Very busy because it is popular. I would return again. The restaurant staff was very polite and accommodating.

Went for Friday lunch, they don't have no onion no garlic (jain) sambar on Fridays, it is available all other days. But they do have rasam which was super, apparently their kottu is also jain. Someone from kitchen was kind enough to let us know that. I had rasam with utappam and it was great! Highly recommend going on weekdays when it is slightly less crowded, and have better service compared to weekends. read more

With new management everything has gotten better. South Indian lunch was their staple. Now they have best soft idlis, dosas and other foods.

Komala Vilas was known for their weekend thali and I was a frequent visitor about 8 years ago. I returned after a long time and was so disappointed to see the quality. They now serve much more than the thali over lunch but that has taken a big hit on their quality. The food is luke-warm, the staff rushes you instead of ensuring you have a good time. I ordered a crispy rava dosa and they served me a soggy dosa + forgot to serve me coconut chutney in all the chaos. I didn't even bother asking for a change given how we were treated. Disappointed to see one of our favorites go south and I am not surprised to see their poor ratings here. This used to be a place where we would bring all our guests and now I don't think we'd want to go back. It's a shame. read more

Severely short of staff. And at least one hour wait time. Food hasn't arrived yet. So I am posting the review.

Very unfriendly employees and pathetic Indian food. Ordered a South Indian thali. Rice had bad smell. Ordered ghee dosa for kids. After 20 mins, got cold dosas. read more

Can someone please tell me why anyone would come here? Honestly, I am baffled. We were shown a table and waited a few minutes, and then plates were brought over, and then some food. We had to ask for silverware. There was a pitcher on the table, but we have no idea if there was anything in it since we were never brought glasses. This experience was almost humorous, it was so disappointing. The marquee stated how they "treat you like family". Instead I felt like I was in a morgue or funeral home. Do people in this family really never even smile? I felt like we were an inconvenience to the staff. We were offered rice..and eventually a few other things. The taste of the food was alright, but with only 3 items being offered, over $10 a person? Really? Any other all-you-can-eat at least has a wide selection of items. And without the awkward sense of inconveniencing people. The server came around and offered seconds, but after that, small cups of desserts were left, and even though I was ready for a little more of the main course, we were completely ignored after that. "Eat to your heart's content..." IF you're willing to go tap them on the shoulder and ask for it. I know so many restaurants with wider selection, higher quality food, better service, and reasonable charge. People kept coming in...but I really truly don't understand why. read more

So i was craving for some south indian food. And we decided to go to Komala Vilas. Let me start with hiw this place looks like. It is pretty small and they dont serve.so you pay first and they call our name and you go collect the food. And the food is good.I ordered masala dosa and onion masala dosa. And paid 24 dollars.the only sad part is they put very little potato masala for both the dosas. So i would give 3 and half only bcz i didnt get enough masalas. read more

Cleanliness is miles away from the hearts & eyes of this restaurant owners. Its ridiculous when i read reviews of this restaurant mentioned as 'Homely atmosphere'. i don't understand why anybody want their home to be so dirty & unorganised as this place. If you are inviting any epidemics, then this place is right on target. Coming to taste of the food here, expect coffee nothing is great. Idli is not given time to bake in cause of business, Sambar is way very watery, Glasses are never washed. I am just waiting for a chance to lodge complaint against this place at Food check dept. Cost is sky high & Cleanliness is ocean low. Most Untidy restaurant in bay area. Just spoils the fame of India. read more

Yes, I am Indian, but my stomach cannot tolerate spicy Indian food. I ordered the thali and left with my stomach on fire. The sambhar was so incredibly spicy. Even the yogurt rice, considered a cooling agent, was spicy because of all the damn chilis in it! To keep this short - I ran into the Indian grocery store next door and bought a kulfi bar to cool myself down. I will never go to this place again. read more

For the lazy gourmand, the only thing better than a line-up buffet is a buffet brought to you as you are seated in front of a stainless steel platter. This is what Komala Vilas has to offer. You sit down, and a server comes around with the day's assortment of vegetarian goodies. There will always be papad, rice, some sort of daal, and assorted other veggies. Just sit and eat to your heart's content as they replenish your supply. Note that this is a South Indian restaurant, so you won't get the usual naan, "curry," and chicken tandoori that have come to represent "Indian food." The ambiance is very simple. The price is $12, with $1 extra if you want a chapati, except on weekends and holidays (I'm not kidding; there's a sign that says that). read more

I did not like the food here. I am south Indian and I can cook a lot better than the food I ate here. But, my experience wasn't bad coz I had my dearest friends with me and a very attentive waiter who brought us the food (read south indian thali) real quickly. - ratings for ambiance, flavorless food, bad bad sambhar and the hype(probably, the many bachelors who visit this place regularly, love it for the price and good old nostalgia of the food they once had) And as my friend Ranj mentions in her review, please go here only when super hungry then you are more forgiving towards the food ^_^ read more

