Not bad not bad! The service was nice they have indoor and outdoor seating, we went with a friend who is our insider on Indian food :) the dosa was so fun here. They also have a large menu with non vegetarian and vegetarian options. Recommend the chai and their buttermilk! Will be back to try more read more

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I'm writing this review for my non-Indian friends, since I feel like Indians already have a pretty good read on it, and know what to do. This place does brisk take-out, which might be the right approach here. For anyone inexperienced wandering in, it's a bit bewildering. See if you can bring a guide and do better than I did. The menu (online only) has fair descriptions, but it's hard to imagine what you're getting until it shows up. It's a lot of wet sauce in a plastic pint container, so you need a mountain of rice or some strategy for what to do with it. The one I got was somewhere between a broth soup and a curry -- very thin, not many pieces of chicken you could eat with a fork. Nice and spicy, very hot and fresh, but faced with this and a plastic teaspoon, it didn't feel correct. The bread was interesting.. crispy, flakey, oily.. like a croissant crossed with a pita? Not nearly enough for all that sauce. The dine-in tables really need a little ventilation. It's a small space, with plasticware and supplies piled around -- you don't dine-in for the ambiance. The spices are strong in the air, and will get into your clothes something fierce, as a reminder the next day. The handwashing sink had no soap. I hesitate to give few stars, since I'm sure a smarter more-savvy person would have ordered better, and most likely to-go. I just didn't know what do with all those sauces, and the whole meal was just heavy and wet. They need some kind of "beginner combo" or something. It's across the street from Hotel Strata, so an easy stop if you're staying there. read more

Well it started out to be just as we had read or expected. The aroma of Indian cuisine wafting outside the premise (for a change it was the odor of some good and fresh spices / food cooking away). We jostled for parking and were lucky to have snagged the last open spot. Once Inside too, we reluctantly took the 2 seater table offered to us, as we had wanted to be seated nearer to the window and on a larger table. The wait staff politely refused informing us that those were being held for larger groups since the place gets crowded on Saturday afternoons. But I guess the food made up for the rest of these shortcomings We ordered the Veg and Non-Veg thali. I just swooned over the Tamarind Curry with Snake-gourd, which was a clear standout for me on the Veg Thali, along with Daal Vada, the spinach and garbanzo bean veg dry dish and the Semolina dessert served (tiny potion but was very tasty!) The whole wheat Rotis were great too! On the Non Veg Thali, the mutton curry was a clear standout followed by the Chicken curry and then by the Fish curry. Of course who can not like the Chicken 65 pieces served along side! Since this was our first time, we wanted to taste a bit of all their dishes so went for their Thalis. Next we will go for their specials and a-la-Carte items. Btw way, took their Idiappams and mutton curry for later along with their special - Natukozhi Chicken Biryani. Will post their Pictures and Reviews later. No doubt, we will be returning! read more

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This is a long list of stuff, so let's get to it. Mini idly- spicy and flavorful. Don't miss out if you like spicy stuff. 5/5 for this. Chicken 65- it wasn't out of the world but was quite liked. So 4/5. Vada sambar- again, spicy but great! 4.5/5 Sabji and paratha- a couple of us really liked this, but a few didn't. This dish was spicy too. 4/5 Pineapple kesari- this is a must try if you go here! I think it was the best thing we ordered, if people had been up for it, then I would have ordere one more of this! It was deliciously sweet!!!!! 5/5 My friends tried a couple other dishes too. They liked the chicken curry. Masala dosa was average. read more

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Superrrr oily, chapati was pretty stale, and the curries skimped on ingredients (fish / mutton / eggplant). The dosa was also thick and doughy like a pancake instead of thin / crisp. The taste for the dosa was good but not the texture I was looking for. Glad we tried it because we drive by it all the time but I wouldn't come back with all the other Indian spots around. read more

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Interesting place as they do catering. Folks seem to come in not sure how to order. Every one of us go up to the counter to order expecting to pay and they say pay after. The food is interesting. It's what I wanted in terms of variety. Will come back to try other things. The best part is nothing has filler. All the food is natural. read more

