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Ruchi
Category: Restaurants Indian Indian [Edit]
474 3rd St(between Stillman St & James Lick Fwy)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighbourhood: SOMA
(415) 392-8353
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat 12:30 pm - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Doreen M. said: "Brought the family here for my sister's college graduation and they impressed the whole group... Seven people left that afternoon with stuffed bellies and the bill under $100." read more »
148 reviews for Ruchi
Review Highlights
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"The masala dosa was very satisfying." In 15 reviews -
"Also the chicken Chettinadu rocked as well." In 8 reviews -
"Their greens pullakora and coconut rice is fantastic." In 7 reviews
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148 reviews in English
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Review from Marina L.
Berkeley, CA
5/23/2012
Love, Love, Love, Love, Love this place. I recommend it to every single person I meet who says they're craving Indian food. I've eaten here 4 times and have always received excellent service topped off with truly delicious food.
And not to mention, when I say mild, they do mild! So hard to find someone who can create a curry that is both delicious and mild enough for me to eat. I can truly rave on and on about this place. This is by far my all time favorite Indian restaurant. -
Review from Boris C.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2012
Located not far from South Park, and SOMA startup central, it's a great place for authentic south indian food for lunch. I always go for the thali dishes, and it never fails.
Order first, then find a seat.
Friendly staff.
Probably not great if you are in a rush, and the place is crowded.
Only complaints
* charge for masala chai - no way
* got a palak pannier one time, and lots of grit, meaning probably didn't wash the veggies that well -
Review from Leo C.
3/24/2012
Ruchi offers up a delicious, and truly "homestyle" experience. The food comes out slowly but hot, the staff seems to also move slowly, although they are friendly. Tasty stuff for sure, just make sure you've got the time/patience.
We came during lunch on a week day. It wasn't terribly crowded. You order first and then get seated. We ordered:
Mysore Masala Dosa - Masala dosa with spicy chutney coating.
Madras Masala Dosa - spicy chutney coating, onions, tomatoes, & chutney powder.
Tea - it's a strong tea with some milk/cream. Kinda tastes like the milk tea you'd get in Hong Kong but more tea flavor. pretty good for $1.
The first thing I noticed was the crispy but not greasy crepe that was delicious, tasty, and flavorful. I could almost just eat the skin/crepe part of the meal and be happy! The over meal was delicious. The accompanied sauces added extra flavor, and the Madras Masala Dosa had a surprisingly good kick to it.
Overall, the dining experience was good, and the food was delicious. I recommend the Madras Masala Dosa for the spicy taste if you are into spicy foods. Just make sure you and your party has the time/patience for the service. -
Review from Achal P.
Mahwah, NJ
5/26/2012
This restaurant is close to SFMoMA on 3rd street. I went out for a lunch with a colleague in May 2012. The ambiance at this place is non-existent. And the food quality was sub-par. I ordered spinach-chicken: usually I would expect that chicken and spinach stay together. This dish was so watery that spinach and the watery sauce was running away from the chicken. As a result of this, my nan was so wet that it became soggy beyond point. The dish itself was tasteless beyond description. A friend of mine ordered Fish Thali. a mere look at his Thali made me cringe. I would not eat food prepared and presented in this fashion. The server were casual and not trained at all. The plus point was that the food was cheap : we both paid $25 for lunch, not a bad price for quick and tasteless lunch.
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Review from aj s.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2012
I do love the use of rice, coconut, chilies, onions and curry leaf as is quite typical of South Indian fare. Dosa is way better at DOSA but their curries here are punchier. I would skip the house specialty fish curry but definitely RECOMMEND: Chicken Chettinadu and the Lamb Karahi
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Review from Tamara F.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 5/19/2012
I came back to Ruchi for lunch a month or two ago. They have expanded the menu, with new appetizers as well as entrees (incuding chana masala), and I think worked out some of the kinks, as service seemed quicker. Glad to see they are still doing well! The greens and dosa are still great.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/26/2010
We were craving Indian food and needed somewhere near downtown. I found this place on Yelp and it… Read more »
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Review from Vandana N.
San Francisco, CA
3/11/2012
Terrible. I will never be going back here. And here's the reason why:
- Chole (garbanzo beans) were raw. No, not "raw" as in the fashionable way to eat these days in SF... raw as in they had spent insufficient time on the stove.