1. Summary: Very good simple home-style South Indian food. I love their lunch meal (Dont know if it is available all through the week, or just weekends) - You sit at the table with an empty plate and they have a small fixed menu and they serve you at your table whatever you want whenever you want till you are full (as opposed to a buffet where you get up with your empty plate and self-serve). Their sambaar is just amazing! (Points: 8.5/10) 2. Food: Lunch meal had rice, sambaar, rasam, 2 dry South Indian style sabzi's, buttermilk, appalam (papad) and carrot pysum as dessert - everything unlimited. The usuall idli, vada, etc. is also very good. Their daily specials are also very good. (Points 9/10) 3. Ambience : Very bare-bones - go here only if you care about good food. (Points 5/10) 4. Price: Very reasonable (Points: 8/10) 5. Variety: The usual South Indian variety. The meal I think is not available all the time. (Points: 8/10) 6. Service: Pretty good service. The people serving the meal were very prompt and friendly. However just a small quirk here - For the meal, they assume you know everything and expect you to ask for additional stuff like buttermilk, pickle (which are all included btw). So make sure to ask for everything that they have to make sure you do not miss out on anything (Points: 7/10) 7. Value for money: 8.5/10 8. Wishlist: Being from Maharashtra, I would love if they would serve atleast 1 roti in the meal - not used to eating just rice in a meal. ***Note - I personally care about food the most and hence my overall rating is more biased towards food and less towards other factors like ambience, price, service, etc. read more

As a non-Indian, I can only imagine what memories a meal at Komala Vilas stirs up in an expat from South India. Perhaps a home-cooked meal? Cafeteria food in college? Lunch at a favorite street corner restaurant? For me, it reminds me of the few times in college when I partook of my South Indian roommate's cooking - pickled mango, sambar, dal with rice, then finished with some buttermilk or yogurt and a sweet or two. At the end of the meal, he would laugh and say that I should go veggie since I have learned how to eat with my hands, and appreciate the balance the buttermilk brought to a spicy meal. For some, Komala Vilas is about going home. For me, it is about a simpler time long long ago. read more

This is home food!!! Any self respecting South Indian will vouch for the fact that this tastes pretty much like what mom has been cooking for years.......it's quite a joy going here and feeling like you're back home. Their best meal is lunch: it's an all you can eat, fixed menu setup, and you will be served as soon as you sit down! And @ $8 for lunch...can't really beat the price. This can be very different from the usual Indian food experience...so some basics for first timers: Rice is the centre of the meal in South Indian food....you have two different curries that you normally have with rice. The first is the Sambhar...which is thick and is like a dal with spices and tarmarind and veggies. So the first course of most meal is rice mixed with sambhar and a side of vegetables and khootu: a dal with veggies mixed in. They also serve appalam or papadam with the food. Course 2 is the rice with Rasam: this is thinner, more like a soup, normally has tomato, tarmarind and peppers....much lighter than the sambhar. Again to be had with rice and veggies and appalam. Finally to cool the system, you can get a glass of buttermilk...traditional way to end the meal, either drink it down or mixed in again with rice. I avoid this place on weekdays, mainly because after this meal, doing anything productive @ work is almost impossible. Perfect for Sundays, so that you can have a nice afternoon siesta immediately afterward :) They have a regular menu for breakfast and dinner where you order what you want. But lunch is where it's at really for this place! I always thought that mainly South Indians would enjoy this place, but have always found a fairly eclectic mix of people there...which is enjoyed! read more

The problem with most reviews is that they talk about lunch here. KV is not a lunch place for everyone. Although the food is really authentic and close to south-indian home food, its not something you can enjoy with a spoon or a fork. I am not a fan of the type of food served during lunch, so my review is for the BREAKFAST ONLY. This is the best south indian breakfast (or tiffin if you prefer) place in the bay area. You will find the softest idlis, tasty chutney, excellent dosa and really good sambhar. You cannot find better Idlis in the bay area than KV. You will also experience the most authentic form of south indian coffee ever. Served in 2 steel tumblers, you can juggle the coffee to get the froth and mix the sugar at the same time. Make sure to get there early though, it gets crowded pretty soon and they get ready for the lunch crowd around 11. read more

Decent dosa place. Large place with lots of tables. You order on counter and let them know table number. They get the food to you. The buttermilk was great and so was the dosa. read more

