybe leftover from the stovetop it was cooked in. The kurma for the pooris were the best apart from the chutneys, though it was on the blander side. The pooris were very fluffy and soft, almost like bhaturas, but definitely on the oily side. One of the best things about this place is that they will refill your sambar and curries without question. Usually at other places they charge for kurma but here we saw we didn't get a lot and they asked if we just wanted a refill now. But I have had better at other places so I can't give it a higher review without trying other dishes again or the thali which everyone seems to order. read more

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Yum! My family came here for lunch on a weekend and boy was it busy! That's always a great sign. So basically you sit down, order and give them your table number and they bring out the food. We tried a variety of items given there were a bunch of us, and the dosas were among the favorites. The tables are a bit smaller so if you order more than 1 thing per person (say extra idli/vada to share there won't be much room). I got my standard Rava onion masala dosa and was not disappointed! They did forget about our drinks which were brought towards the end of the meal, but otherwise great! read more

Thursday, Feb 15th, 2024 If you have been to Mess in Chennai, this experience & taste was very close. The spice level, salt & sweet was extremely low in the Thalli, hence perfectly suitable for kids, elderly & as everyday meal for adults. I have a sensitive gut, their food was soothing in my stomach! Taste can be enhanced a little bit, but am guessing it's because of the low salt, oil & sweet methods they use to cook. Was here on a Thursday but still there was a lot of rush! Ordered Rose milk & Jiggarthanda as well, but there was no room to eat or drink anything else after tasting their thalli! The Thalli menu is different each day, so it's nice to try it on different days! Can't believe their unlimited thalli is only $13.50 read more

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A nice homely south indian vegetarian restaurant. The ambiance is well-lit and hygienic. They sell some prepared desserts and dry snacks too. I love their lemon sevai and idli sambhar (dipped). Overall its a decent south indian place to try out! read more

Went for dosa on a weekday afternoon. Had a masala dosa and filter coffee. Both were good and mild sambhar. It was definitely fresh as I have had dosa at Mylapore dosa during the weekday and it caused a lot of acidity and bloating, most likely due to left over sambhar from weekend. I digested Komala vilas dosa very well. read more

We are regulars to KV's lunch Thali, as it is closest we can get to home food. But now, we are rethinking this. We were there for lunch on Veterans' Day and I could feel that the quality has fallen by about 1000 ft within month. The rasam was watery, the papads were too soft and I don't even recall if I had sambhar. They served us an ice-cold avial that kind of shocked me! When I asked the person at the counter how could they do this, they confidently said "Avial is supposed to be served cold" Since avial is a Keral dish, I confirmed with my Kerala friends on what would be the ideal temperature it needed to be served. They all concurred that it had to be warm, at the minimum. Oh well. read more

Service was quick and good. Food was decent, wish the sambhar was a little less thick and our rava onion masala dosa was crispier. Spring dosa was good. Prices are as they should be. Ambiance is very fast food vibes. read more

The food was very homely! Very tasty South Indian food with kind workers and a great ambiance. The thali had a wide variety of options and an incredibly tasty payasam. The appalam was crispy! The cheese ceylon paratha (which is Sri Lankan, I believe) was unique and also tasted great. Definitely recommend and I look forward to coming back here again. read more

Komala Vilas - Lunch Thali - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Liked the Paper Masala Dosa (Big big dosa) Tried the Upma (To Quick order to table service! Liked the Upma as well read more

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Veg/vegan reviewer: Craving for healthy, homely South Indian food? This place is a must try! Not a place to try if you're looking for spicy food though. The unlimited thali is a such a deal and a treat to the hungry soul! Their idly sambar and vada is all great as well. Nothing great/fancy about the ambience, just a quick eatery. Tip: the food is very affordable and good quality, so there's always some waiting. read more

Komala Vilas - Lunch Thali -- Available from 1130am - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

The moon is awesome they need to upgrade just some of the interior decor place has been here a long time. They have enough traffic of customers where they're making well enough money do you need to spend some money on the Decour the water cups water jugs (fingerprints everywhere, on the cups and spoons ) Great customer service & great food. Also, they gots to offer receipts for the bill to everyone, first time I forgot to ask for the receipt. ‍. read more

Komala Vilas - Lots of parking - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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