- Food arrived at a snail's pace... half the party was done eating by the time the other half's meals started trickling in. Once it did arrive, the food was bland and tasteless (chicken biryani may as well have been plain rice with a bit of leftover chicken tossed in & the pesarattu dosa (a house specialty, mind you) was not tasty at all).
The server (from Nepal) was sweet, but what could she do, if there was no decent food to serve?
So SO many better places to spend your time & money. Want a dosa? Head to DOSA or Udupi Palace instead. Want North Indian cuisine? Head to any other Indian restaurant in the city. -
Review from senga d.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2012
It's been quite some time since I've had a meal this bad in San Francisco.
Due to the vagaries of traffic, I arrived nearly an hour early to meet my group. (Not enough time to go home and ditch the car before dinner - that's always annoying.) I went in and asked if I could sit down and have a beer. They told me no, it was too early. Considering that the table was empty, and there is no way to get a group of 9 or 10 in and out in 50 minutes, I thought that was pretty stupid of them financially, as well as rude. Anyway, I went across the street and had a glass of wine in another restaurant. Wish I had just stayed there.
They have a special notion of portion and pacing (the meal was pre-ordered, and was ordered by number of people). After about half an hour, for 9 people, we were brought *4* deep friend peppers. Then we waited 20 minutes or so, and were brought one tiny deep-friend veggie each. (The veggies varied.) After another 20 minutes or so we were brought another plate - 1 deep fried piece of onion each. by this point my water was long gone.
They told me they were too busy to give me water but I could buy a beer. Um, what? First you refuse to sell me a beer, then you expect me to buy one later on because you want to make more money now that it's not "happy hour"? I think not.
After that I left, but I hear from others that the food got neither better nor more plentiful. I will never be back, even though reading reviews make it seem like they suck less when you're not in a group. -
Review from Paul H.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2012
i go there twice a week, and absolutely amazing food, and so cheap. the service is so fast and good. very polite and clean place. I LIKE A LOT !
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Review from Shizu T.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2012
Some of the best Indian food I've had in a long time! You can really taste that the food has been made with fresh ingredients and from scratch. Nothing from bottles here! I could actually taste the spinach in my spinach curry (it wasn't a green blob). The chutneys and sauces had depth and really nice textures to compliment the food. The dishes that were meant to be spicy were spicy (and they thoughtfully pointed out the dish with peppers cut up small and mixed in, in case you wanted to eat around them), while the dishes that were meant to be buttery and creamy were mmmm... sooo smoooothh...
Local gem in a place you would not expect (almost below the freeway). The simple but modern interior creates a very nice ambiance, and the service was extremely nice and attentive (maybe too attentive?). Yes, I can see how some people may think the pacing of the food is a bit slow, but I prefer my food to be cooked to order. Besides, I hate when my plates are swooshed away in the name of service before I've had the opportunity to scoop the last bit of delicious curry off my plate with my last wedge of naan...
I walk past this place all the time (it's on the way to my boyfriend's place) and was hesitant to try because it's sometimes empty during the week (although to be fair, it's almost always bustling on weekend nights). Don't let that turn you away! It truly is a gem! (I almost didn't write about it, I wanted to keep the place a secret).
My disclaimers:
- We went on a Tuesday night, and we were a party of two. The place was mostly empty, which may be why we didn't have issues with service noted by other Yelpers.
- I am not Indian, but I eat Indian food almost once a week since my boyfriend is. He LOVED the food, by the way, and really encouraged me to write this. -
Review from C C.
San Francisco, CA
Eating at Ruchi is like visiting a friend's house and eating their mom's delicious Indian cooking. You walk in the door and your senses are overwhelmed with swirling spices that prick your appetite. First, you start off with the Samosa, or the Chole Samosa. Crispy, flaky dough surrounds spicy potato curry; it's a small start to the meal that just makes you hungry for more. Samosa not your thing? Then try the Medu Vada, a savory donut laced with chilis. Then move on to the refreshing Kachumber Salad which just lays a light foundation for the delicious curries you're about to devour.
You can't go wrong with the curries at Ruchi. My absolute, hands-down, off-the-chart favorite is the Chicken Tikka Masala. Yummy Tandoor chicken is surrounded by a spicy and creamy masala sauce. IT IS DELICIOUS! I could drink the sauce. Okay, I'm kidding. (maybe) Seriously, order the CTM, it's the best I've ever had. The Chicken Chettinadu is another can't-go-wrong curry. The sauce is layered and complex with hints of coconut, yum! If curries aren't your thing, try the Pesarattu dosa, a tantalizing potato crepe. You could order plain Basmati rice to complement your curry or you could treat yourself to the Coconut Rice. The coconut is subtle and the cashews add some lovely texture and flavor.
