Found It!
You'll recall a few months ago I asked for suggestions on the best Indian food in town.
Yesterday afternoon I woke up from a nap with an insatiable craving for Indian food, so we found an excuse to run some errands down Parma way and headed to Udupi Cafe.
My love affair with Indian food has the same ignoble roots as my fascination with kippers: Red Dwarf. (Remember the episode where all the curry-making supplies got accidentally ejected into space?) And I still maintain that I stayed away from drugs as a teenager because who the hell needs drugs when you've got that state of curry bliss induced by onion chutney and "Indian hot" bhindi masala?
Now - be prepared. Udupi Cafe is all vegetarian, so don't come here looking for lamb vindaloo. This is also South Indian cuisine, which isn't as common round these parts -- Jim was asking me questions like, "what's uthappam? what's sambar?" and I was embarrassed to realize that I didn't really know....
[South Indian cuisine is mainly characterized by masala dosai -- large, thin rice-flour crepes with stuff inside (in Jim's case, potato and onion) and served with sambar (a type of savory coconut chutney) and red chutney.]
Udupi is located in an unprepossessing strip mall on Olde Yorke Road in Parma Heights; Yorktown Lanes is right across on the other side of Pearl. (Hey, why not combine some curry bliss with a round of bowling?) The large dining room was full of Indian families -- always an encouraging sign because you know the food is going to be (dare I say it?) authentic and best of all, cheap: our tab, which included masala dosai, malai kofta, rice, two sweet lassis, poori, samosas, various chutneys and lime pickle (my new favorite curry bliss accessory) came in at under $30.
(Your entree cost $5.99? I asked Jim incredulously. In New York, a glass of water costs $5.99).
Don't forget to stop by Laxmi grocery right next door -- you'll want to take home some of those Indian sweets that you were too stuffed to order. One of the most comprehensive Indian groceries I've seen outside of Queens, they've got a good selection of British foods, as well as a variety of those breath-freshening mixes you get at finer Indian establishments (you know, candy-coated fennel, rock sugar, rose petals, served in a little silver dish at the exit door).
Despite the spotty service (be prepared to have to ask for your check), Udupi Cafe is highly recommended.
Yesterday afternoon I woke up from a nap with an insatiable craving for Indian food, so we found an excuse to run some errands down Parma way and headed to Udupi Cafe.
My love affair with Indian food has the same ignoble roots as my fascination with kippers: Red Dwarf. (Remember the episode where all the curry-making supplies got accidentally ejected into space?) And I still maintain that I stayed away from drugs as a teenager because who the hell needs drugs when you've got that state of curry bliss induced by onion chutney and "Indian hot" bhindi masala?
Now - be prepared. Udupi Cafe is all vegetarian, so don't come here looking for lamb vindaloo. This is also South Indian cuisine, which isn't as common round these parts -- Jim was asking me questions like, "what's uthappam? what's sambar?" and I was embarrassed to realize that I didn't really know....
[South Indian cuisine is mainly characterized by masala dosai -- large, thin rice-flour crepes with stuff inside (in Jim's case, potato and onion) and served with sambar (a type of savory coconut chutney) and red chutney.]
Udupi is located in an unprepossessing strip mall on Olde Yorke Road in Parma Heights; Yorktown Lanes is right across on the other side of Pearl. (Hey, why not combine some curry bliss with a round of bowling?) The large dining room was full of Indian families -- always an encouraging sign because you know the food is going to be (dare I say it?) authentic and best of all, cheap: our tab, which included masala dosai, malai kofta, rice, two sweet lassis, poori, samosas, various chutneys and lime pickle (my new favorite curry bliss accessory) came in at under $30.
(Your entree cost $5.99? I asked Jim incredulously. In New York, a glass of water costs $5.99).
Don't forget to stop by Laxmi grocery right next door -- you'll want to take home some of those Indian sweets that you were too stuffed to order. One of the most comprehensive Indian groceries I've seen outside of Queens, they've got a good selection of British foods, as well as a variety of those breath-freshening mixes you get at finer Indian establishments (you know, candy-coated fennel, rock sugar, rose petals, served in a little silver dish at the exit door).
Despite the spotty service (be prepared to have to ask for your check), Udupi Cafe is highly recommended.
posted by Christine Borne at 8:33 AM
9 Comments:
I second this nomination of Udupi Cafe as the best Indian restaurant in town. I've tried a dozen and keep coming back, especially because the buffet allows me to sample more dishes. I like Saffron Patch, too, for something different and across town.
wow, I am excited to try this place now, Christine. Cool, I can almost taste those palate refreshing mixes. I've been missing the Bombay Palace in Rockville Maryland lately so a road trip to Parma is I guess in order. I think there is a restaurant supply place in the heart of Parma....I can combine the two purposes lol.
I'm glad you got to Parma and tried Udupi! The buffet is really good too.
thank you thank you for posting this. i've been dying for some good indian food. too bad its all the way in parma. i'm definitely going though. do you, or anyone else reading this, know of any places on the east side?
Last night we went to a place serving Southern Indian food here in Tunbridge Wells, England. It's changed hands recently -- used to be a fast food places called McDosas. Now it's more upmarket and called Kerala. It was very good -- and they had the sugar and fennel seeds at the end of the meal. I'm getting to be quite a fan of dosas; but I still struggle with the heat of the curry.
Is there any good Indian food in Cleveland proper? I visit often (for work and visiting the in-laws) and going out to Cleve Hts or Parma is not convenient. Extra points for good, fast and cheap.
Where in Cleveland proper, downtown? There's not much downtown, other than yuppie restaurants, and the closest neighborhoods (Tremont and Ohio City) are pretty much going the same route.
I'm trying to think of the most public transit-friendly Indian restaurant in Cleveland. Anyone want to suggest? Preferably something that's not Cafe Tandoor, which I'm not a big fan of? Udupi Cafe itself is on the #51X line, so it is possible to get there.
India Garden is toward the end of the #26 Detroit bus, but I've never been there....
If I'm not mistaken, the biggest concentration of Indian people in Cleveland is on the southwest side (i.e., Parma) so you might just have to bite the bullet and take the big ride!
Try Jaipur Junction at W. Sprague Road/York Road in North Royalton or India Cuisine on W. 130th/Pearl Road intersection for authentic North Indian food. Udupi Cafe in Parma Heights serves South Indian food and its rather poor and folks who know Indian food will ratify this. On the flip side, I think what kind of food one likes or dislikes is an individual preference.
Hi Christine - I think I may have mentioned Udupi when you or someone was asking about Indian or ethnic restaurants. I'm glad you went.
We went last summer for a friend's birthday and what was liked about it is that because it's vegetarian, and some of the friends keep kosher, it was a good choice. Maybe I'm not a connoisseur, but my taste buds did well there. :)
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