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Saravanaa Bhavan Indian Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Indian Restaurants Vegetarian Indian, Vegetarian [Edit]
955 W BroadwayVancouver, BC V5Z
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 3 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
64 reviews for Saravanaa Bhavan Indian Restaurant
- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
64 reviews in English
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Review from Kate W.
Vancouver, BC
Easily the best indian food I've ever had. Just went tonight and have run home to write a review. I was just in FLAVOUR COUNTRY!
A friend of ours has been raving about this place since discovering it last year. He's a die hard carnivore (just like my husband) and was exaggerating that if he loved a vegetarian restaurant I had to get my butt there.
We started off with the mini fried idly, WOW. The four of us could have eaten nothing but those all night. Amazing crunchy little outside texture, smooth inside, amazing seasoning. My mouth is watering again.
We ordered a dinner special suggested by our server that was like a tasting plate. So many little tasters to try it was great for all of us.
To be honest our friend did most of the ordering but everything we ate was so flavourful and very well balanced. I'm kind of a sissy when it comes to spice but even I managed to make it through the meal. Nothing was overly spicy, but well seasoned.
I nearly had to roll out of the restaurant I was so full. Did someone say food baby? -
Review from Adi N.
4/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is by far the best Indian buffet I've had..
We decided to visit this place as a part of our Vancouver trip and have been to the Bay Area location as well as the New York location of this chain.
The ambience wasn't comparable to the new York place but the food and the taste more than made up for the ambience. The dosa was crisp and tasty, the koota, sambhar and lemon rice were lip smackin good and gone in minutes, the papads were the perfect compliment to all of this. Although this food was a part of the veg-only buffet laid out for lunch, it was very tasty and filling.
The best part was pushing back with some awesome rava kesari and filter coffee to boot. For any person enjoying south indian food, the filter coffee is a must-have apertif.. It is served in the traditional styled twin-cup (one over the other). You need to put in sugar to taste and then the right way to mix it up and froth it is to pour it from one cup to the other. On the streets of Chennai, the coffee vendors have perfected this to an art and while I wasn't nearly as good, it was fun to be able to do that again..
I'd definitely return here and also try some stuff off the a la carte menu for dinner but I better make sure I'm famished before that to be able to do justice to the food ! This isn't a place you'd want to bring someone for a business meeting or to make a good impression on. However, if you want to eat a wholesome vegetarian meal with an authentic taste at a very affordable price, this is the place to be at. -
Review from Christopher N. W.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
It was a Tuesday night and we were on our way to nosh on some South Indian. Specifically, Dosa; and the goings on were to be going on at Saravanaa Bhavan. I hadn't ever heard of the cozy little all vegetarian place before, but hey, I don't know every restaurant in the city right? Located near Oak street on West Broadway we Jess and I arrived to find the always amiable Alexander Kennedy already seated. The spartan interior was warm and smelled deeply of curry, the scent wafting almost palpable in the air. My mouth watered a little. We sat down and poured water from the stainless steel pitcher into metal cups. I had noticed in the past the consistent use of metal cups and plates akin to prison issue trays at Chutney Villa. "Must be an Indian thing," I figured.
The menu while extensive was mostly variations of dosa, rice dishes, breads, and some tandoori. I was here for dosa though, and dosa I would have...
Kennedy decided to go with some more standard tandoori style choices and ordered a vegetable biryani and a mutar paneer dish. I was glad he did because I was interested in the South Indian take on Eastern dishes. Jess strayed from her usual dosa and went with a paneer dosa which featured the exquisite pressed curd "cheese" as the filler in her crepe. I defaulted to Jessica's usual choice. The Paper Masala Dosa which would have a mixture of potato and onion in it...
Or it would have...
If my dumb-ass had ordered it correctly.