The restaurant is family owned and operated which is one reason I always feel so at-home and welcome whenever I come in. I've read some previous reviews that complain about the slow service. It's kinda true, but for me, the food more than makes up for it. I've come often enough that the owners and servers recognize me and while the service may be "slow", it's always friendly and attentive. (If you're in a hurry, just let them know when you order.)
Come to Ruchi for authentic and delicious South Indian Cuisine served with family-style charm in a classy ambiance. And order the Chicken Tikka Masala. Seriously, it's THAT good. -
Review from Jean K.
1/10/2012
I personally love the dosa/south Inidan food trend. I only wish it would pick up steam. Why is everyone into pizza and burgers when doses are languishing on the sidelines?
Luckily for me Ruchi is not that far from work so I can get my fix whenever I want. I don't know how I've managed to miss this place which has been open for a few years. Went today for the first time for lunch. You order at the counter then find a seat. Don't be confused by the nice staff who may show you to a table and take drink orders. You still have to order at the counter. This is important or you may end up chatting at your table waiting for someone to take your order, wasting precious minutes when they could be cooking your food.
Maybe this isn't normally a big deal but when we showed up at 12:30 the place was mostly empty. Fifteen minutes later the tables were full and there was a line to order - all handled by only one cook in the kitchen. It was 1:10 by the time the first food came to our table and it took another 10 minutes for all 5 orders to come out.
So service speed is slow to say the least, but what about the food? It's authentically spicy - not turning down the heat for the Americans, or even if it's not crazy Indian spicy it's still pretty spicy - and pretty delish. I'd say at least on par with Dosa on Valencia St. The curry is very tasty as is the dose. I tried the...
* lamb curry thali - very good and spicy
* Pesarattu - very spicy, when they say green chilies they mean it
Stick to the South Indian food - a friend from Madras says any dosas or anything with coconut or tamarind (they helpfully mark house specialities on the menu). Don't order chicken tike masala and expect it to be outstanding.
I'm interested in coming back to try some more curries for lunch but will try to come early and get carry out.
4 stars for food, 2 stars for service -
Review from Priya K.
San Francisco, CA
3/11/2012
We went there as a group of 6 and ordered various dishes. The food was either really good or really bad. But a couple of us left very unhappy due to service.
We ordered a bunch of items. The samosas and chai were good. Idlis and rava masala dosa were excellent. The sambar in particular was deliciious. The spinach curry dish ((one of the house specialties) was excellent as well,
The chola bhaturas - not so good. In fact, the chola was undercooked to the point of being raw. The bhaturas did not have much flavor.
The chicken biryani was also very bland.
But what really got us annoyed was the fact that they seemed to have only 1 person cooking, and that person seemed to be cooking 1 dish at a time., and each dish seemed to take a while to make. So by the time the last person's dish came out, the rest of us were completely done.
And while I understand that things like dosas can take some time, you'd expect that a south indian restaurant would have at least 2 dosa pans so that they can turn things around faster. Plus the raw/undercooked chhole cannot be forgiven (they didnt even taste good).
I most likely will come back individually when I need my idli/dosa fix (especially since the sambar was so good), and since Udupi Palace has gone completely downhill, and Dosa is so pricey and not open for lunch) . But definitely not in any sort of group. -
Review from Mayur A.
San Bruno, CA
3/19/2012
Decent Indian food with a decent ambience. Nothing incredible however I'm giving it one extra star because it doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is... good flavors at affordable prices.
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Review from Harper Z.
Oakland, CA
3/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love this place. Authentic food and a family run business. Always crowded and completely worth the short wait.
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Review from Nick L.
11/16/2011
We came in on a Saturday evening. This place was not that busy. Plenty of tables around empty.
Service was slow. Even if the place was packed this place would still be considered slow. Slow to bring menus. Slow to bring water. Slow to take your order.
Anyway onto the food. I'm probably biased as I can compare to curries I have had in England. The curries here were just not great - passable no better. Value was reasonable as the portion sizes aren't very big here. The eggplant curry was particularly small. The contents would have fit into my palm.
The masala dosa to start was good. The poppadums were slightly stale.
