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Idly Express - Santa Clara

3.9 (27 reviews)
Open 8:00 am - 9:30 pm

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IDLY EXPRESS - SANTA CLARA ATMOSPHERE

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VIP Combo (idly, pongal, vadai)
Michelle V.

I ordered online for pick up on a weekday during late lunch, and VIP Combo (idly, pongal, vada). The order was ready immediately. I like that this place has a cool drive-through. The shop itself is tiny with one or two tables. it was my first time having all three of the items in the condo. I found the pongal to be not very flavorful and dense. The idly was fluffy and quite big. My favorite thing was the vada, which was crispy on the outside, but so soft on the inside. It was addicting! I wish I got more. Once I come again, I would get solely that. Everything was filling, so I actually saved my pongal to eat the next day. I really enjoyed the flavors of this dish and it's affordable as well. I'd come back and try the different offerings on their menu!

Fely L.

I'm on a dosa phase and came here as it was drive thru although it defeats purpose as we still had to order at window. So no time save and more wait for cars since no kiosk to order thru. I knew coming not to expect the crispness of the crepe. I did a combo platter with came with small dosa, steam white donut like bread (sorry don't know what it's called) and the fried don't like bread. It came it all tasty. We also got the benne masala. The benne I'm used to had a more sweet taste then sour like this one. Not a fan of it and the potato masala for me was too spicy even the benne was spicy.

Menu
Apoorva R.

Best food as always! Love everything at idly express, all of the locations have amazing service and quality - very consistent. Had been waiting for this location to open up since this will be so close to home for me!

Benne Masala Dose
Chaithanya M.

Excellent benne masala dosa that's crispy outside, soft inside even as a to-go order. The potato masala was generous and filling. Loved the sambar! Tomato chutney wasn't for me but the coconut chutney was good, chutneys here are mild to suit most palates. The vada idly combo was light and not oily. Sweets are a standout, mysore pak from a previous visit was great and the jangri this time was perfectly crispy and juicy. Mostly a take out spot but they do have a few outdoor tables. Had a quick chat with Chef Saravanan, thoughtful and clearly well organized. After a disappointing experience at Mylapore Fremont, this branch exceeded expectations in both food and service!

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2 months ago

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5 months ago

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2 days ago

Quick grab and go with drive in experience. Food is hot. My go to place for comfort food

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5 months ago

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6 months ago

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22 days ago

One of the very few Indian cuisines with a drive through. Food & Service is great. Sometimes I go just for their coffee.

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4 months ago

Their chutneys are way too spicy, I wish they were milder. Idli was decent. Food was 6/10

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Ask the Community - Idly Express - Santa Clara

Review Highlights - Idly Express - Santa Clara

Idli Express is a lifesaver for quick South Indian cravings in Santa Clara!

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Meenakshi Bhavan

4.4
(47 reviews)
2.6 mi

We visited Meenakshi Bhavan for dinner following a friend's recommendation. It is a relatively new…read morespot specializing in South Indian cuisine, and we had a good experience. The food was great, and the service was quick and friendly. Dishes we tried: - Ghee Onion Rava Masala Dosa (5/5): large portion size, dosa felt light and it was delicious. - Vegetable Kothu Paratha (5/5): good flavor with plenty of vegetables. - Guntur Chilli Masala Dosa (4/5): Very large portion size and it was ok. If you are looking to try Dosas, Rava dosa is a better choice over this.