I ordered a Paper Dosa and assumed it would be the one I had read on the menu. It arrived and was a spectacle to behold. Nearly 3 feet long the beast was a cylinder of fragile break away yet soft to bite slightly tangy salty buttered goodness. But the bastard was empty. Having omitted the word masala from my order they assumed I just wanted the dosa.
Legit.
After a little awkward explanation the removed my dosa and returned it promptly filled with a creamy deliciousness of chunked mashed potato and golden onion. I broke of a corner and got to work. The dish is served with 3 chutneys and a sambar. The creamy slightly sweet coconut chutney was probably my favourite, the green chutney which I looked up and is just called green chutney is a mix of coriander green chilies ginger and salt was a close second and the red chutney of cumin onion garlic ginger and red chili should have been my fave given the ingredients but was lacking in punch. The sambar, which is a dal-like thick stew of tamarind and pigeon peas was hearty and complex, the sweet and sour of the tamarind playing off the savory curry-ness of it. I would love a huge bowl on a cold winter evening.
Alex's food was tasty and competent and inexplicably came with huge chunks of onion and tomato and a slice of lemon. Odd that.
Jessica was not so happy with her dosa. Not because it didn't taste good, but because it came folded over the filling in a massive triangle of flavour. This, while rich in taste cause the crispy dosa to soften and become a bit chewy. I helped eat it as I was not turned of my the mushy dosa but Jess lamented her decision to stray from the known and comfortable.
We ate every morsel of food and the perfectly fine meal ended on a sweet note. 2 lovely warm sponge-ball Galub Jamun shared between us. These warm little timbit sized dough balls are soaked through with honeyed rosewater and like little flavour sponges they wick the sugary goodness into their cores.
Divine.
I was full and highly recommend Saravanaa Bhavan not only for the quality of the food but for how inexpensive it is. Our total bill after tip came to around 45$ which is amazing although we only drank water. Saravanna Bhavan now serves liquor but we stuck to just water which kept both myself and the bill in check. I'm off the booze right now as I detox and get my shit together but I'm sure in the future I will be back and I will let you know how their beer selection is.Listed in: Best Food Under $10
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Review from Ryan L.
Vancouver, BC
3/31/2012
Woohoo! As good as it gets! The antidote to bland, Westernized Indian food. Went for the buffet and it exceeded my expectations. Sambar that's actually spicy! Chana Masala that actually tastes like something! The only thing that could've been better was the naan..but it certainly was good enough.
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Review from Veronica D.
Vancouver, BC
I can't believe I've forgotten to write a review here. I've been here many times, for the buffet during weekdays, weekend and just for the dosas.
Personally my favourite thing about Saravana Bhaven and South Indian cuisine in general is the Masala Dosa. It's a rice lentil crepe filled with spiced potatoes and served with sambar (spicy soup) and coconut chutney.
If you come at lunch time, your only option is the buffet but they give you free dosas, masala dosas, puri, and naan in addition to the buffet items.
The buffet food is pretty spicy, so you definitely have to like spicy food to enjoy it. Most of the options are vegan, there are a few that have dairy in them like the desserts, and a cream curry or paneer dish. Just ask.
Come a little early, not right during the lunch rush or you can wait for a while. Many families come and bring everyone and it can be a long wait if you are larger than a single or group of 2.
The service has always been good here and the waiters are friendly. The only thing lacking is sometimes thali plates or thali bowls when there's a huge rush.
It's the closest place to me to get dosas, so when I don't want to spend a few days making the batter myself at home, I come here for a dosa.
For improvement I would say they could use less oil, it's a little oily and greasy, so just be careful to not eat too much, or the rest of the day at all if you do! lol You can get that full! -
Review from Odie O.
4/8/2012
Not the greatest atmosphere but this place is crammed at night on a weekeday. They have buffet in the day which I don't think is worth it the buffet is a bit limited, no meat, but their lunch take out for 5 bucks is a steal. They have many dishes to choose from but did not have my favorite, veggie Korma. It took 15 minutes for my takeout and their homemade bread was not very good, paratha was a bit greasy and did not have much veggies nor any potatoes stuffed in it like she said they would. A bit pricey but not as expensive as Raga down the street. They have many different types of food not found in many places like Dosa.