If you think you know Indian food, think again. Walking into this place is as close to a true only-in-India experience you can have, if you are open to it. I was scoping cars at the VW dealer across the street, and looking for a place to grab a bite before a late evening conference call (ironically, with people in India). After reading Rahul's hilarious review, I had to walk in. I ordered one of the dinner specials, and while I wasn't completely sure of what I was eating, it was really good. I'm not big on vegetarian food normally, but I have to say I didn't miss the meat in this meal. I ran out of dosa about halfway through the meal, so I just ate the rest with my fingers (when in Rome...) The "filtered coffee" tasted exactly like the coffee I had in India, and that alone would make me go back. I can see why this place would feel like home for the region's many Indian expats. read more

Service is very very bad. Don't waste money and time. Customers are not beggars. They should treat customers with some respect. Sorry,I will never visit again. read more

Komala Vilas is not a fancy place by any means. It's got a very modest ambience and the staff keeps it real with their service. Where it stands out is - impeccable hygiene (only indian restaurant where I'll feed stuff to my 2 year old daughter), well balanced food (lots of veggie options versus the usual carb overload), excellent take-out service and moderately priced. The owner is a bit strict - no nonsense attitude. But all in all awesome place. read more

It wasn't entirely clear from all the YELP reviews (granted, I didn't read all of them) what this lunch buffet was all about, so we decided to check it out. It turns out, this is a buffet with service -- which was totally weird and confusing. We sat down and two metal trays were placed in front of us. Then our waitress scooped rice and various curries and some pickles into our trays. When we were done eating, she came around and asked if we wanted more. Hence, the "buffet." The variety was extremely limited -- I think there were no more than 5 items being offered. Yes, the 5 things offered were delicious, but still, there were only 5 things. I go to buffets for the variety and the quantity -- this is all quantity and no variety. To top it off, it was expensive (about $12 per person) -- just as expensive as an Indian buffet offering 15-20 items. My math says this isn't quite the same value as other Indian buffets in this area. read more

I don't often go out to Indian cuisine, but a friend recommended this place so we went to lunch here. As I understand it, most Indian food around is North Indian food and this place is South Indian food. So the way this place worked was that there was a set menu and it's about 11 bucks for all you can eat. They just come around and keep filling your plate until you tell them to stop. On the menu was three different types of curry. One with potatoes as a side dish, one as is, and the third with rice. My date was knowledgeable enough to order some stuff off-menu like buttermilk to drink and this ridiculously savory soup drink. They also served this crispy thin shrimp-chip-like flat bread? The buttermilk was definitely a little different for my palate but the food itself was eye-opening. There was no meat in the food though(interestingly enough, I didn't miss it for this particular meal and I DO love my meat!). The people were also very friendly here and the service was excellent. There were no frills and nothing fancy. Just a plate and food. Sometimes that's the way it's gotta be though. A definite recommend! read more

My four stars are solely for the 'all you can eat' spread. Though the items are limited in variety- sambhar, rasam, appalam, pickles, one curry, one kootu, this meal has a home cooked feel to it. Great for those craving a hearty South Indian meal. Plough through the meal with your fingers and enjoy the ambience at the same time. This place has the same rushed and energetic buzz that one would find in a traditional Madras eatery. I haven't ordered from the a la carte menu here in a long, long time. The last time I did, I ordered a chilli masala dosa. This was just a regular masala dosa bumped up in price just because some green chillies were grated into it. I would stick with the unlimited quantity meal. read more

If someone asks me where my kitchen is, I'd point them to Komala Vilas. I'm a regular here and Ram, who works here has become a good friend of mine. Furthermore you get to hear some good music tracks especially if you had lost touch with Tamil songs, it would be a refresher. read more

I have been to many fresh food with south indian fare, and am at home with a lot of the 'culture' of eating south indian food, especially breakfast. however, this place was big disappointment. I guess the upma, vada and idli favorties like this place. But I am a dosa and rava dosa fan and those were hardly anything special. For the setting of the place, the $$ is surely pricey. Morover, the lady behind the counter seems to be constantly irritable and upset and keep yelling. The rest of the place is chaotic when crowded. read more

Taste is good but they are pathetic when it comes to quantity of sambhar/chutney. It is never enough...you'll have to order extra of those items. read more

Well this place is very challenging. I can't understand how you can run a place which is unhygienic. I've been here few times for the past 6 or so years. And every time they surprise me by making it more dirty. I guess I really need to stop coming here. The food quality is also getting worse. Seriously places in Mumbai are cleaner than this. And that's not saying much. read more

I'm not even Tamil and this is like home-cooked food for me. I can eat here breakfast/lunch/dinner and not get bored. Simple food and always delicious. Love Komala Vilas, particularly for their South Indian breakfast combos: upma, vadai and idli with filter coffee! read more

Komala Vilas - Special Pongal Menu: Mor kuzhambu, chips, spinach koottu, beets kari, vadai - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Overpriced vegetarian thali. Very few items, and the taste of the food was below the standard. Would not go there for a thali again, there are much better places. read more

