Best Indian Food In San Francisco

[Stone]

I've never found truly great Indian food here. I'm told that the good stuff is down on the Peninsula (which, since it's not surrounded on three sides by water, is not a peninsula) or in Berkeley. Isn't there something great here?

I haven't been to Shalimar. I admit I need to try it.

I've tried Star India (Polk St. and the other location) -- very inconsistent. Most dishes with similarly colored gravies taste the same. (A common failing of Indian restaurants.)

I've tried India Oven (Fillmore/Haight?). Pretty good. Too mellow.

I tried the place at 9th and Lincoln (9th & Lincoln). I remember it being very good, but no specifics.

I tried Pakwan. (16th and Valencia.) Nothing to write home about. Nothing to write egullet about. I think people like the anti-trendy atmosphere. I'm usually a sucker for that, but the food isn't good enough. I think they just have tubs of various gravies (tikka masala; vindaloo; etc.) that they pour over the appropriate meat (or cheese).

I tried Gaylords. (Embarcadero). When I ordered off the menu, I recall it being pretty good. The lunch buffet is sooo consistently bad (why do I keep going back?) it pisses me off. Usually nothing more than curried vegetables and chicken wings in grease (they've come up with a more appetizing name for this, but I know chicken wings in grease when I it).

What am I missing?

[Mrs. Meadow]

In Berkeley, try Vik's Chaat House:

726 Allston Way

(Between 3rd and 4th, if memory serves)

510 644 4421

This is really a warehouse next door to Vik's Distributing; dress warmly, the roll up door is left open.

In SF, my favorite is Naan 'n Curry with 2 locations:

478 O'Farrell (at Jones??)

415 775 1349

and the "new" location on the corner of Jackson and Columbus. My favorites are the garlic naan, chicken tikka and lamb buryani. Naan 'n Curry has also opened in Berkeley, but I haven't tried it yet...

Hope this helps!

[Suvir Saran]

Vik's Chaat House:

726 Allston Way

(Between 3rd and 4th, if memory serves)

510 644 4421

This is really a warehouse next door to Vik's Distributing; dress warmly, the roll up door is left open.

Great place to find several street food offerings.

[Suvir Saran]

Or try Turmerik in Sunnyvale? Not sure exactly what town... But it has great food.. and is also very attractive.

[Suvir Saran]

Turmerik thread

It has address and some other info as well.

[gknl]

I think he's looking for SF places. For some reason a lot of SFers are loathe to leave the city limits. I'm told Maharani's on Polk Street is good, though I've never been. I don't know if it's still there. I think the one in Berkeley closed down.

My two favorites in Berkeley are Ajanta on Solano Ave. and Breads of India on Sacramento. I've heard rave reviews of Vik's too, but haven't made it there yet.

[Stone]

I think he's looking for SF places.  For some reason a lot of SFers are loathe to leave the city limits. 

The standard of a city is that you never have to leave. (NYC excels in that vein because often you never have to travel more than a few blocks.) You may want to leave, but you should never have to.

[Suvir Saran]

I travel to SF a lot and never seem to find any good Indian restaurant in the city itself.

Viks has been a pleasant surprise.

Have to try out the others mentioned here next time around.

Sorry for suggesting a far away restaurant...

It seems to be the favorite of most of my friends who live in the city... But I guess being Indian.. they would go the distance to find a good meal..... Actually, Viks is not most convenient for most of my friends in the city.. But it is a favorite place to visit on the weekends if you are craving something fun and spicy.

Viks has quite a following. I hear about it from friends in NYC as well.

[Stone]

I haven't been to Viks yet, but I've heard a lot about it. It's just soooo far away. There's a whole bridge in the middle. Lots of water. And a strange political system.

[Suvir Saran]

Lets not talk politics. Remember I warned you.

[Stone]

Sometimes I like non-organic coffee. Call me crazy.

[gknl]

Sometimes I like non-organic coffee.  Call me crazy.

The measure lost. But even had it won, you could have gotten non-organic coffee as long as the workers were paid "fair trade" wages.

Kinda funny if you think about it though. It's okay to "ruin" the environment as long as you pay people more to do so. Or conversely, it's okay to "exploit" workers as long as they're saving the environment.

Only in Berkeley.

[elizabethnathan]

Breads of India in Berkeley is fantastic. They have a coupld hundred dishes in their repertoire and they rotate the menu nightly. It's pretty small and there's usually a line.

[Suvir Saran]

Breads of India in Berkeley is fantastic. They have a coupld hundred dishes in their repertoire and they rotate the menu nightly. It's pretty small and there's usually a line.

Another reason to make a trip to SF very soon.

[mixmaster b]

Breads of India is super yummy.

I grew up in Berkeley, but left many years ago. I'm not sure if the place I used to go are still around (Maharani on University was an old fave-- over 10 years ago), but a fried took me to Breads of India a while back and I liked it very much.

