This is a very popular South Indian restaurant. Gets quite busy on weekends, so try to go there early . It is a vegetarian restaurant. Ordered the Special Masala Dosa which had the usual potato masala with a dusting or some spice powder and topped with butter. It was also served open face . Tasted good and fresh. The chutneys and sambhar was also good. Also tried the Namma Oooru Saapadu ( platter) which includes various different items. The platter was served pretty quickly, so the items must have been prepared well in advance Overall liked the food. Service was decently attentive. Will try it again to try other items. read more

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Love the filter coffees in the gold cups.. service is prompt ..ambiance is loud Indian canteen. . No strollers allowed inside due to space constraints I guess. Needed 3 sachets of sugar to sweeten my coffee. Must be the elaneer payasam, which was delightful! read more

Kovai Cafe - Idli vada pongal tiffin, masala dosa , rava dosa - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

The Roadside Kalan wasn't up to par - the mushrooms were whole, but lacked the usual flavor. The sambar was a bit sweet and that's new . We'd been here many times before, so our expectations were high, but unfortunately, we left feeling a bit disappointed. Hopefully, they'll bounce back. read more

Kovai Cafe is a South Indian tiffins restaurant near Cupertino, CA. It's close to the Apple office and has plenty of lot parking in the complex. This restaurant accepts apple pay and usually has a wait. You can add yourself to the waitlist by scanning the QR code in front of the restaurant for an estimated wait time. The ambiance inside is reminiscent of a restaurant in India with a modern twist. All of the food is served on the metal tiffin trays and the water is in metal tumblers as well. The service is pretty good - the waiters checked in on us a lot and they let us cancel a dish when we over ordered. They also gave us a lot of recommendations and were curious about our feedback. The food itself was okay. The gobi pachamilagai was a new flavor combination that I haven't tried. The gobi itself was cooked unevenly and the coriander/mint sauce didn't stick well to the cauliflower. The rose milk was really sweet in a good way and my favorite thing here. The onion rava dosa had chilis and peppercorns sprinkled throughout which weren't my favorite, and the sambar also had a lot of ghee in it. The masala dosa was too crispy and fell apart when trying to pick up the masala. The aloo mixture also needed more seasoning and had a really big dollop of ghee on top. The uttapam tasted good on the edges but were a little raw in the middle. Overall, the food was kind of expensive as well. I'd recommend trying this place at least once if you live the Bay to experience the hype. read more

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We have been here twice and the food has been great both times! The wait time can be long on a weekend but they try their best to move tables along quickly. I was surprised to get 3 pieces of puri which were very tasty, The medu vada was the most crispy I have had in the bay area. My husband loved the thali and we also tried the mushroom spicy appetizer which was spicy and delicious. We were disappointed in the coffee as it was neither hot nor strong, so def ask for it. I also thought that even though the sambhar was delicious, some of the chutneys were average. read more

Today our experience at Kovai was pretty disappointing. I understand it being Ugadi weekend, we waited for almost 30 minutes and another 15 minutes wait once seated because we ordered the Ugadi thali. I usually love their lunch thali. Today, we ordered their Ugadi special lunch thali. Most of the items were bad or mediocre. Their vada was hard, and had absolutely no salt. The sweet item was watery, which felt like mango shake with some jaggery added to it. The only sides that were ok was their majjige huli and daal. No ghee, no pickle. Even their curd was very sticky, felt store bought. read more

We have been a regular to kovai cafe from the time they have opened. I wanted to leave a review for dining as well as catering experience. Food quality is really good. Specifically for dosa their chutneys are fresh unlike other places where it's always cold and boring, variety is something I can relate totally to what we get back home . Catering We tried catering food from them twice. Their food was good and dessert was a stand out amongst our friends. However given their growing footprint in Bay Area now , it's probably time they consider delivering catering orders, we won't mind paying small additional fee. read more

After trying Mylapore and Madras Cafe, we decided to give this place a shot--and it did not disappoint. A solid 10/10 in every aspect. We ordered Rava Sada Dosa, Masala Dosa, and Mini Pachai Milagai Idli. The food was fresh, authentic, and absolutely delicious. They serve a different chutney every day, and each one was outstanding. Loved the thoughtful touch of using reusable steel plates instead of paper or plastic. Definitely coming back again! read more