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Review from Stevie C.
12/12/2011
Nice Vegetarian Indian buffet. I can't really handle spicy food so Saravanaa was on the spicy side. As I'm a huge bread fan, I really enjoyed the three different breads offerings, Naan, Dosa!(potato inside) and Poori. I like how they bring out the bread when you arrive and you can always ask for more. Dosa was this huge pancake/burrito looking thing with potato inside. It was good! Had two. Regarding to non-spicy dishes I liked the Potato Poriyal, Tomato Chutney, and the cabbage with lentil and corn vegetable dish. Food was pretty tasty. It's pretty cool that you get to eat from a metal tray like back to school again or in the military or something.
So far I have tried three Indian buffet places Maurya, Saravanaa, and New Indian Buffet all on West Broadway. My favorite one is Maurya because the food isn't too spicy and I can eat it. But coming in close is Saravanaa, if I had a tolerance for spicy food I would've enjoyed this place even more! But I'm impressed nevertheless. Their $5 lunch deal looks pretty impressive. -
Review from Elizabeth L.
Vancouver, BC
3/23/2012
I'm no Indian food expert, but this place was pretty good. If you like dosas, this is the place for you; bonus if you're vegetarian. The restaurant itself is spacious and I think they do brisk business at lunch because of their buffet (I wouldn't know because I went for dinner, and my friends and I ordered food a la carte). I'm also pretty sure that this place is fairly popular amongst the "post-grad" crowd, if you catch my drift. The servers were all polite and helpful. They offer some items for takeout, but it's best to eat dosas when they're fresh.
Despite having delicious (and presumably authentic) food, this place does have a downside: one of my friends and I saw a small mouse dart across the floor of the main dining room. Ick. That being said, the dishes, flatware, tables and floors all looked very clean. Unfortunately, no matter how clean an establishment is, I think that seeing the occasional mouse at a restaurant in Vancouver is not an uncommon occurrence. -
Review from Alyssa T.
Chilliwack, BC
11/12/2011
My best friend and I visited this restaurant a few weeks ago, solely for their dosas (which were on the 101 things to eat vancouver edition 2009? maybe?)
It was a Sunday but the place was steady all night, including a lot of Indian looking people, I guess it made it feel more authentic to my Western sense. I should mention the place serves South Indian food, not all Indian food. We tried the crispy dosa and chai milk, both were good. I've made better chai tea, but rather than being a negative, it just made me feel good about myself, HA! Yay for the small things?
The dosa was enjoyable, not that I have anything to try it against. The condiments were flavourful. Next time I go I'll order a regular dosa, not a crispy one. I'll also try the pakoras and a mango lassi. Yes, I'll certainly be going again. -
Review from Mike P.
10/3/2011
This place rocks. I am a die hard meat eater so to get me to love a vegetarian restaurant is quite the task.
The lunch buffet is delicious for a fabulous price. Just writing this review is making me think I should head back to this place sometime next week. Yum! -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
Wow - am I ever a fool. This idiot carnivore strolls into a vegetarian restaurant and by the time he realizes... he's too embarrassed to pick up and leave (I already paid for parking) - I felt the burning stare from half-full restaurant... a white boy and a Chinese kid in a restaurant of purely Indian families. We were the only one imbibing - so we just got more stares. And you know what... this was some damned good Indian food.
As I mentioned, it's full of Indian families. A great sign. If you ever see a 'Chinese' restaurant with fewer than 80% Chinese patrons... RUN AWAY and tell a police officer or an adult.
And it's a licensed restaurant - however, I was a disappointed to find they only had Rickard's Red and some other forgettable lager on draught... and a selection of bottled megabrew lager (including Kingfisher). Ya, I'm aware that many people like pairing lager/pilsner with spicy food... but a solid ale would have took it to another level for me. But I guess it's really not that kind of joint.