Weekend breakfast at Meenakshi Bhavan has the right soundtrack. Tamil film songs at a comfortable…read morevolume, two or three tables already into their meals, the steady clink of steel tumblers filling the room just enough to feel alive without tipping into noisy. For a Saturday morning, the energy was calm -- a good sign for a small spot that could easily get overwhelmed. The waitress set the tone early. Warm, unhurried, she asked how we had heard about the place before taking the order -- the kind of question a restaurant only asks when it is still building its crowd and actually wants to know the answer. Filter coffee arrived without delay, hot, no shortcuts. The upma and mini tiffin combo followed. Portions were generous and the food arrived warm. But dish after dish played it safe right up to the edge of forgettable. The upma had correct texture with none of the assertiveness that makes a good upma worth finishing slowly. The sambar leaned thin. The chutneys were there, present and accounted for, doing the minimum. Everything assembled correctly, nothing bold enough to make you look up from the table. Meenakshi Bhavan gets enough right on a weekend morning to be worth knowing about -- clean space, genuinely warm service, honest portions. The waitress clearly takes pride in the hospitality side of things. The kitchen needs to match that energy with a firmer hand on the seasoning. Good enough for a familiar weekend breakfast. Not yet good enough to become a habit. The paintings on the walls that were Indian and Tamilnadu related was great, but the other art work seemed out of place, not sure what the thought process there was with the management. Things where this could improve: Coffee taste can improve (may be sourcing from a different coffee vendor may help, seemed like a standard Narassu's powder from a grocery shop near by that probably was at least a few months old) Chutneys need a certain kick and that was definitely missing. Cleanliness can be improved for sure.

Photos
Meenakshi Bhavan
Onion Rava Dosa
Onion Rava Dosa
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Kabila Sweets and Restaurant

Kabila Sweets and Restaurant

4.3
(454 reviews)
1.2 mi
$$

Wow. I'd love to leave this review just saying that but it wouldn't do it justice. Got the chole…read morebhatura and OMGGGG this was unbelievably delicious! Def hit the spot! Will be coming my back for sure, Service is also 100%! Guy at the front was so friendly and welcoming and was attentive as well. He was multitasking the register, cleanup, and serving (not in that order )!

1 star= Not good…read more Ordered a Thali set (combo) This was ordered by my dining partner for us to share as it staTed it good for 2 ppl. But when unpacked, it looked it was more for one hungry person. it had 1 cup of lamb curry, 1 cup chicken curry, 1 cup of rice, 1 cup unfilled salad, 1 gulab jamon in syrup and soufflé cup of raita and 2 half rounds of plain naan. If it's for 2, how come only a single gulab Jamon. Also it states 2 curry's and 1 masala, but it was missing 1 of the proteins. This was the description: "Chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, naan, rice, raita, dessert, and salad typically compose this non-vegetarian thali for two" $27.50. Special instructions field was not operable as we woukd have asjed for mild and we were ok with the spice. it was between mild and medium. We both had a warmth over out beings and reached fir the raita to cool our mouths. My dining partner didn't eat much and got a really bad stomach ache. I didn't have a stomach ache bc I did not have any of the items in this Thali set. With my dining partner getting a bad stomachache, missing one of the proteins in the order and the minimal dessert of one when it's described as a set for two people. My partner shouted a strong zero. 0/5 Since I thought the combo above would be enough, I ordered garlic naan, it also came into half circles. Naan was thick and very dry. It reminded me of Greek pita bread but with scorches from a clay oven or skillet. Im used to get getting a green and reddish dip sauce but not from this restaurant. A la carte garlic naan iis $ 4.50 person naan. 2/5 In addition I ordered mushroom matter/mutter @ $14.50. This was very different than others I've had. At other pl all, whole mushrooms. But in this container, it barely had any and the mushrooms were sliced thinly and swimming in masala sauce. It was more saucy than it's contents. I felt like perhaps it was the end of the night and they were running low on mushrooms and peas. It was more a 1/5 . Needless to say, I would not recommend this establishment based on this experience.

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Sweets display
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New Tandoori Cafe

New Tandoori Cafe

4.3
(72 reviews)
2.3 mi

Delicious affordable Indian food! I've been on the hunt for a new takeout Indian food that…read moreaffordable with good portions, and I think I found the spot! I ordered the egg biryani, butter chicken, and their friday curry flight that came with the choice of 3 curries, a salad, raita, and naan. The biryani was super flavorful and not dry, and the egg paired with it well. All the curries were spicy and delicious, honestly not much more to say about it. I will say their raita is not my favorite, its just thick plain yogurt. I ordered online and I had to wait a little when I got there but that was okay. The interior is also spacious will lots of seating.