Unfortunately this place is just overrated. We went there because it was highly recommended by friends and family. The service was really good and quick and so was the ambience. Tea and coffee were good but the dosas were not good at all. None of the chutneys impressed. We left disappointed Edited for the owner's benefit: Thank you for requesting details. We had millet masala dosa. The potato masala lacked any flavor. Among the chutneys - all were less in salt . The white chutney was ok but we have had better. The kids had plain dosa which felt dry and they ended up wasting it. Service was really good as we mentioned but food didn't live up to the hype created by our family and friends who recommended this place. read more

Waiting for 40 mins for idly pongal vadai. Should I just get up and walk out? Never coming here again when I'm hungry. Ruining my Saturday morning. Update: Food came after 45 mins. Idly was slightly undercooked, and vadai was little oily but pongal and sambar was great. Too bad qty was very less. read more

Kovai Cafe - 1 Idly, Vada, Pongal - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Decent south Indian lunch spot which have some unique dosas called "KC spl". The menu doesn't have a good description but you can ask the wait staff and spice levels. I was happy with the tiffin combo which included idli, vada, sambar and khichree.The staff was efficient in picking up the plates and getting the table ready for the next guests but more of a self-serve experience. I felt the size of the sambar bowl was small and would be better if they offer a free refill or provide a bigger bowl. Parking is tight due to the grocery store next door. Overall, a good experience and will visit again when in the area. read more

Kovai Cafe - Tiffin combo - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Stopped for morning bkfst and ordered the Health combo - trying to undo last night's over indulgence. Millet dosa was good, spicy legit sambar and decent chutneys The accompanying pongal and sweet was glistening with ghee and was overwhelmingly oily to my palette. A tad too unhealthy. read more

I saw this restaurant first on an IG Reel and later a friend of mine recommended this place. We went on Friday evening and it was pretty crowded. We got on the waitlist and there was around 20 mins wait time, which was not bad. Coming to the food, we tried a variety of food - mini podi idly, Thovayal dosa, rava masala dosa, ghee podi dosa, Poori idli, pongal, vada and filter coffee. I liked the podi idly, pongal and thovayal dosa. Coming to the dosa texture, I found the other dosas to be too crispy which I did not like. The filter coffee tasted bitter. Vada was not cooked through and I had to send it back because there was uncooked dough inside. The Poori was nice though. The overall service was a bit slow and could be speeded up. read more

Kovai is our absolute favourite place to go for veg meals in the bay! We've been here sooo many times and their special menu for festivals always hits. Their filter coffee and masala chai also deserves a special mention, perfectly made to individual preference. They are usually crowded on weekends which is completely justified given their quality, taste and customer service, so be sure to add yourself to the Google waitlist. A special mention to Mr. Sabarish who takes care of us everytime we are there. Knowing our sweet tooth, he sometimes generously gives us second servings on the day's dessert. Love sweet gestures like this that instantly takes our experience to the next level :) read more

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Filter coffee- decent, nothing exceptional (3/5) Butter masala Dosa - delicious (5/5) Mysore kara masala Dosa - so good, not very spicy (5/5) Kesari - on the sweeter side, but delicious (4/5) The chutneys are out of this world, Sambar is delicious ! There is a long waiting to get inside, but the service is quick, so the turnaround is faster . read more

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Glad I tried a decent South Indian cuisine (Tamilnadu) before leaving California during my recent visit. This places gets really busy & we called them prior and they informed us about the 10-15 minute waiting time. We were a group of 8, overall we had a good time trying different breakfast options. Most favorite: Ghee podi mini idli (soooooo gooooood) Ghee mini idli sambar (sambar is bomb) Rose milk Executive meal (pick 3 rice options (lemon, sambar, Rasam, puliyogare), appalam, payasam, masala vadai) Price also very decent & service was very quick (surprisingly) Can't wait to go back & try their meals options. PS: we were busy eating so I don't have any pictures of the food items we demolished.... read more

Kovai Cafe - Ambiance - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

Removing 2 starts since quality has gone down significantly last 2 times. Hot lunch and dine in tiffin combo were pretty bad. Couldn't eat kichidi because of too much ghee and vada was sub par. sambar and chutneys were not great either. Hope they turn around because i really wanted this restaurant to do well read more

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The food is just so authentic more so the service and hospitality shown is exceptional. A very special call out to "Mr. Pravin". He is my favorite person who has amazing love and care. To any of my connections looking for a good South Indian restaurant food recommendation Kovai Cafe is hands down the best! Their millet combo and coffee just made my day. The hospitality of the Goa'n folks is something for whole hospitality industry to learn from. Today is a special day for me and I went there with high hopes and they never disappointed me anytime. read more

The KC special dosa is very good. I like that they rotate their chutney so that there is always something new to try.

