Shikha H.

I would call this restaurant decent but nothing exceptional for what it offers. The first time I tried their food was takeout and I was disappointed with their packaging. The amount of chutney and sambar was way off for the quantity of food I ordered. The one thing that did stand out was their chutneys, both in taste and variety. But their sambar is not my fav. I wanted to give them another chance and I ended up dinning here twice before giving my review. I tried their millet dosa which is not something every restaurant offers so that's great. However, the millet dosa tasted different in flavor and texture both times when I ordered. I also tried their kovai special meal. I wasn't a big fan of all the items in the meal. The quantity of the meal is quite a lot for the price though. I can easily share it with another person. I don't like the ambience inside, it feels dark and not inviting. However their staff is nice. The food came quickly both times when I dined in. But their takeout took way more time than the estimate they gave. I don't think I will dine here again by choice unless I run out of options in the area. They need to improve on the consistency and flavor of a lot of their items on the menu.

Harmanjeet K.

A solid South Indian vegetarian restaurant but we had a few hiccups with our order. We went early for breakfast on a sunday and were seated promptly. We ordered Thatte idli, filter coffee, sulaimani chai (does not come with milk in it), rava dosa, KC special masala dosa and mushroom 65. Thatte idli with podi was awesome. Hot idli with hot ghee and hot sambhar was amazing. The coconut chutney and a toor daal chutney with jaggery was my most favorite. The peanut chutney was also very good. The tomato chutney had a sweetness to it that I did not appreciate. Rava dosa was crispy and delicious! Chutneys were the same in all the plates and presentation was amazing. My KC special masala dosa was burnt. It was super crunchy but completely burnt from the outside. I chose not to return it and left it halfway. The mushroom 65 was exactly mushroom pakoda with sprinkled chaat masala. It was awesome but came soggy almost like it was just reheated since the pieces at the bottom weren't the same temperature as the pieces on the top. The dish was sadly topped with smelly sliced onions. The filter coffee was awesome but wasn't piping hot. Sugar and condiments were kept on the table along with napkins. Cutlery came with the order. The sulaimani chai was awesome. It had spices in it and had a hint of sugar and lemon and my husband loved it. I wish my dosa wasn't burnt and the mushroom 65 was crunchy. Cannot wait to try their thalis in the future.

Shivani P.

Kovai cafe is amazing. In the days of many South Indian restaurant chains in Bay Area, this is a welcome change. I went here twice, once during a normal weeknight and once during weekend. Weekends have waiting but they have chairs outside to wait. Also servers keep coming to check when to provide the table. Food is great. I tried the podi butter aloo masala dosa which was a fun try and had the regular masala dosa. Also their chutneys provide variety of taste compared to coconut chutney. Tried their chow chow bath and kesari was yum. Also their filter coffee icecream is great. Small place, but great food and service.

Srujan N.

Visited this new Kovai Cafe location on a weekday morning around 10:00 AM. Walking in, the ambience felt modern and nice. Service was friendly and welcoming. Coming to the food: - Special Masala Dosa(5/5): This was delicious and all of the chutneys that came with it were great. - Happy Hour Combo(4/5): While the combo was good, would prefer the dosa over this next time. - Sambar(5/5): this was unique and tasted great. It was almost like Dal.

Anisha Y.

Great food and great service! Saturdays may not be the best time to go -- it was very crowded, and we waited about 45 minutes. It also felt a little disorganized, and we didn't get the roti that was supposed to come with the special meal until the end. However, they were very kind and gave us roti to go along with extra korma for the wait, which we appreciated. The uttapam was so soft and delicious -- even my dad said it's the best uttapam he's ever had! The tea was great, and the dosa was also delicious. The tomato chutney was the best I've had. I would definitely come back -- just maybe on a weeknight.

Steffi C.

We visited Kovai Cafe for breakfast today and tried a bunch of dishes between the three of us and overall it turned out to be a really solid vegetarian spot. Service was quick and friendly! We ordered the ghee podi masala dosai, tiffin combo (idli + pongal + vadai + kesari with filter coffee), idiyappam with vada curry, chow chow bath, and poori masala. The clear standout was the masala dosai. Honestly one of the best dosais I have had in the Bay Area, and I don't say that lightly. It came with four different chutneys and sambar which were all excellent. The tiffin combo was great value and very satisfying, soft idli, comforting pongal, a nice vadai, and kesari to finish. The filter coffee paired perfectly with it. We tried idiyappam with vada curry combo for the first time. It was interesting to try, but probably not something I would reorder personally. The chow chow bath (upma + kesari) was very good and reminded us of a proper Bangalore breakfast. Poori masala was also good. Overall the menu is quite extensive and there's a lot more we would come back to try. If you are looking for a dependable vegetarian breakfast spot, this is a great option.

Ariana J.