We'd come back for the dosa but everything else was very average. -
Review from Annie M.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
I've been here twice now and each time I was amazed by the food and amused by the service (in a good way). Each time, we made sure to order the Uttapam, with onions and ginger, which comes with all these tasty, creamy sauces on the side. I could eat Uttapam all day and still find it remarkable--all those different flavors and textures and add-ins and somehow it works. How does this happen?
The curry here is very acceptable and the wait staff is always happy to chat about the menu, the restaurant, the Uttapam, whatever your fancy. I also am partial to their buttermilk, but was told that most people aren't that eager to drink it. Oh well, more buttermilk for me!
We've only been there during weekday evenings and there's always a guitarist in the corner, softly strumming as we eat. The guitarist changes from night to night, but the music is mostly jazz and mostly unobtrusive.
It's a little out of the way, but if you can make it down there, you should go and enjoy some delicious tastes-like-home-cooking Indian food. -
Review from DeathandFood b.
San Francisco, CA
8/16/2011
Pretty decent Indian food with lackluster service but good specials.
If you come here and you can't find something for everyone then you are way too picky an eater. There are lots of vegetarian and vegan choices and the quality of the food is high.
We got two of the house specialities, Dahi Vada, the savory chickpea doughnuts which were good but not terribly fresh and the Greens Pullakoora which is basically sauteed spinach with spices. I really liked it but the French Spouse found the seasoning to be uneven and the spinach was overcooked for her. The French Spouse had Mutter Paneer which was pretty average and probably not what I would order at a southern Indian restaurant.
The atmosphere and the service were lacking. They "misplaced" our order and this was after they gave up menus twice and tried to take our order twice. We came for dinner so maybe they are more on the ball during the lunch rush.
I wouldn't be rushing to go back but if I need a quick lunch and in the area I would go here again. -
Review from Greg G.
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friends and I were on our way to HRD. When we saw the line for that was nuts, we decided to check this place out. Seemed semi popular. Order at the counter and find a seat. They have a few lunch specials so we went with a chicken curry and rice and I got the chicken chettinadu with rice as well. The chettinadu was a little too oily for me. However I was fed, and can't complain too much. Not sure if I would return but glad I at least tried it.
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Review from Boss H.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2012
I love the review where the reviewer says it's the best chicken tikka masala they've ever had, but they only gave Ruchi 4 out of 5 stars. What does it take to get five stars??? Let me preface this by saying that I'm Indian (really, Boss Hogg was Indian) and I love Indian food (North and South), even mediocre Indian food, but this place just isn't very good. It's a notch below mediocre. Much better options in SF. Nice people working here and I wish them the best, but I won't eat here again.
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Review from Lauren M.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
We decided to go out to dinner on a weeknight and walked over to this place which was mostly empty. The waitress was very friendly, didn't speak great English, but for the most part we could understand her. We'd never been here before and while we eat a lot of Indian food, hadn't really had much South Indian food so we asked for her recommendations. She went on and on and didn't really leave us any more decisive than before.
We decided to go with a dosa - i had never had one before, then the lamb curry and the rice and chicken dish, plus some naan (my husband was embarrassed we were ordering naan as I guess it's more of a northern indian dish). Anyway, the dosa came first and was massive. We got the potato-filled on, but the potato was really only in one part of it, which was fine as the thing was so big. It was good, but I don't think dosas are really my thing.
The lamb curry was good, very spicy, which we like, usually they won't make it that spicy. The chicken and rice was good, but nothing amazing. I did really like the garlic naan ironically.
Overall, service was good and the food was good, but nothing inspiring enough for me to return. -
Review from Jackie G.
1/20/2012 3 Check-ins Here
If you'd like to eat lunch here during the week GET HERE EARLY! Once the clock hits noon a long line forms dividing the restaurant. You'd think most people do take out but beware, many do sit down. The staff works hard to turn the orders fast so be patient, the food is worth the wait. I highly suggest the Veg. Thali (a variety of lunchtime items including dessert for a decent price). Everything is also ala carte. Rice is extra, Naan is extra when just ordering a curry. The food is great though. Love the spices. I hear that the Chicken Tikka is the best around!
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Review from Johnny W.
8/14/2011
With a little under an hour and a half before our housewarming, my roommate and two other friends found ourselves too short on time to go to a proper sit-down restaurant. Fortunately, Ruchi was nearby, had a menu online, and seemed well liked enough that, while two of us went off to stock up on party items, the other two went and ordered a chana masala, malai kofta, chicken chettinadu, and chicken Hyderbadi-style biryani to go.
