I love cow and have to admit my knowledge of vegetarian and vegan foods is extremely limited. I was pretty skeptical of enjoying a meal here and thankfully happily surprised. I choose Indian food over Ethiopian any day of the week so Udupi was the choice to explore and also if you want northern Indian flavors. Located in a strip mall in South Scottsdale, it's not a place that stands out or calls to you.
Once you step inside, the food will do all the talking. Staff is sweet and knowledgeable if you aren't sure what to order. I came for dinner and my top choices are the mixed vegetable pakora, paper dosai, gobi manchurian and the vegetable briyani. Servings are ridiculously generous that you end up with leftovers for everyone. The dosa is lightly-fried bread (think of it as a crepe on steroids) that has the perfect crunch. The order comes with 3 sauces that are just lovely accompaniments for flavor. The pakora is equivalent to fried tempura and I love that they include jalapenos. My ultimate favorite is the briyani bursting with so much flavor. I took the leftovers home and added steak and sriracha to fill my big girl appetite. If you have room, finish off with a cup of chai and the madras special payasam (kheer). Rasmalai is another wonderful choice for dessert. How do you go wrong with homemade cottage cheese balls dipped in condensed milk and rose water?!!!
Overall, it is inexpensive dining for good food. I would come back and try the lunch buffet, malasa, and paneer despite lacking the meat component. For a sliver of bites, I almost thought I could go vegeterian with these kinds of niblets. Then recalled they don't serve alcohol and my wanton carnivore ways came back to light.