I grabbed the Ghee Paper Masala (rice crepe roasted with ghee and stuffed with potato masala) for ~$9. See the pics and the regular sized spoon for size reference - it was the size of my......... arm. Okay - it's the similar size to what you'll get at House of Dosas (which I wasn't impressed by) - but much more flavour and much more stuffing in the centre. Crispy crepe and it was great masala - just wished it had a bit more heat.
I was sitting there, with my back to the door and wondering why this place was pretty dead for a Friday night. The food is good, service is prompt and it was a pretty good deal. 8:00pm rolled around, the from out of nowhere - FAMILIES HERE FOR THE BUFFET. HUNDREDS OF THEM!
The joint got flashed-packed as soon as the buffet opened up. And my buddy and I sat there and felt like needlessly spendy fools - I felt like Seinfeld's dad... expect it was a reverse 'early bird' and I don't drive a Cadillac. I half expected someone to come up to me and say, "Well - it must be nice to have THAT kind of money. Look at who's eating before the buffet: our suddenly well-to-do friend here."
I swear... I didn't know they had dinner buffet (I should have read the Yelp reviews closer)... but I think I finally found a vegetarian joint I don't completely loathe. There's even free WiFi! Sweet. -
Review from Active R.
1/23/2012
I was waiting to go to this place. This place is hyped and I have had better dosas and sambhar in the US and other international places.
We ordered the Special Thali , Paper Masala Dosa and a Mango Lassi.
The papad with the Thali was stale. The glass that came with the Mango Lassi was not appealing. It tasted just fine and was no where close to Very Good.
The thali had a lot of veggies , the chole was very tasty. They should increase the no. of puris on the plate. They should increase that and reduce the amount of rice.
Rest of the veggies were okay. I might not eat them again.
The Masala Dosa had a wierd taste , may be it was oil used. There were 4 types of chutney which was nice. The sambhar was not great , I have had better ones outside India.
The service was slow. They did not bother to give us the cheque. We walked to the counter and paid ourselves.
Good place to snack , but don't expect a dining experience. -
Review from Jee M.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2012
Love the food awesome veggie selection service is a bit slow but over all amazing
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Review from Tia K.
Vancouver, BC
1/15/2012
My boyfriend and I had a delicious dinner here! I love south indian food! The prices weren't cheap...but weren't too expensive either. We had an uttapam with onions and a thali with naan. I love thalis! So much fun to try all the different little containers with your bread and you get a little dessert too. We were very full when we left, which is good!
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Review from Spring B.
Vancouver, BC
10/22/2011
We simply love their buffet! We went there several times for buffet both on weekdays and weekends and the place was packed everytime. Had no idea that vegetables can taste so good. Our favorite place for south indian buffet. Yummyyyy.....
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Review from Arün D.
Vancouver, BC
6/10/2011
Quantity, not quality - and it works here. Saravanaa Bhavan gives you a real bang for your buck. Being Indian though, it still leaves much to be desired. My folks are from the North - Punjab to be precise. If you see an obese Indian, chances are, they're Punjabi. Our cuisine is really rich in flavors...and fats, like Paneer. Here, everything tastes a bit too watery. They usually have a variety of lentil based "curries" (I use the term in quotation marks since they aren't technically curry) as well as other Indian dishes. They serve dosas as well, along with puris (fried bread) and some nice deserts. My favourite thing here is probably their coffee - they make it using the traditional South Indian method - google "Indian Filter Coffee" for details.
5 stars for the coffee
3 stars for the food
5 stars for the value
Sarvanaa is far from the best, but then again, it IS a buffet. They've got a lot of variety and I guarantee that you won't be dissatisfied. The place is really good for parties too. -
Review from Karen R.
North Thali special - hello gorgeous!!!