Annachikadai - Veggie Thali - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

Took my friends and family from out of state to this place for impressing South Indian food with authentic taste .. all the dishes we ordered was tasty and reminded me of having street food in Madurai .. favorite was idicha chicken with parotta, appam with mutton curry n coconut milk, chicken fried rice!! Mutton Biryani was nice too but the meat should be cooked even softer, was little chewy for me.. :) dessert - wheat halwa was great ! read more

Veg thali - okra and beets were yum - 4 like cup curries ok - sweet pile was nice contrast Special chicken app came spicy Veg kurma it's alright - paratha is worthy Kuzi balls - ok but need more sauces Next time try a dosa! read more

Annachikadai - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

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A huge fan of the pollichathu. Withholding one star for the way their prices have skyrocketed but as a fan, will keep coming back for more!

I've been to this place before and had a better experience probably because it was pre-pandemic. But the first thing I was disheartened to learn was that they have stopped offering their epic filter coffee due to low demand. This really made me sad because they have the best filter coffee Atleast on El Camino and I thought demand would always be high. Anyway, that marred my experience since my main reason to go was for that coffee. Secondly, coming to the food. If you even do outdoor dining (indoor is closed currently), they pack the food and give you instead of serving it on proper plates and with cutlery. I understand why but it just made the experience worse for me. The quality of the items I had ranged from good to ok. The chicken wings were really good with an interesting masala while the curry dosa was odd. I expected the dosa to be like a regular dosa with the chicken stuffing replacing the potato masala. However it was more of a dosa pancake with chicken stuffed into the batter. I found that . Taste wise it was more of an uttapam but missing that crispness of the dosa. The idlys were fresh and the mango lassi was fine. read more

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Quality Indian food Even though we live 30mins away, We get their take out pretty often but this time we get to dine outdoor and it's different when you can taste them fresh. We had cauliflower 65, chicken biryani, mutton curry, paratha, and idicha chicken. They are all very very delicious! Personally, my favorite is cauliflower 65, because it's crispy on the outside but soft inside with good spices! Their curry is always on point, they used different spices for different meat, so you should try all of them! They are always VERY busy with orders but they are friendly! read more

Annachikadai - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

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People take their own time to serve you, it's not like everyone is coming here for picnic, I had to go back to work within an hour and they took all the time to give me the food and I had to eat the unlimited Thali in 5 mins before I get back to work and they still charged me even though I could barely eat 2 spoons out of the plate and had to run. This is so unprepared and effecting the people who come here and also unacceptable with the California standard of service. Not wanting to back here. it's just wasting a lot of your time just waiting for the food and service. Ambiance is very packed and there's no place for people to even walk in. read more

A solid/average casual South Indian restaurant tucked at the front of a small strip mall with cramped but ample parking. Food comes default medium. Portions are ok for the price. Definitely add some apps or rice to your orders. -Samosas: nice texture and spice level with scrumptious tamarind sauce -idli chicken: a few small pieces of leg, idly had a nice bouncy texture -chapati fish curry: super salty but flavorful, chapati could have been thicker as they were more like deflated pancakes -mango lassi: thicc and fruity read more

They have a wonderful mechanism of ordering and serving food. You have to just scan and order online. Makes things convenient for everyone. We sat outside. Though the space is limited, it was good. I ordered vegetable korma and parota. Parota was very good. Others ordered fish, chicken etc. All the items were well liked. But the korma wasn't great. I wish they get the thali they have featured in the menu and website. During pandemic, they mentioned that they aren't serving it read more

Best chettinad in the bay, food is delicious and even after eating a lot, you don't feel bloated

This place is legit. It's authentic Indian food. You can tell by the people who eat here that they know what they are getting. I came here with a big group of friends on a Saturday evening at 6pm. Even though it was early, we made reservations, which was a smart thing since it fills up quickly. The restaurant is not very big, so do make reservations if you have a group. I am a visual person, so I looked at the photos posted and ordered according to what I see. The Thali was the crowd favorite, but we all ordered a variety of dishes to share. I liked the chicken curry paratta. So glad I ordered a mango lassi, which helped my taste buds because the curry was spicy for me. They also refill pitchers of water at the table, so that's helpful. Come here for authentic Indian. You will eat like the locals. read more