And all in all, solid Indian food, though nothing was particularly mind-blowing (the biryani stood out most among the four) - especially since all of us have had better, either elsewhere in the city or Silicon Valley. Prices aren't too bad either, with most entrees around the $10 mark, and all coming with good serving sizes (we had to try really hard to finish everything). -
Review from Patricia P.
Somerville, OH
2/16/2012
Nice ambiance, service, and food. Our waitress was kind and attentive. An acoustic guitarist was playing softly in a corner of the room. The food was freshly made, from scratch, using high-quality ingredients. The dinner was reasonably priced. When I complimented the coconut sauce served with my dosa, the waitress told me they start with a whole coconut and use the meat and milk to make the sauce, rather than using a pre-made sauce or even coconut milk from a can. It's a slow food experience, but slow food is good for the soul. Yum.
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Review from Dan Q.
6/20/2011
I feel that major metropolitan cities are a mine field. With so many restaurants it is hard to navigate what is good.
[fish curry]
I'll apologize first off, because typically I would be able to articulate 'why' something is good. Since I don't have a big background on Indian food, I'll say at the least that the curry was well seasoned, had good heat (temperature), and was balanced in flavor.
All I can say if the fish curry is a resemblance of the rest of the food on the menu then everything else should be awesome. -
Review from Courtney A.
San Francisco, CA
6/23/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I had lunch here today and it was nice. It's not a good area and it's hard to see, but it's close to my work so that's really convenient. Minus the weird crosswalk in front of it.
I got the vegetarian thali lunch special. It sounds like a ton of food on the menu but it's not--you get a platter with rice, two pieces of naan, and a dish of curry, and then several little bowls with other things in there. The curry today was yellow with some sort of veggie meatballs--no idea what they were made of, but it was seriously delish. The soup was okay, and it came with some mangoes for dessert. Probably my favorite part of the meal was one of the cups I got--some sort of spicy curry I dipped the naan in. It was delicious. No idea what it is, but I think it varies a lot.
The place was clean and the service FAST. Not a really nice ambiance, but a good place to grab a bite for a decent price. I will be back here for lunch. -
Review from P A.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2011
Having been from south India their food wasn't really as authentic and tasty.
The attitude of the manager/ owner/ hostess is really bad. One of the waitresses gave us less change, so we tipped them ~15% considering the error in calculation but did not make a big deal about couple $s. The next time we went there, the hostess/ manager came by and complained that we don't have the right "etiquette" like many other americans. That was the last time we went there. -
Review from Jan T.
5/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Longing to try South Indian cuisine (as opposed to the Northern Indian one usually gets on the East Coast), we planned a visit to Ruchi for one of our nights in SF and were not disappointed.
First off, this is not a tourist place. It's a fairly good walk away from Market Street on one side and AT&T Park on the other, so most people would not hike there. On top of that, the surrounding area is not one of the photogenic ones. It's certainly a place for the community.
As to the food, it is delicious. We started with the Dahi Vada, which was something we had never had before, and which tasted very good, the yoghurt dressing being nice and light.
On to the mains, for which each of us picked a type of Dosa, me going with the Utappam, a pancake-like dish with peppers, spices, and optional additional vegetables. Each was served with two sauces and sambar, a lentil soup used for dipping.
To go with it, we chose to share a portion of the Chicken Chettinadu, a spicy lentil and coconut-based curry. This was nicely spiced, with just the right kick, and went very well with the dosa. The waitress did ask us how spicy we wanted each dish, with the medium option being a good amount of spice in this case.
On top of the good food and service, the restaurant features live music each evening, with local artists playing guitar and other instruments.
An excellent little restaurant for an evening's dinner, and a definite recommendation if you like a walk or can take the 30 bus.Listed in: Four Days in San Fran
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Review from Cody K.
San Francisco, CA
8/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fish curry is a little watery, but tamarind flavors are wonderful.
Stuffed pepper appetizer is SPICY, but delicious. You've been warned!
Coconut water - it's true, it comes out in a fresh young whole coconut, and they'll slice it in half for you when you're done! Awesome!
Soooo close to getting to try the Rasmalai, but they were out. Tried Gulab Jamun, delicious and piping hot (a requirement for me), but only two of them. Eep! -
Review from Liat W.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2012
Authentically delicious! Everything was made fresh, from scratch, no veggies from a freezer bag, straight from the garden. Lots of love clearly went into our food.