Tomato Soup, Nan or Paratha, Palak Mutter, Paneer Butter Masala, Aloo Gobi Fry, Dal Butter Fry, Chana Masala, Veg Pulao, Raitha, Curd, Pickle, Papad, Rasmalai...and on Tuesday nights it's only $6.95!!!!
Everything is delicious - the paneer is really rich and very tasty - the best of the bunch I think. I also love the spinach dish and the chickpea one. It's a lot of food, totally worth the trip.
We also ordered mango lassis - delicious.
This is a good place to go for cheap, filling and delicious food.Listed in: Dinner Club
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Review from Thu N.
11/12/2010
Yum, my friend from India mentioned this restaurant and how it's a chain all over the world - where the head chef is specifically trained in India in order to work here! I have been intrigued and finally had a chance to check it out!
I had the lunch buffet which is awesome. About $15 after tax/tip the buffet really satisfied my craving for south indian food :) I especially enjoyed the freshly made dosas, poori, and idly!! All the different veggie curries, rice and desserts really made for an interesting and filling lunch! I was rather impressed that my tummy felt good afterwards (my stomach rarely agrees with buffets!).
The servers were really attentive and made sure to bring fresh pooris and dosas as they came out. Oh and the coffee here seems really authentic too :)
I'd definitely come back again. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
11/21/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Oh man, thanks Reena M. for telling me about this place!!
I came here on the promise of a reasonably-priced south Indian buffet and was not disappointed. It was very busy and we did have to wait a few minutes for a table, but otherwise, the entire experience was great.
There was a wide variety of vegetarian curries as well as fantastic chutneys and pickled condiments. I also loved the extra stuff (for example, dosas) that you normally don't find at Indian restaurants, which tend to specialize in northern Indian food. Best of all, most options (being lentil and rice-based) are gluten free.
I noticed that the staff did a really good job of keeping the buffet stocked (not just food but also dishes, cutlery etc.) and getting people seated as quick as they could. So expect a lively atmosphere and possibly a short wait for a free table when you get here, and enjoy! -
Review from Mike J.
Vancouver, BC
11/5/2010
Absolutely fantastic, if this is what you're looking for. Saravanaa Bhavan is south Indian food at its best in Vancouver. There are 'but's though:
-Vegetarian, no meat here.
-Not much atmosphere inside, this is no Vij's
-If you don't know indian food, the menu will be tough to understand.
My mom and I came here for dinner, we are both indian food fans, but this was an exceptional meal beyond what we expected. We ordered one masala dosa (a crepe filled with curry potatoes) and one thaali (an assortment of curries). To drink I had a mango lassi and my mom had what she described as "the best chai she's ever had."
Dosa was crispy and perfect. The thaali was incredible, 8 or so different curries (none of which we could identify) with rice and bread.
We ordered another dosa because it was so good.
All in all, it came to less than $30! -
Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
9/30/2010 5 Check-ins Here
I love this restaurant. The weekday buffet is a great value - for the same price as All India ($11) you'll get better food, more selection, and infinitely better service, plus you won't have to trek all the way out to Main and 49th.
I like that most of their dishes are vegan, except for a few that are obviously not (paneer, "cream" of wheat, etc.) - plus, everything is labeled clearly with a sign stating what it is. The staff come around often serving freshly prepared fried breads and dosas (my favourite). Best of all, they're friendly and approachable.
The bathrooms in this place are also really nice.
I've been here on a weekday evening as well and ordered the South Indian platter, if I remember correctly. Again, it was delicious and I was stuffed at the end.
I recommend this place often and will continue going back.Listed in: Vegan Vancouver, Curries and Chutneys and…
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/15/2010
* Ridiculously good dinner deal! *
Ok, I've been here many times for the excellent vegetarian lunch buffet. But I had never ventured in for dinner before.
We were craving Indian food last night, and decided to pop in and see what their dinner offerings were like.