Annachikadai - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

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On a friend's recommendation, I ordered my Friday evening fix from Annachikadai. I ordered Ghee Mysore park, Mutton Perattal, and Idicha Chicken. My friend was right this place is amazing. Now the chicken was flavorful and spicy. Not just hot but spicy (big difference between the two). The mutton was good too, not rubbery not tough but tender. However, I wasn't too fond of the gravy. The Mysore park was another level. I wasn't expecting it to be that good. The ghee makes it real and there was plenty of it just the way it is supposed to be. The perfect way to finish off the meal with a great sweet dish. I am certainly trying them out again. This time I am sticking to the dry and aromatic chicken and the Mysore park of course. read more

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I would be the first to admit that after a month of not traveling, I was getting antsy. The first time this year that I didn't have to fly for a month. So we went to Sunnyvale and did a stacation. For reasons unknown, but it was a nice little break we needed. Found this little spot on line. Banana leaf restaurant. Super cool and chill. The thali is the thing to get. All you can eat curried fish, goat and chicken with the sides. $14 - what a deal. The food is super spicy and super delicious - better than most of the northern indian food that I'v had. kind of lighter on the sauce i think. I loved the little sides. The fried tandori chicken nuggest a crowd pleasure. My 11 and 16 year old loved the curry chicken dish. The rice very flavorful. I would definitely come back - if I end up in the south bay area and want to take an out of town guest for a meal, this is the place to go. read more

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I love this place . They should have the veg and non veg thali on weekends too ! Atleast with reservation!

I have to say I am really impressed with this place. Whenever I go to a South Indian place, I tend to get Idly Sambar without fail because I love it so much, but so many places in the Bay Area disappoint with their sambar. Well not this one! The idlies actually felt like idlies, not those rubbery day old kinds. I loved the size of them and how it paired with the sambar. I literally did not care for the chutney at all cause the sambar is all I cared about haha. But I also ordered the Paratha Khurma, and damn was that really good. The paratha is like the perfect consistency. Just flaky enough to rip apart but still have that nice soft inside. The khurma is slightly watery, but didn not disappoint in terms of taste. It was a nice coconut flavor with well cooked vegetables. My other coworkers who I came with also enjoyed the food. As a vegetarian, the dishes seemed pretty good, but also for the people who wanted meat dishes as well. I will definitely be coming back to try the other dishes here! read more

Annachikadai - Mini Idly - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

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We were concerned that we were might be ordering late, but we made the best of the last 45 minutes of dinner time. We were impressed with the amazing unique flavors of the sauces with the Dosa and we especially liked the masala. My favorite was the Chicken 65 (tender, moist, awesome seasoning), but the spicy Idichi Chicken Kuzhambu will certainly "light your fire". The Madurai Dosa was also delicious. They did forget to bring our rice we ordered but when finally delivered, it helped put out the fire. Very tasty, and quickly delivered after order (except rice). We were a bit rushed towards the end as it approached closing time. The restaurant has about 10 tables in a medium sized dining area, with an airy but busy ambiance. Be transported to India while still in Mt. View- be sure to try Annachikadai! read more

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Awesome to find a banana leaf joint in the Bay Area. Very casual and prices are good so those are additional pluses. Parking is easy in the lot, and I'm the summer the outdoor seating is a nice option. We got the veg thali and appreciated the ample serving of rice and free flow of the sides. That alone is worth the price of admission. The parotas are also awesome and we got the combo with veg korma and then got more parotas. And we started it all with the tandoori style cauliflower which was also outstanding. It is a dive so anyone not used to that should keep away and leave the limited and packed space for those who love it. We'll be going back for more toppings very soon. read more