***USP: Pakistani Indian place with a huge menu ranging from kebabs to curries to chaat to…read morebiryanis. ***AMBIANCE: place is not very large but they have an open kitchen with kebabs hangings on skewers. Local Pakistani artwork adorning the walls. Delicious grilled meat smells wafting around as well. ***FOOD: we got chicken 65, naan and samosa chaat sans yogurt. *chicken 65-3/5- this was almost beetroot red in color. In my naivety I hoped it was some natural food color using beetroot. But I later learnt from them that it was not. It left me appalled at the liberal use of such toxic artificial colors. Colors aside, the chicken itself was delicious. But I will make sure to ask them beforehand next time and order something that doesn't have colors. *naan-5/5- this was amazing. Hot from the tandoor. It wasn't charred at the bottom. It was light and large. It was clear that it was made by someone who knew their craft. I will come back here just for the naan. *samosa chaat-3/5- this made me sick, I had an upset tummy for a few days after. It was hot day so I m assuming they had problems with their chutney or maybe it was the samosa with the potato filling. Upset tummy aside, the chaat flavors were decent, not the best of the lot but decent nonetheless.

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Delhicacies

Delhicacies

5.0
(3 reviews)
1.4 mi

We recently had Delhicacies prepare and deliver food for a small gathering at our place, and they…read moreexceeded our expectations in every way possible. First off, the delivery was a smooth process, dot on time and packaged with such precision. Ankush, who runs the show at Delhicacies came to do the honors and as well left detailed instruction on how to go about preparing one of the starter dishes that we had ordered (Bhalle Papdi chaat that is). The menu we chose included Bhalle Paapdi Chaat, Cocktail Samosas, Paneer Tikka Masala, Chana Masala, Baingan Bharta, accompanied by Roomali Roti and Lacchay Pyaaz as a side salad. The Bhalle Paapdi Chaat was an instant crowd-pleaser, with the perfect balance of crispy papdi, fresh bhalle, cool sweet yogurt, tangy tamarind along with green sauces, a secret masala powder and a garnish of beetroot , pomegranate and cilantro. All of these were packed separately and instructions were provided (step by step) to prepare the end result which tasted out of the world good. It was refreshing yet packed with flavors that kept everyone asking for seconds. The Cocktail Samosas were golden, crisp, and filled with a spiced potato mixture that made them an ideal finger food--perfectly bite-sized and not greasy at all. For the main course, the Paneer Tikka Masala (PTM) stole the show with its rich, velvety sauce that coated the tender paneer in just the right amount of spice. The flavors were balanced yet bold, making it a standout dish. The earthy flavor in the paneer made it finger licking good and definitely was the biggest hit of the evening. The Chana Masala had the perfect texture--soft chickpeas simmered in a well-spiced gravy that had just the right amount of heat and tang. Cubes of paneer in there definitely made it a good overall combination and complemented with the PTM. The smoky and flavorful Baingan Bharta added an earthy depth to the meal as well. The eggplant was roasted beautifully, bringing out its natural flavors, which paired wonderfully with the Romali Roti. The roti was soft, thin, and warm, making it the ideal vehicle to soak up the gravies. We did end up heating the rotis in our microwave oven for about 10-15 seconds in batches and they remained perfect in their texture and taste. The Lacchay Pyaaz--freshly sliced onions with a sprinkle of masala--added a crunchy, refreshing bite to balance the richness of the other dishes. Overall, Delhicacies delivered an out of the world authentic North Indian culinary experience with each dish tasting as though it was prepared with care and precision. The food was flavorful, perfectly spiced, and served fresh. Our guests were impressed, and we couldn't have been happier with the quality of food and service of delivery. If you're looking for reliable and delicious Indian catering, Delhicacies should be at the top of your list! Give them a chance and thank me later. You are welcome!!!

Great food! Loved the place! Amazing service! Must try paneer makhani and malai kofta! Great…read moreambiance!

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Parantha!

Idly Express - Santa Clara - indpak - Updated June 2026

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