They apparently have a Wednesday night special "South Indian Thali," which is just a ridiculously good deal.
It included:
- Channa masala
- Kulambu
- Two veggie curries
- Rasam
- Sambar
- Raitha
- Curd
- Pickles
- Appalam
- 2 Poori
- Rice
- Payasam for dessert
I can eat a lot of food, and it kicked my butt. I could not finish my plate. Everything was delicious, but there was just WAAAY too much food.
Now at the risk of sounding like an infomercial you might ask how much all of this tasty food cost?
If I said $14.95 it would be a good deal, right? That's not it.
What about $9.95? Nope. That would be too much.
$6.95? Nope. We can do better.
$5. Yes. $5. (And for those of you in the States, that is our local currency - so for you it is about 10% off of that!)
Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.
Apparently they have this deal every Wednesday night.
What a steal!Listed in: Vancouver South Asian Food
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/19/2010
* A vegetarian buffet I actually like! What is the world coming to? *
Things I normally wouldn't be… Read more »
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Review from Lee N.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 8/25/2011 8 Check-ins Here
One of the most overlooked restaurants in Vancouver. They are the best South Indian vegetation restaurant in Vancouver and the only one I think ;) Try the special it is always interesting, very good and filling. I have not had the buffet but it always looks great when I take a look at it. They also have the best mango lassi in town. Its easy to find parking along that part of Broadway in the evening.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/28/2009
New to the neighbourhood and vegetarian, the South Indian food is wonderful, its all about the dosas… Read more »
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Review from Kim C.
7/15/2010 2 photos
Love this place! Love it love it love it!
I was first introduced to Saravanaa Bhavan by my South Indian boyfriend. He had his first visit to the Vancouver branch with his brother. When we visited NYC they have a branch there too so we went with a few of his college buddies. It wasn't a buffet as we visited during the week. The food was awesome.
Anyways, the vancouver one was awesome too! I didn't know they do buffets during weekends, and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it's all vegetarian (and I'm not that big into veggies), every dish is delicious and wonderfully flavorful.
My new discovery and new favorite is Bisibelabath which is basically rice cooked in sambar. SO AWESOME. I also love that they bring dosas to your table (FRESH). Payasum payasum payasum, must have! Sweet goodness :)
In addition to the fact that there just isn't that many (if any other than this wonderful chain) south Indian restaurant options in the Americas, makes this place even more precious. I LOVE DOSAS AND SAMBAR - FEED ME!
Is it obvious that I'm crazy about this place yet?
Two more additional goodies: buffet was only $13! Crazy cheap for really good BUFFET. AND you can hire the chefs to cook and serve you hot dosas in your backyard!
I WISH THEY WOULD COME TO SEATTLE. Pleeeease? -
Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
8/4/2010
While on a cleanse that did not allow gluten, dosas at Saravanaa Bhavan became a staple in my diet. Paper Masala Dosa, a humongous version of the popular South Indian breakfast item, is my favourite option on a menu that includes idlis, vadas and a few North Indian thalis.
A dosa is a tangy fermented lentil and rice pancake, incredibly thin and crispy and filled with a mixture of various vegetarian fillings, of which masala seasoned potato and onion are the most popular.
I really think that this is the best dosa joint I have visited outside of Mysore, Chennai or Singapore! Deliciously greasy, I relish dunking the pieces I tear off in the creamy coconut sambar and other curried dips.
Their sweets are also good, and this is some of my favourite masala chai in the city. Yum! Saravanaa Bhavan is a member of a chain that stretches across India, so some real thumbs up for authenticity.
Nandri!Listed in: Things that are good for the…
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Review from stephen p.
4/11/2011 4 photos
I was brought here by a south Indian colleague....twice! Wooo, it's good here, even if you're not a vegetarian. Eating here really makes you ask yourself why vegetarian food has a bad rep in the west. It can taste amazing.