Komala Vilas - Vegetarian Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Ordered Idlis to-go. Reached home to find out that they were not at all cooked through. Tried the phone number listed on the their website to let them know and got fax machine! read more

Don't order online from this store because they never accept special requests or complete your full order . One or the other item will be missing all the time . Sometimes chutney is missing or sometimes masala is missing. Sambhar quantity is also very low. Order from other South Indian restaurants which are not miser like these ones . read more

Used to be a must-visit but something's changed. No longer is it the the Ellai Saapadu (banana leaf meal). Instead it is bland and pricey food in a boring and dull room. The Sambar and Dosa were very unmemorable and the side for the chapatis was very meh. It's like they want to go bankrupt :). If you are in the Bay Area and craving south Indian food, you can do much much better. read more

We came here to experience the traditional unlimited thali option, but quickly realized that that's probably only a lunch special. We ended up ordering the idli-vada combo, a rava masala dosa, and filter coffee. Hands down THE BEST idlies I've had - so incredibly soft that they just melt in your mouth! Highly recommend ordering these if you dine here. The vadas were also great, and we enjoyed the chutney and sambar, as well. The rava dosa was just OK. It was a bit spongy and soft in some areas. I've definitely had much better dosa, and Saravana Bhavan will probably continue to be my favorite for that. Good filter coffee, but much stronger than other places serve! Be prepared for a jolt. Don't expect any ambiance or service out of Komala Vilas, because, well, there really isn't any. Come strictly for the food. That being said, for a place with no ambiance nor service, I thought the prices were a tad high compared to other eateries offering such an experience. read more

The best place for Indian breakfast. I like their chutneys too, good combos. Service is ok but you don't go there for service, it's for the food! read more

We crashed into this place for a quick simple Sunday meal, and we had mixed reactions. They served only meals (fixed lunches, and not al a carte) for Sunday noon. The bussers over there are strict looking South Indian men, who go about with their work as their religion. We saw the person manning the reservations rejecting anyone who didn't have all the members of the party as listed in the list. If you were only two guys and were expecting two more to join, then sorry, you had to wait. read more

This review is for a saturday night experience of eating dosas and uthappams. This place reminds of cafes in india with its barely comfortable tables, chairs and nothing much in terms of ambience. Only if the food I ate was as authentic as that. We had, Masala Dosa - The dosa itself was ok, but the potato stuffing part of the dosa was given in a separate bowl and was kinda tasteless. So are the chutneys, they are watered down and didn't taste much like chutneys at all. I think the best way to judge Indian breakfast is by the chutneys they serve and this place was a disappointment. The sambar was ok Chilli Uthappam - The uthappam is more like a dosa, kind of thin to be a uthappam and the bad part? it is covered with jalapeno peppers instead of indian/thai green chilli. Seriously? jalapenos in indian cuisine? I haven't had their buffets for lunch or their thalis. But, I don't think I would want to after this experience. read more

KV in Sunnyvale is a no frills, folding-chair-and-table, strip mall based South Indian veg place off ElCamino. In other words, classic! 5 of us stopped in for thalis - rice meals - around 12:30 on a Sunday. Just in time, as the place started filling up fast with families from the old country and couples from the new, tech dudes and singles out for a Sunday treat. For good reason, too. The thali offered a generous portion of rice surrounded by cups of lovely sambar, peppery rasam, two veg dishes, plus yogurt, sweet and appalam (pappad). Just what I was after. Good thing, as at this hour they only have thalis. I'll come again another day at another time of day for idlis and dosai. But I'm glad we came when we did. Simply delicious. read more

I went to this place along with my wife and friends... Expected a typical south Indian kalyana sapad i.e. marriage meal. Instead it was kalyana sapad style serving only. Well, I would not say they cheated coz I was mistaken. They do what they said, i.e. serv kalyana sapad style, but not the food itself. The food itself is bland... i don't want to spend my time writing of their food coz there is nothing to write about and that costs $10... bad. This is the last time I will be here. read more

Pathetic food. 1 sabji, sambhar, rasam, and small bowl of payash in steel plates. $10 per person. I wouldnt pay more then $5 for such food and ambience. The standard of the restaurant and staff is similar to working class dhaba in india where they charge Rs 20 per plate and unlimited food for working class ppl. I would rather pay 9.95 at sneha unlimited buffet with 30 items or go to bombay garden or turmeric. read more

Simply the best South Indian Breakfast in Sunnyvale. The Idli and Vada and Sambhar are good. I loved the Upma, the best I ever had. Nice tough of Ghee and perfect flavour. Also tried their Rasam Vada (in the menu its named Rasa Vadia I guess). The Rasam was hot but absolutely delicious, will surely be repeating that next time. My wife liked their coffee too. The Ambience is simple, more of a startup restaurant, but once you have the first bite, it doesn't matter. Must visit place for Vegan South Indian Food. read more