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Yesterday was my second time visiting. The first time was about 1 year back. Food: This time I ordered parotta, mutton curry (Pirattal Kuzhambu), chicken biriyani, Veg Kurma, and chicken 65. All of them were good. I will not say GREAT, but good. The biriyani was spicy, so it is not recommended for folks with low spice tolerance. The quantity of chicken 65 was good - about 10 pieces, but the mutton curry was a joke - 4 small pieces for $17. Service: You order food at the counter and then food is delivered to your table. Waiting time was reasonable (less than 10 min) since we went at non-peak hours. The staff was helpful and good to deal with. Nice people. Ambiance: Typical restaurant that you can feel in Tamil Nadu (South India). The tables were not cleaned properly. We found food particles on our table. Overall, I will give a 3 out of 5 star rating since we had good food & experience other than the unclean table. read more

It is SO hard to find South Indian food around here and to have one so close to home is awesome. But really, it's all about the food and the spices. And even though I've only been here once, it would be a disservice of me to give it anything but a 5-star rating, and based on just this one dish I had, I will be returning here to try the other food on the menu. For me, I measure how good Indian restaurants are by their goat curry. In my experience, if a restaurant gets this dish right, then I'm fairly confident that the rest of the dishes on the menu will be good. I know, it's a little uncanny, but I love Indian food and have eaten at many Indian restaurants over the years and I've found that goat curry sets the standard for the rest of the dishes. So of course, based on what I said above, I had the goat curry. In a word, it was FANTASTIC! The sauce was rich, thick, and redolent with spices, and the goat pieces were melt-in-your-mouth tender. Heat-wise, you don't feel the heat up-front, but it sneaks up on you, and I love that! Also, I've had other goat curries where there was a lot of liquid rendered fat in the sauce, but not with Annachikadai's! Combine that with the wonderful parotta bread that came with my combo and wow! What a meal! And speaking of parotta, I love it! And these guys do it great! It's flaky and tender and it makes for the perfect implement to soak up the sauce. I only used my spoon to pick up the last bits of goat! I'm very satisfied! I provided a picture of my order, and though it might not seem like a very big portion, I can tell you that it is a perfect portion: Enough to fill you up but not stuff! I totally recommend this place! read more

Annachikadai - Combo: Parottas with mutton curry! Yum! - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

One of the best thalis around, and super affordable too! The food here is better than at most fancy places. The curries are always amazing and authentic. Bittu and Rajesh made my day today. Highly recommend if you're into real Indian flavors! read more

4.5 STARS The whole time I was eating at Annachikadai, I couldn't help but think of my co-worker... You see, she was telling me about one her first dates with a guy at an Indian restaurant. She was enjoying her meal and went to grab another piece of naan when her date swiped her hand away and said, "NO, that's enough carbs for the night!" OHHHHH HELLLLL NOOOO. The naan would have assaulted him that night. At Annachikadai, you ARE encouraged to eat until you pass out from a food coma. All the very kind servers kept asking us if we wanted more food and as we were leaving, one very kind server even said: "You could have eaten more, you didn't have to be bashful!" OMG, are you single?! You would be perfect for my co-worker! I've never had Ilai Virunthu, Thali served on a Banana Leaf before and saw all the raving reviews from Yelp so I had to give Annachikadai a try. Annachikadai, a South Indian restaurant has two kinds of Thali: Vegetarian ($12.99) and Non-Veg ($13.99) which have unlimited refills. They also have an a la carte menu (with dosas) but if you love a good value, get their Thali. Plus, I think this is the first Ilai Virunthu restaurant in the Bay Area so it's worth ordering their Thali specialty. Fair Warning: Annachikadai is as legit as you can get and they do NOT hold back on the spices (the owner? says the recipes are her parent's recipes in Chennai). The spices are bold, complex, and in YOUR face which I appreciate. My friend who can't take much spicy foods was struggling throughout the meal. If it burns going in, imagine how it feels coming out - probably needed a popsicle for the ( I ) that night. Lol! We both ordered the Non-Veggie Thali: Chicken, fish & mutton curry w/ chapati, kootu, poriyal, rice (not shown), pappad, yogurt, gulab jamun ($13.99): https://bit.ly/2I8Pelk -Fav items: Fish curry and mutton curry which were well cooked (tender) and packed with robust spices. I love spicy food so the fiery heat was perfect for me. I also liked the chicken 65, a spicy, deep fried nuggets of chicken. -Needs improvement: The veggie sides and chapati were cold. -There was a side of fragrant elumichai oorugai (?), pickled lemon rind that was interesting. Not sure what you're supposed to eat that with? Since it's unlimited refills, don't be shy and ask for more of the items that you like. We got 2 refills for the mutton curry: https://bit.ly/2Gf9fpZ and enjoyed sucking the marrow out of the bone. Mmmmm. We also ordered one of their white board specials, Mutton Chops: https://bit.ly/2pHCMCG. A very generous portion for the price, the chops were deeply spiced and very soft. The rice and yogurt from the Thali were the perfect accompaniments to temper the heat from the chilies. While service was very warm, welcoming, and attentive, the food took a long time to come out. We were the first customers for dinner and it took nearly 30 minutes for our Thali to come out and another 15 minutes for the rice to come out. The dining area is on the smaller side and I hear there's crowds on the weekends so if you don't want to wait, dine during off peak hours. We sat in their dog-friendly outdoor seating: https://bit.ly/2GAyjeC overseeing the parking lot. Overall, solid new South Indian restaurant in the South Bay but 4.5 stars rounded down because of the long wait time and some of the thali items were cold. If you love a great deal, spicy food, and servers that encourage you to eat more even though you're round enough, give Annachikadai a try! read more