I was given the menu and asked to choose, but I had no idea what those items were so i left it to my companions! You could ask people in the restaurant what's good, but it's all good. And I swear, there wasn't a non-Indian face in this place when I was there.
It's not a pretty restaurant - more like a canteen, but the food is second to none. -
Review from Christian M.
Vancouver, BC
10/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
I generally love anywhere that builds its menu against a vegetarian framework. I've been to this restaurant a number of times when I'm craving Indian because it's one of the more reasonably-priced Indian restaurants in the Fairview area. Anywhere willing to serve an exclusively vegetarian menu will get my vote.
More recently, my experiences with Saravanaa Bhavan have been less than wonderful. Service has been quite slow on nights where they weren't all that busy, and when I ordered take-out naan bread (and only naan bread) I was startled to discover that my bill came to over $5.
My first few experiences with the place were great. The ladies working would bring around sample dosas for you to try while you were eating, and the lunch buffet couldn't be beat.
I wish that the same attentive and speedy service would come back to this restaurant, as it's really great to have a vegetarian spot to call your own that serves South Indian food. -
Review from Neville I.
Vancouver, BC
8/23/2011
I am a carnivore. I like meat. A lot. Therefore, I was just a tad skeptical when I was brought to a vegetarian buffet. I am a skeptic no more. The amount of variety and different flavours available more than made up for the lack of meat. With dosas, purris, naans and those amazing little donut things to dip into sambar and curries of all spices and flavours, even a carnivore can have his taste buds satisfied here.
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Review from RJ B.
Vancouver, BC
11/20/2010
Week-end afternoon buffet ends at 3:00pm.
Vegetarian buffet! YUM! -
Review from Shawna L.
Burnaby, BC
11/19/2011
Not the highest quality but its cheap, fast and vegetarian. They have a $5 takeout lunch special - 2 vegetarian curries with naan and rice which I frequently get. Takes about 5 minutes for the takeout at lunch which makes it perfect during my work break. Friendly service.
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Review from Rajesh G.
10/11/2011
Having heard much about it, we visited this restaurant on our trip to Vancouver BC. They serve authentic south Indian vegetarian food. It is so good that we stopped there on our subsequent trips to Vancouver BC. The buffet has a lot of items to choose from. The hot Dosa, vada and the coconut chutney are my favorites. They are too good. The list of delicacies goes on. You have to eat it to know it :)
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Review from Rico I.
11/15/2011
Delicious and authentic. Went for lunch, could not have found a better place. A tad pricey, but worth it.
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Review from Jenn W.
9/23/2009
On food alone, Saravanaa Bhavan might warrant three stars. I was excited to try the vadas as they can't be found on many menus, but found the deep fried donut shaped fritters to be merely a vehicle for chutney, not interesting at all on their own. I love me some dosas, and the flavour on mine was decent, but House of Dosa on Kingsway does them up so much better.
The service was terrible, so much so that I almost want to give just one star. Our server had some comprehension issues, I ordered a bottle of "the Australian Pinot Grigio", and he brought a bottle of Shiraz. Our dining companions ordered the paneer pulao, after discussing what rice dish to get in front of our server, and he brought paneer butter masala.
It happens, wrong dishes being delivered, and usually it's not a big deal. Where Saravanaa Bhavan failed, was in dealing with the mix up. Our server never returned to the table, instead the manager came over and asked us what "the problem" was. Rather than simply taking the incorrect dish away and bringing the rice that had been ordered, she rather aggressively asked whether we wanted the food taken away/replaced. To save time, plain rice was ordered.
Surprise surprise, when the bill arrived, we had been charged for both the incorrect dish and the plain rice. Unacceptable. -
Review from Edwin M.
12/9/2010
Only had the takeaway dosas, but they're LUSH!!!
Unfortunately tend to be a bit soggy by the time you get them home, but still taste great, and the rassam soup is deluscious!!!
Great value for wonga!