Waiting list it tricky but food taste are good !! Don't ask to get spicy food, normal taste is good enough. Spicy is basically more red chili & does not taste good anymore ! So just get normal spice food! read more

My new favorite South Indian tiffins place in Bay Area. Top recommendations - Pepper Mushroom, Roadside Kalan, Sulaimani Tea, Parapu Vada The interesting use of mushrooms in different forms (Coimbatore style) makes the menu quite unique among the various options in Bay Area. The customer service is fantastic and makes you feel at home. read more

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We catered a South Indian Breakfast from Kovai Cafe for the first time for my daughter's Seemantham function(Baby Shower)last Sunday, and it was delicious and full of authentic South Indian flavors. with our guests -- everyone loved it! Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and we would gladly recommend Kovai Cafe to anyone read more

More like 4.5 but rounding up instead of down as it was just their second day. Clean ambiance with about 10-15 tables, it was packed when we went though they had only opened that week. Typically South Indian menu with idli, dosa, pongal, puri etc. What worked: The idli was fluffy and large. Vadas were small but crispy outside and soft inside. Rava dosa was delicious with crispy and soft parts. Pongal was great as well with the rich flavor of ghee and the heat of the whole peppercorns. Among the four chutneys, the coconut chutney was the best. It seemed to be made with fresh coconut unless they did a great job of masking the rancid flavor of dry coconut. Sambar was delicious, not a strong taste of the typical sambar podi, it was mild with the sour taste of tamarind shining through instead. They had stainless steel dishes and no usage of toxic plastic. What didn't work: Though the pongal was great, it was served warm, it got cold as we worked our way through it. Pongal is best served hot, right off the stove. The tomato, cilantro and peanut chutneys fell flat. Their consistency and taste was completely off. It was not inedible but not great either. We wanted to try some of their appetizers and puris but they were not available, hope to be back again soon. read more

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Very disappointed. Had Ghee Masala Dosa, Medhu Vada. The 4 chutneys tasted awful. The sambar was just okay. The Medu Vada also did not taste good. The only good thing was that the dosa was crisp. Hardly any ghee was added to the dosa and there was very little potato filling in the masala dosa. Not friendly staff either. Very disappointing experience I will not revisit this place and I don't recommend going here. read more

Brand new South Indian cafe. In the same plaza as India Cash And Carry. Clean, bright, attractive cafe. Currently in soft opening stage. Not all menu items are available in soft opening. Already popular, with lines out the door. Very fresh flavors. Kara dosa is wonderfully spicy with karam podi and pure ghee. Coconut chutneys and sambar are great quality. I loved the pongal -- homey, buttery South Indian comfort food, with subtle spicing of black pepper and curry leaves. Traditional Tamil filter coffee hits the spot. read more

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Good food ! best south indian food ! Great service! Mr. Raju is great! Love their hospitality

How is this subpar restaurant in business still? Overall, an embarrassment to South Indian breakfast compared to the legends, Mylapore or Madras Cafe! It's been a year, so I thought let me revisit this place. Floppy masala dosa (not crispy whatsoever) and half-sized idlis and vadas compared to excellent joints like Mylapore! Friendly staff and clean quick-service ambience, but what's the point when I (being American-born) can make a comparable but WAY tastier South Indian breakfast myself at home for much cheaper? read more

Kovai Cafe - Disappointing and Floppy Masala dosa (not at all crispy) - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

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amazing dosas, love the butter that they give with it, and kitty idalis were great too.