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I have been looking for a good Chettinad place for a good thali and referred to annachikadai. Went there later in the evening so a number of items were over. The thali is available only in the afternoons during the week. I ordered for a dosa mutton curry and a paper masala dosa with rose milk. Enjoyed it. Well get back for their fried mutton and biryani some day soon. read more

Love this place! Order takeout from here all the time. The flavors are very authentic. I do wish the portion sizes were a little bigger for the price but good if you want authentic South Indian food in the Bay Area! read more

Tried this place on a friday afternoon lunch. I though I might avoid the crowd on weekends , but it did not really help, because the place was pretty crowded on friday as well. Eventhough I reached around 1.30 pm , had to wait for 20 - 25 mins to get a table and then another 15 mins or so to get the Veh Thali. I think they need to hire more cooks amd wait staff in order to keep up with their popularity. Anyhow, the food was delicious. Their thali ( unlimited platter ) has fewer items compared to some other South Indian restaurants in the area, but everything tasted good. The thali consisted of Some type of wada ( fritter as an appetizer ), Lemon pickle, Sambhar ( lentil soup ), Rasam ( lentil soup ) , Kara kuzhambu ( lentil soup ), Veg Kurma ( Vegetables in a coconut milk based gravy ), Raw banana curry, Garbanzo and green beans Poriyal ( Dry roasted vegetables) , Rice , Indian style bread, Yogurt and Rice Pudding. I also ordered a couple of items to go Kuzhi Paniyaram - Soft and fluffy rice flour balls with some shredded carrots etc Served with a couple of dipping sauces Cauliflower 65 - Cauliflower marinated in a special sauce and stir fried. Some people might find it spicy. It is worth giving this place a try if you don't mind the wait. read more

Annachikadai - Left - Cauliflower 65 , Right - Kuzhi paniyaram ( rice flour balls) with a coconut and another dipping sauce - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

I've been here uncountable times in four years. Circa the time of this post, the table service is inconsistent due to the staff headcount. The pandemic and perhaps leadership changes have resulted in a modified menu and less personable experience. BUT the food still tastes good, even though they've changed cooks (they said). The Fish Curry is still incredible to me as a tamarind fiend. The signature Idicha Chicken Curry is still a pleasure but I personally feel has lost some bit of its flavor since I first started ordering it years ago (that could be me). I feel everything else on the menu is competent but may or may not meet the high expectations of its Peninsula SV clientele. Please support these guys. You might need to write suggestions here to get them considered, since from the outside the operation feels more like a collective than a directed endeavor. read more

Paper roast dosa is 2 ft long! Crispy and no line! Madras cafe is always full so this is a good alternative! I would preferred this location if their coconut chutney is less spicy. The restaurant is big inside and lots of people working! I just ask for extra chutney and I got it in 2mins! I went on Sat lunch and there are quite a lot of people but it is not full. read more