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Review from Hema K.
4/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really wanted to like this place.. unfortunately Ruchi made it difficult for me to like this place. Maybe it was just my experience on the day when India won the World cup for cricket or maybe NOT..
Anyway, we had our reservation for 4 at 8 and got seated. The staff was friendly and took our order. We started with appetizers masala vada and hot mirchi bajji.
Pros: Delicious vada, tasted typical home made versions.
Cons: After some 20 or 25 minutes the vada came.. but no bajji??? Chutney came in a very small spoonful for a table of 4 people?? Are you kidding me? The chutney wont be enough for one person for the size of the vada they served.
For main course, ordered:
Mysore masala dosa, Pesarattu dosa, Kal dosai:-
pros: tasted great, no soggy masala, huge dosa.
cons: small serving size of chutney and sambar which wont be enough to "complement" the dosa. ~~ still no bajji
Tamarind rice and Chicken briyani:
Oh before I get into the pros and cons, I had to mention that on the day we dined, there were a lot of NA at the restaurant. Aloo samosa or any samosa - out of stock, Chai - after first serving, when asked for second serving - not available anymore (!?!?!?!) seriously??? in dessert section only kulfi is available :( Hyderbadi briyani is not available.. gosh we did not wanted to order or even receive NA from them there on. ~~ still no bajji
back to pros/cons for the rice:
pros: despite the "hyderbadi" briyani not available, hubby went with the regular briyani and was not disappointed. ample amount of curry/yogurt to go with the rice. chicken was tender and cooked to good flavor.
cons: the tamarind rice did not taste tamarind rice at all!!
still no bajji!!!! where did it go?? I was so disappointed :( with no show of bajji and super sloooooooooooooooooooow arrival of the ordered food. Hey the restaurant was not even packed !!
The bajji finally made its appearance.. not on the table but on the bill.. had to ask them to correct it and finally got out of the place being very disappointed :|
If I happen to visit this resto again, before getting seated will ask the staff if they have the items that they were out of stock last time or else I'm checking out other restos. 2 stars for vada and briyani.Listed in: I Heart SF, Sapaadu/Bhuva/Khaana!
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Review from Lang T.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I walk by this place every day to and from work so when my friends and I decided to go to pub trivia nearby, we decided to give this place a try. First off, service was slowwwwwww and somehow it managed to also be confusing. We asked for more time to study the menu, and when we were ready, we told the waitress and she was like, ok and walked away. HUH?
Eventually our order was taken.
I got the eggplant curry which I thought was pretty good. Nice and spicy and the eggplant was not cooked to a mush, but it was still soft. My husband got the chicken biryani. One friend got the dosa (sorry folks, I forget which one he actually got, but I remember it was HUGE and he liked it). Another friend got the lamb curry that he also enjoyed. He's not a fan of spicy foods (still trying to figure out why he agreed to Indian food) but they were nice enough to make it not so spicy for him.
All in all, I would say the meal was good, but nothing mind-blowing. Still confused abou the service though. -
Review from Bertha B.
San Francisco, CA
6/7/2011
The food was good, not great, but I left satisfied.
The chicken tikka was tasty, but a bit moist. The rice was cooked perfectly. Friendly staff, nice price point.
The area kinda sucks, but is worth it if you want some good Indian food! -
Review from Bernard L.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011
I would give this place zero stars based on principle alone. TOTAL FALSE ADVERTISING. Their sign in front of the door advertised a curry special of the day for $7 if you had to order to go. On my walk home I stopped by and placed my order for the special. They accepted it and then when the bill arrived they said the $7 only applied during lunch. No such language on the sign. Such false advertising, it should be criminal. To rub it in, they did not accept my credit card even after charging me $2.50 for rice because I was $1 short of the $15 minimum for credit cards. DON'T COME HERE!
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Review from Ritwik B.
Seattle, WA
3/23/2012
We were visiting SF for a couple of days, and ended up here mainly because it was one of the few places we could find that serves dosas, a favorite of our son's. The dosas were absolutely first-rate, as were the sambar and chutnies. Service was really attentive, and it was great chatting with Chinmayee, the owner, and hearing her story of how she runs this place with two kids in tow!
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Review from Gloria H.
1/22/2011
3.5 stars
Not sure why all the parking on their side of the street was blocked for the night. Luckily, we were able to get a space across the street but having to cross 3 traffic lights to get across is somewhat of a pain, not their problem but just saying...
