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| - I'm giving this 5 stars because it is t the best Indian food in the North Phoenix/Scottsdale area that we've found We've eaten Indian in Australia, East Asia, Europe and North America, and this is probably the best South Indian restaurant we've found outside of Little India in Singapore.
Each of the dishes we tried was very fresh, unlike many restaurants that taste very good, but you can tell that the curries have been stewing for a very long time.
We shared an order of Pani Puri as an appetizer, which came ready to assemble with the crisp, ungreasy shells and 2 kinds of dhal, cilantro/coriander, potatoes, onion and tomatoes, along with mint and tamarind sauces. I could have eaten an entire order as a light meal and had a very happy mouth and stomach!
Next came a Masala Dosai and a Sada (plain) Dosai. Again, the dosais were crisp and non-greasy, and the masala filling was flavorful and plentiful. The accompanying sambar was full of veggies, and the tomato sauce and coconut-chili chutney were spicy delicious.
We also ordered the Palak Dhal Tarka (spinach and lentils with herbs) but I think we actually received the Dhal Tarka (same thing minus the spinach). Again, very fresh flavors, with a good quantity of cumin seeds and fresh cilantro/coriander leaves on top. There was a modest amount of rice served with it, but the server was quick to offer more if needed. I never missed the spinach, though I'd still like to try it in the dish.
Two sweet lassi (yogurt "milkshake") rounded out our order, and we left quite happy with both the food and the service. There was a very short wait between placing our order and food arriving, and staff was constantly checking to be sure we had everything we needed. They even made sure we knew what everything was and how to eat it (in the case of the Pani Puri).
As other reviewers have stated, the restaurant is rather plain but very clean. Clean is always good, and I don't mind the plainness.
I look forward to returning to try the lunchtime buffet.
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