Annachikadai - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

*Love the food! Love the service!!* We had ordered catered meal for 125 people for lunch from Annachi Kadai (non-veg) and Star Udipi Cafe (veg) for an event at my house. Every food item was delicious -- the flavors, the taste, the colors were all so inviting! people came back for seconds and thirds. We had food left over at the lunch because we had ordered a bit more to be on the safer side. But the food was so popular -- our guests packed the remaining food in small containers and took it home for their dinner! =) The food was delivered sharp at 12 noon, like we requested. Actually they came 10 mins early and waited for us -- we were the ones running late. All the hot food items was piping hot and freshly made. The management worked with us to figure out the menu that would suit our guest profile and the right quantity of food to order with an aim to reduce food waste and keep costs within budget. The staff was attentive to our needs to our special instructions. They're awesome to work with, professional, polite and courteous! I would definitely recommend you order your food from Annachi Kadai and Star Udipi Cafe for your next event! Even if you have your go-to-place for catering, give them a try! =) read more

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Tiny hole in the wall place in south bay. Great spicy south Indian food. We got the dry chicken and dry mutton entrees as well as paya soup (goat soup). Everything was pretty spicy but delicious. This restaurant seemed more like a take out place than sit down. Few items like biryani were out of stock so we were a bit disappointed but will definitely come back to try some other time. Service was good. Tiny parking lot right outside the restaurant. read more

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We love their dosa, idli, chutneys and sambar. We have only had takeout which means it gets cold by the time you get home...but we learned a new trick - warm up your dosa in the toaster oven on toast mode - turns out fresh and . Their dosa is awesome, not greasy and super tasty. I have ordered other things and they were alright but believe dosa is their specialty. read more

A good, solid option in the Sunnyvale area. The unlimited vegeterian thali came with papad, a tiny masala vada, chapati, two dry veg dishes - cabbage poriyal with chana dal and baby corn fry, rasam, sambar, tamarand curry, veg korma, halwa, 2 spoons of yogurt + white rice. While this sounds a like a lot of food, it's not as the portions for all the curries are especially tiny and the vada is a miniscule size. The food was flavorful, fresh and my favorites were the masala vada -- incredibly crispy and tasty; the tamarind curry with tindli - so spicy and tangy, a perfect combination with the white rice; the cabbage poriyal, simple and well seasoned and the halwa made with desi ghee. I had to flag the servers down to ask for more - being a shameless New Yorker that's not really a problem, but since this is a family owned place and they pride themselves on service, I would definitely have liked to be asked if I needed refills. I haven't had a lot of Tamil Nadu cuisine and enjoyed the fiery flavors in this meal. read more

Annachikadai - Veg Thali October 1 2019 - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California

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I had the veg Thali and a mango lassi. My friend had chicken biryani. Food very very tasty. Portions were generous. Service was a bit odd. Restroom only slightly better than a state park. read more

What a surpise! First time here; the flavors are satisflying different from Northern Indian food. We shared a chicken biriyani, Fish65, Chicken Kuzhambu, paratha bread. The Fish65 is deep fried and red in color; deligtfully crisp exterior with a tender inside. The biriyani had different but tasty spices. The chicken kuzhambu was a stew and very fragrant and meaty, mild chili spiciness. $57.95 with tax and tip. Each of us, took home food; however, there's enough food for three. read more

So much goat I love the flavors! The lamb biryani is to die for. Every bite I was moaning and screaming SOOOO GOOOOOODDD! Lol. Thank you for existing and sharing yummy food read more

Authentic cuisine and really good south indian style dishes i have had in the bay area. the seeraga samba biryani and idicha chicken are exceptional. Price is also on the reasonable side. Havent yet tried the place for dine in to experience the service and ambiance, but so far delivery experience has been good. read more

Our go-to for Madurai thali. It's the only restaurant in the Bay Area with authentic Madurai cuisine and we drive from SF to eat here read more

Annachikadai - Madurai - Indian Near Me - Mountain View, California