Only criticism would be that the potato curry in them is a tad tame, and they don't deliver, not even locally!
(Actually, scratch that last complaint! If they did deliver, Greenpeace would have to save me, and no government bailout could save my bank account!!! -
Review from jenny m.
Vancouver, BC
10/15/2009
I'm a creature of habit when it comes to my dosa's, so this review of Saravanaa Bhavan is based exclusively on their Onion Rava Masala Dosa. According to my samplings, this is the best I've ever had. I feel like I'm betraying my former favorite, but this dosa was a whole new level. It was both crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the underside, with just the right size chunks of onions partially fried and partially embeded into the dosa's batter. The potato and veggie filling was a good balance of flavor and spice (I asked for mild), but I could honestly be happy with just dipping the onion dosa into their great sambals and chutneys too. I'm dying to go back to see if they consistently deliver.
The ambiance is nothing fancy, if not a bit harsh with a fluorescent and linoleum vibe. But I suppose that is their own style of charm by not trying too hard and instead just focus on serving great food. -
Review from Reiko S.
Vancouver, BC
8/5/2010
Excellent place for a vegetarian dinner on a weeknight. This place is never busy, so you can always get a table. Service is always prompt.
They have nightly specials, which are an amazing deal. Try the thaali!Listed in: Weeknight dinners
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Review from Shantala A.
1/18/2009
Saravanaa Bhavan is a venerable restaurant in Madras (Chennai), serving delicious South Indian food since the 80s (might be earlier, but I wasn't born yet so can't vouch for that :)).
The branch in Vancouver has great South Indian fare, including a variety of dosas. They also have a great buffet option that includes Masala Dosa, Puri, Idli, Medhu Vada along with regular South Indian (sambar, rasam, bhaji/poriyal, mixed rice) and North Indian (nan, two/three side dishes) items. Make sure you order a cup of steaming coffee (served South Indian style) at the end. All in all, it's worth the monthly trip we make from Seattle! Check it out.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Sandra G.
Vancouver, BC
12/15/2011
Saravanaa you broke my heart! I am a vegetarian who loves spicy food. This was my go to place for Indian food but my last 2 visits for the lunch buffet have been incredibly disappointing. The selection in the buffet has been reduced so much that it seems like a different restaurant. They also no longer sell Indian sweets. I was told that ingredient cost was the reason for fewer dishes in the buffet but this seems like a lame excuse. There are plenty of options for dishes that cost less. I am afraid this place may not make it. They seem to think that nobody has noticed that the buffet has about 40% less dishes to choose from. I am not sure when or if I will go back so I am very sad about this. If anybody else feels the same way, please let them know. They don't seem to think that anybody has noticed how limited the buffet selection has become.
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Review from Vishnu B.
9/10/2011
Saravana bhavan is usually excellent. Never eaten on a buffet at saravana bhavan. We went there for lunch on a thursday. Came out tummy full. They prepared extra dosas for us. Too much quantity and too good quality
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Review from Sheila W.
BC
11/21/2008
This vegetarian, South Indian restaurant is part of an international chain. The décor in this location is very much like a cafeteria. There are bare tables with numbers on them and tile floors, so the sounds from the kitchen echo all they way out to the tables by the windows.
On the bright side, the service staff was very helpful and friendly. There was Indian music playing, which added a little something to create atmosphere. Our food, which was served on metal plates, was very tasty and arrived quickly.
I ordered a milk tea, which I couldn't drink. It tasted like it had been sitting to long and the milk had been burned. Even if I'd drank it, I would have felt ripped off paying $2.25 for the tiny cup. The Aloo Palak ($8.50) was rich and flavourful pureed spinach over potatoes. The Mutter Paneer ($8.99) was also great. The dishes were good value for money, but I found the Jeera Pulao (rice with cumin seeds) really expensive at $7.99.
My advice would be to check them out between 11:30am and 3:00pm for their lunch buffet to get better value.