We recently visited Kodak Cafe for dinner on Sunday. Hubby was craving sambar idly and we've always wanted to try the famous chef Madampatti's vegetarian restaurant Konami cafe. Glad it opened in Milpitas that's closer to our home than their previous location in south bay. Sambar idly was delicious. I am not a big fan usually but enjoyed this dish a lot here. Piping hot sambar and soft idly's dipped in it. We had KC special dosa: it's a combination of all masala dosa variations. It had podi, masala, onion, cilantro , potato masala served on top of a benne style crispy on the outside side on the inside type of dosa. It was a bunch of flavors and we enjoyed it. Elaneer payasam was ok. Not the best. Hubby also had filter kaapi. We loved the 4 chutneys this serve with tiffins. The peanut one was super tasty. Good for quick tiffins on a weekend. Service was great and very cordial. Ambiance is clean and good.

David K.

Kovai Cafe has expanded from its San Jose location into Milpitas, and this casual, lively vegetarian restaurant offers the same delicious South Indian flavors as the original, accompanied by quick and friendly service. One of their most unique tiffins was the Millet Masala Dosa, a crispy crepe made with a nutty millet flour, filled with creamy spiced masala potatoes, and served with sambar, tomato chutney, coconut chutney, and peanut chutney on the side. But the item to come for is the Kovai Special Meals, a round metal platter with a large assortment of colorful dishes, all centered on a bowl of rice. The selection varies daily, and on my visit, they were serving Ugadi Ruchulu, a special thali for Ugadi, the Hindu new year. The festive thali came with 16 different items: Bellada Panaka (sweet jaggery drink), Ugadi Pachadi (chutney), Gongura Pulao (rice with sorrel), Jonna Roti (sorghum flatbread), Beerakaya Palli Curry (ridge gourd peanut curry), Munaga Mamidi Sambar (drumstick mango sambar), Sorakaya Majjiga Pulusu (bottle gourd yogurt curry), Nimmakaya Rasam (lemon broth), Talimpu Perugu (curd), Goru Chikkudukaya Vepudu (stir-fried cluster beans), Dosakaya Kootu (yellow cucumber stew), Pesaru Garelu (moong dal fritter), Mamidi Pandu Payasam (sweet mango kheer), Mirapakaya Oorugaya (chili pickle), and Ullipaya Vadiyalu (onion fryums). Each component was distinct in flavor and delicious in its own way, but my favorite items included the chewy, nutty Jonna Roti, the peanut curry, and the stir-fried cluster beans! I couldn't believe that this entire sensory experience came at just $16.99-an unbelievable value for a festive meal!

Kira N.

Kovai cafe replaced our Fav Namma restaurant. We have heard great things about their thali and decided to try them now that they are a bit closer. No thali in the evenings so we tried variety of breakfast items and everything tasted great. Rava kesari stood out for us . Benne dosa's texture looked different compared to other south Indian breakfast places but it tasted good. Will definitely come back to try their thali.

Shwethkamal K.

This was our first time at Kovai Cafe. The Pongal banana leaf virundu is what attracted me to visit the restaurant. The review below is only for the special menu, as we did not order anything else. Food - 5/5 There were close to 18 different items on the leaf. Each and every dish was very flavorful. The soup, veggie biryani, kurma, and sambar were my top favorites. The kurma's thickness and flavor were excellent, and the balance of whole spices was on point--something that is not often seen in other restaurants. All the other items were super delish as well. None of the dishes were oily or excessively spicy (hot). Each one had a distinct flavor. I would come back to eat these items any day, as long as the quality is maintained. One thing I did feel was missing was appalam/papad, but that's a very small thing to point out. Quantity-wise, every dish was served with true generosity, and we were stuffed by the end of the meal. Price - 4.8/5 For the number of dishes served as part of this meal, it was priced very well at ~$23 per plate, which is quite reasonable compared to other places. Ambience / Service Overall, it's a clean place with prompt service. The staff checked in several times to see if we needed anything, which is something mostly seen only in India. They also enquired about the quality and taste of the food, which was really nice. One thing that could be improved is having the staff know the names of the dishes that are part of the meal. While there were several items and the expectation wasn't for the staff to recite every single one, it would have been nice to either group the items or have a printed menu to look at. In the beginning, the waiting staff came every minute to check if we were ready to order, despite us telling them we wanted to know what was included in the meal. This is a small point, but being in America, a lot of non-South Indians will want to visit the restaurant, and simply saying there are 18 items may not suffice. Most people would want to know what they are paying for or check for potential allergens. That said, the staff and food more than made up for this tiny hiccup. Finally, it was nice to see Chef Rangaraj himself stop by each table and enquire about the food. Overall, I am super excited to come back to try other dishes!

Ro W.

Kovai Cafe is an amazing place for modern vibes and some of the best South Indian food! We ordered the Gobi 65 (the fry on this was soooo good- light but very crispy; the cauliflower was very fresh, and the spices and curry leaf decor on top were *chef's kiss*!); onion and tomato uttapam (super fresh veggies, fluffy, delicious!!); the special Kovai meal/ thali (a platter with many mini bowls of varied dishes with rice and other carbs); and drinks (badam paal - tastes like sweet mildly spiced milk with almonds and a foamy top; delicious and piping hot - yes!!); mango lassi; and their filter coffee (foam top, strong, and piping hot!!). It is hard to pick a favorite because everything was so different, but all were so delicious, and the drinks were amazing! I can't wait to come back again!