South Indian dining in north jersey

[bacchus]

Last night I visited Udupi Village in Montclair, being a decent expert on South Indian cuisine (I am originally from there), I can whole-heartedly say that the food is very good.  I usually have only one place of reference (Jackson Diner, Queens, NY). I know the place is not called that anymore.  Madras Mahal (NYC, NY) is also another place serves a decent dosa!

The decor in the place was bright but not unpleasing.

We ordered the Mysore Masala Dosa (excellent), Vegetable Uttapum (very good), Iddli (very moist, almost perfect).

I must mention the Mango Lassi.  It was excellent - the lassi in most places have a tartness from that cuts into the flavor, not so with this one, I guess they add more mango pulp, which makes it sweeter but again very good.

I find that the place was not very crowed, either people in the area are not familiar with South Indian or they dont know about the place. I would suggest anyone looking for something different in Indian dining, try out this place.

Also, this is not affiliated with the Udupi in Iselin.

[Rail Paul]

nice post... where is this place located in Montclair?

thanks...

[bacchus]

Udupi Village is located at 511 Bloomfield Ave.

[ziggybob]

Jackson Diner still DOES go by that name, it just moved to a different location quite a few years ago.

[Rosie]

We were at Udupi village on Friday night. First of all let me preface my comments by saying I am not a big fan of Indian food. But I heard good things about this place and wanted to try it. I couldn't stand the smell in the place when we walked in there and I should have left at that point. It was cloyingly sweet.  We had a special assortment of appetizers consisting of meduvada, mysore bonda, samosa, vegetable cutlet and cashew pakoda. Everthing was fried and tasted the same. Our entrees were fine. A spring dosai was a vegetable roll filled with cabbage, carrot, potato , peas and cauliflower with a thin layer of hot chutney. There was more dough than vegetables and I could not taste the hot chutney. We liked the an onion kulcha,  a bread stuffed with onion and spices which reminded us of a scallion pancake.The vegetable uthappam , a pancake topped with assorted vegetables was good. Dinner was ว. The only Indian restaurant that I have been to that I have liked is Moghul in Edison. Bacchus's post is  a more reliable report than mine as he is from South India and obviously is more familiar with this cuisine.

[Rail Paul]

...more reliable than mine...

This poses a problem for me. Rosie's judgements on food have been pretty much on the mark for me.  When we visit a restaurant offering a food treatment with which we are not familiar, do we suspend our judgements on smell, taste, texture, or do we accept the judgement of a native user on what's right or acceptable?

I don't know, I'm still grappling with it. But, if we had looked at a Norwegian menu with lutefisk (white fish boiled in lye), I know I'd pass. I've tried lutefisk, and I hate it.

Paul

[Rosie]

I was just giving my opinion about one visit to a restaurant. You shouldn't deny yourself a potentially pleasing and very inexpensive dinner because of my comments. This may be one of those times that you don't agree with my taste.

[Suvir Saran]

We had a special assortment of appetizers consisting of meduvada, mysore bonda, samosa, vegetable cutlet and cashew pakoda. Everthing was fried and tasted the same.

Interesting observation Rosie! It is sad... But like you, I have had similar experiences at far too many Indian restaurants. If you were not impressed, can you imagine how disappointing it could be for one that has grown up with foods with these names but cooked with much more care.

Makes me wonder what they are doing differently at this restaurant. The dishes you mention are all very different from each other. They have only one thing in common, their being deep fried. But the ingredients are quite different and even if some share common ingredients, they are handled very differently. And if the food was half as authentic as it should be in a South Indian restaurant, you certainly were not served very good version of these familiar and famous dishes.

Also Samosas are not Southern Indian to begin with.

Meduvadas are made with ground beans and rice that have been fermented. The dough made by grinding the soaked beans and rice is very thick and shaped into doughnuts that are deep fried. Traditionally served either with Rassam or Sambhaar and some chutneys. They should be nicely crisp and are actually very light when made correctly.

Mysore Vada - This dish can change form depending on who makes it and what version.

But it is never donut shaped like Medu Vada. These are traditionally shaped like rough edged round patties. It is made with equal amounts of rice flour, all purpose flour and semolina. The batter is flavored with onions, green chiles, cilantro and asafetida. These are served with a spicy mint or cilantro chutney.

Mysore Bonda - These are golf sized deep fried balls made from urad dal (washed and husked black gram bean). The lentils are soaked for a couple of hours and then ground into a smooth batter. Curry leaves, black peppercorns, whole dried red chiles and asafetida are added to the batter. The batter is shaped into golf sized balls and these are deep fried. I have had these served with a mint-coconut chutney. This is again very different from a Medu Vada.

Vegetable Cutlet - This is a leftover of the Raj. It is again not a traditional South Indian dish but a dish common across India. It is most often found in menus of cafes in small cities and also in train cafeterias. The cutlets have potatoes and mixed vegetables in them. Spices are added in different combinations and ratios depending on who or where these are made. These are shaped like tear drops and then deep fried. Cutlets are most often served with Ketchup.

Cashew Pakoda - Well if it is pakoda it is not Southern. But I do think that some chefs (or owners for that matter) just do not care to name dishes appropriately. Bhajjia would be the name given to pakodas in the South. These would be made with chickpea flour (very little rice flour is added into the batter, it makes the fritters even crisper and lighter) most often. When I make cashewnut based appetizers, I end up making croquettes. Not sure what you were served...But again, if the above dishes were anywhere close to what they ought to be, it is sad that the restaurant served you dishes that had little if anything differentiating them. What a shame!

Rosie, I have often had parties at home where I serve 5-8 appetizers and many of these are deep fried. Never had people feeling they have been served the same stuff with different names. If care is given to the recipes, there are far too many options available for a chef to ever feel stifled for a lack of choice.

I am sorry your experience with Indian food has been so poor. I hope someday you will find yourself at a restaurant where you can partake in the many different textures, flavors, tastes and forms that make Indian food rather diverse and challenging to understand.

PS: Rassam is a very thin soup like broth which is served either as a soup or with Idlis (steamed rice and bean cakes) or vadas. Sambhaar is a lentil stew made with a mix of spices and vegetables. It is Thicker than a rassam and is served with rice, Idlis, Dosas (rice and bean crepes) or Uthappam (rice and bean pancakes).

[Suvir Saran]

We liked the an onion kulcha,  a bread stuffed with onion and spices which reminded us of a scallion pancake.

Another dish that is not Southern Indian.

What is wrong with Indian restaurants? One would think a place called Udipi Village would serve Udipi chefs dishes..... And do a great job...

Rosie, you may have gone on a day that the Udipi chef takes off.. and Bacchus went when they are working, hence the great discrepancy.

Since your last visit there was sometime back, did you ever go back? Have you eaten any other Southern Indian food in the meantime?

[Rosie]

I have been saving myself for the eGullet NY Indian dinner! Thanks for your thorough explanations.

[Suvir Saran]

I have been saving myself for the eGullet NY Indian dinner!  Thanks for your thorough explanations.

I hope the food does not dissapoint you. But since you say you have liked the food at Mugha, this is in similar lines but far more refined and better executed. Gives me some ray of hope... I hope you enjoy the meal...

[Rosie]

Suvir--With you in charge there is no doubt in my mind that it will be an outstanding meal.

[Suvir Saran]

Suvir--With you in charge there is no doubt in my mind that it will be an outstanding meal.

I am nervous.... But thanks for your encouraging words...