Do you still have to BYOB?

I am excited to try Vik's on my next visit!

[homechef]

Saravana Bhavan has opened a branch near Castro street in Mountain View. Spectacularly good Udupi food, at reasonable prices. The only thing that might make it more authentic would be making you eat it standing up at counters...

Pakwan has really good biryani, and that's what sold me on the place - unfortunately they have it only on Saturdays... They have a good tandoor (kababs and nan) and passable curries.

There should be a separate thread for this, but what's your favorite place to buy Indian desserts in the Bay Area? I like the Ras Malai at Rajjot, (El Camino and Wolfe) but I'd love to hear recommendations...

[marie-louise]

... It's just soooo far away.  There's a whole bridge in the middle.  Lots of water... 

And that's why I know no Indian places in SF to recommend!

Anyway, more Berkeley recommendations:

Vik's has great food, although the atmosphere is rather lacking.

Udapi Palace on University has great breads. There are few of them around the Bay Area. Here's a review: "Pancakes are king."

I think Khana Peena is worth the drive (it is across the street from Adjanti on Solano.) It is an upscale place for a nice dinner, Berkeley-style [linen tablecloth, professional waiters, good wine list, no need to change out of your jeans.]

I think Bay Area Indian food is much better now than it used to be ten years ago; I'm not sure why, but I'm glad!

[jschyun]

I think Mehak in Berkeley has the best butter chicken I've ever had, but I haven't had them all. It's on Sacramento, right across the street from Breads of India. In fact, I heard from an Indian guy that there was some sort of tiff, and some of the people of Breads of India left to start Mehak right across the street, but I can't confirm that.

Ambiance is not that great, the lunch buffet at $6.99 is limited to about 10 very good items.

[bong]

There should be a separate thread for this, but what's your favorite place to buy Indian desserts in the Bay Area? I like the Ras Malai at Rajjot, (El Camino and Wolfe) but I'd love to hear recommendations...

Lovely Sweets, in Fremont as well as in Sunnyvale.

The Sunnyvale branch is on El Camino, near Wolfe. Haven't tried the Fremont branch myself.

All the dry sweets (Barfis, Sandesh etc) are especially good. The ones with liquid are good, but not great. (I am comparing here with Kolkata standards!)

[sandgaw]

My take on the SF Bay Area (well, more South Bay) restaurants:

Sarovar (Milpitas), Mayuri(Santa Clara), Shalimaar(San Jose), and many sundry restaurants not mentioned below - mostly known for their buffets priced between $ 8-10. Conspiracy theorists say that the same chef works for all of them :)

Amber Mountain View - Excellent North Indian fare served here. Rich food, nice ambience.

Amber (Santana Row, San Jose) - This one opened a year or so ago in the highly upscale Santana Row mall. If friends are visiting and you want to take them to an Indian place, this is the place to go to. Their buffet is excellent, and a la carte menu is different from run of the mill restaurants. Recently had their Nizami Nalli Gosht. It was so rich that I had trouble driving back, seemed like I was DUI :). On the expensive side.

Jewel of India (San Jose) - Hole-in-the-wall restaurant that makes the best mithais in the bay area, specially. Their tandoori chicken, too, is very good.

Turmeric (Sunnyvale) - Never, ever, would I go there again. Pricy with extremely passable food.

New Delhi (San Francisco) - See Turmeric. Hopelessly overrated - the only highlight being that Bill Clinton ate there once (I think).

Udupi Palace (Sunnyvale) - Decent South Indian fare. Especially like their thalis with unlimited Sambar.

Udupi Palace (Fremont) - They have a South Indian buffet that is pretty good.

Vik's (Berkeley) - Again highly overrated warehouse that passes as a restaurant. See Milan below.

Milan (Milpitas) - Excellent chaat house and next best mithai shop after Jewel of India. They have a large variety of chaats. Why drive 40 miles to Viks when Milan is around the corner serving better food :)

Best of the best (IMHO)

Empress of India (Santa Clara) - Run by an idiosyncratic couple who I believe, are in the business out of love (the cynical in me sometimes says I might be wrong). You have to call in before you go as sometimes they don't open at all. Their buffet selection is not as wide as the other Indian restaurants but they unquestionably make up for it in quality. Buffet usually consists of rice, daal, 2 sabzis, rotis, and chicken. The rotis are made on demand, so is the chicken. Advanced reservations are required for weekend dining and if you are a large group they will even entertain your specific requests. Once had the meanest Bater (quail) at this place.

There are some I've never been to - Gaylord's (SF) for one.

Outside of Bay Area, 3 restaurants really stand out - Vatan (NY), Supper Club (Reston, VA), and one on State street in Santa Barbara (forget the name now).