This is probably one of the nicest and cleanest Indian restaurant we've been...nice decor and spacious. We took the last booth to the right.
The waitress - owner? - was very nice. Complimentary dosa w/ yogurt dipping sauce. What we had:
large bottle each of Taj Majal and Flying Horse lager - $6 each - both are Indian beer - very light with a light sweetness to it. The glass is cold, always a plus.
Hot Mirchi Bajji Stuffed hot chili peppers in chickpea batter - $5 - came with four, a lemon wedge, some onion slices and 2 sauces (mint and tamarind) - the smaller one was not spicy but the large ones got some heat.
Nellore Fish Curry - Fish of the day (tilapia) seasoned in tamarind sauce - $12 - this is one of their specialties. really good flavor but the sauce was a bit watery so not as good with naan.
Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani - marinated chicken leg steamed with extra long grain basmati rice - $12 - the leg is at the bottom of the dish topped w/ basmati rice so it's like hunting down the treasure. Chicken very tender, falls right off the bone.
Regular naan - $1.50 - super fresh, piping hot and soft...yum!
Kulfi - homemade gelato in mango flavor (other flavors are ginger root and pistachio) - $5 - a bit too sweet for me but hubby really enjoyed it.
Music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The guitarist played classical/Spanish guitar, very good...Listed in: Indian fare
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Review from Cliff K.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2011
Came on a Monday night. Bottomline: decent south Indian food, slightly below average service. Qualifications: although I'm not Indian, I worked and ate in Bangalore for about 2 months, and can make 6 Indian dishes that have received approval from native Indians. (so take my review for what it's worth).
The best dish was the tilapia fish curry. Fish was fresh and cooked to the right texture. The letdown were the Biryanis (for people without Indian food knowledge, Biryani's are a spiced rice with vegetable and/or cooked meat cooked into the rice). Very little chicken in the chicken Biryani, and the overall flavors in the rice was too subtle. I would recommend simply getting the Jeera rice (a side dish as opposed the Biryani which is a main course) as that rice is much more flavorful, and less than half the price!
The uttapam was spicier than average for uttapam (flatbread with chopped tomatoes and peppers). Prices were good for San Francisco ($8-$12 for main dishes), bad for India (where the same dishes would cost 50 cents to $3). Damn I miss India. -
Review from Bananalisa B.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2011
1] Food: (A+) We ordered 2 apps, 2 dosas - everything was delicious. Dosas were PERFECT. Crispy, tasty, and freshly made.
2] Dessert: (A) Wide variety. Small portions but tasty.
3] Drinks: (A) Mango Lassi baby. Normal taste but still tall glass.
4] Service: (A+) Our waitress was knowledgeable and gave great advice for food she herself loved. Always a plus for friendliness.
5] Ambiance: (A) The place was darkly lit, ambiance was nice, trendy people, and live singer/guitarist. The food was cooking where you could see it, and the place settings were PURPLE. Very nice.
6] Price: (A+) SO AFFORDABLE. 2 apps/2entrees/2desserts/2lassis = $40
FINAL: Smaller portions, but amazing taste. I will be back with friends for sure. It's definitely made a spot for my indian tastebuds. -
Review from Nina B.
San Francisco, CA
2/25/2011
Ate here twice. The food is pretty good, the service is very friendly, and they have live music sometimes on the weekends.
I think the main courses are hit or miss; I remember really liking their special chicken chettinadu dish (boneless chicken in a coconut and lentil sauce), but thinking the sauce for the fish curry dish we had (a tamarind and tomato base) was just okay.
I actually like their appetizers and sides better than their main courses; their samosas are crunchy and delicious and their kachumber salad is to die for. Their naan is also very good and very fresh.
Overall, it's a nice local Indian joint. As a bonus, they are never super crowded, so no need to worry about making reservations in advance. -
Review from Bill H.
2/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good South Indian dinner, poor dessert.
A friend and I split a lentil donut and yogurt dish to start -- nothing particularly memorable about the dish.
I did enjoy Ruchi's house special Mysore dosa, and my friend really loved his biryani. I got a bite, it was super flavorful.
Come dessert time, the kitchen was out of all of their dishes except the house-made gelato. When the gelato came, it was over-frozen and really hard to spoon. Bummer!
Service was great.
Next time, I'll drop in when I've got a biryani craving.