Second visit review: This experience was far better than the first one. Got added to the waitlist and got seated on time. Ordered the mushroom biryani -5/5, elaneer payasam -5/5, karapodi baby corn - 4/5, vazhaikai bajji - 5/5, ghee dosa - 5/5. Service was very good. Food quality was good and tasty. read more

Kovai Cafe - Vazhakka Bajji, Kara Podi Babycorn - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

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Please improve the quality of Idli soon. Idli texture definitely needs to be improved by adding idli rava otherwise the final product is just a mess. Owners need to check other competitors like Mylapore Kitchen or Madurai idli Kadhai and compare the way idlis are prepared by them. There is too much soda added in medu wada to make it crispy, so as soon as you have two small vadas we feel totally full. Price needs to be adjusted with the competition otherwise sales will be dwindling. Please take this as a constructive feedback. read more

Update - Happy to revisit Kovai and update the review once the vegan sambar is available. Kovai has friendly staff and makes some really good dosas -- especially the Mysore Kara Masala Dosa, which I highly recommend. The chutneys served with the dosa are delicious as well. They typically offer three standard chutneys plus one rotating option depending on the day. Their food is 5 out of 5. They recently updated their menu and clearly marked the vegan items. Many of the dosas, idly, and vada dishes are labeled vegan. However, the sambar served with these dishes is not vegan because it contains ghee. This feels misleading, since sambar is an essential accompaniment to fully enjoy dosa, idly, or vada. It would be great if Kovai could either prepare a separate vegan sambar to serve with the vegan-labeled dishes or clearly state on the menu that the sambar is not vegan and avoid serving it with those items marked. Transparency would really help vegan customers make informed choices. I also tried reaching out through their Contact Us WhatsApp number for clarification but did not receive a response. read more

Delicious food, super fast service, big and clean space. Food tried from multiple times we have been there - mini idli, vadai, masala dosa. Rava dosa is our fav! read more

Quite good! Very consistent taste. They have gotten better! Perfect dessert. I recommend this. Yummy.

Great food. Impeccable service. Very clean. Very flavorful. Quite a unique and authentic place. Then why the 2 star review? Hmmm... let's unpack that. MINUS 3 STARS for STEALING TIPS: The 4 or 5 owners take your tips and apparently do not give any credit card tips to the staff. Stealing tips is wrong. It is illegal. This is unacceptable. Your front of house and kitchen staff are who make the magic happen. There's an extent to greed where owners decide to steal tips from their own staff. I do hope the owners rectify this and ensure their staff get their share of tips whether paid by cash or credit card. read more

Wow, this place was great! Went on a weekday evening and no wait to get in for two people. The mix veg pakoda was amazing ... crispy and light and delicious. The two dosas we got were also fantastic ... Kc Special and the Mysore Masala. I think the Kc special was a little better because it was open face and very colorful with lots of cilantro. Would definitely come back anytime I got a chance ... Service was also very friendly ... read more

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Hands down the best and fresh vegetarian food in bay area. Every bite is a piece of wholesome freshness. Please do try and your body and mind will thank you. read more

Best rava masala dosa in the Bay Area! Overall very flavorful South Indian food. Check in to yelp waitlist beforehand as it gets busy. read more

A really solid dosa spot in the area! It gets pretty busy during lunch, but there is a lot of seating inside. I got the Rava Dosa, which was REALLY CRISPY. It comes with a very flavorful lentil soup and four standard sides to dip your dosa. My table also shared an order of Paneer 65, which was crunchy and well seasoned with basil! I wish it had a dipping sauce - but overall really tasty :) I recommend!!! read more

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Amazing South Indian food! My family is South Indian and everyone said it was delicious and authentic - as good as something we would get in Chennai! Service was not bad - they were very busy so I don't blame them keeping the pleasantries to a minimum. The place is nice inside but quite small so there may be a wait if you come at peak meal times. Food came out very quickly for some dishes (tiffin combos) but very slowly for others (Rava dosas), so some of my family was done before I even got my dosa. Paneer 65 was also very delicious. Highly recommend this place for authentic and delicious South Indian food - you will not regret it! read more

Kovai Cafe - Onion Rava Dosa - Indian Near Me - San Jose, California

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All items are marked gluten free. But when asked for cross contamination they said it contains little bit of besan or maida in dosas/uttpam and they don't have idea of certified besan or anything read more