I'm no expert on South Asian cuisine, but I have a fond long-ago remembrance of the breakfasts I had when I was touring the Grand Trunk Road. That was back when I was young and adventurous. Part of me is still that way. Not the young part but I was willing to try Indian specialties I hardly ever have, especially at a locally popular chain like Idly Express. The name struck me as ironic because the staff here appeared anything but lazy and aimless. I had no idea what to order, so I asked for the Combo. The server suggested I get the $10.95 Super Tiffin Combo Meal to get a true sampling of what they do best. He was right. It consisted of three items plus three condiments. The first thing that flew in my mouth was the Medhu Vadai because it was a crispy, savory donut made of lentils. Tasty delight. The next item was the Thatte Idly, a flat, steamed rice cake that reminded me of a mochi pancake. The main event was the Mini Masala Dosa, which was ironically the largest item, a buttery crepe filled with potato masala that was a bit challenging to pick up. I ended up using a fork to dip it into the three cups of dipping sauces. The biggest serving was the Sambar, a spicy soup of vegetables and lentils. This was flanked by the Coconut Chutney and Tomato Chutney (Photo 8). Along with the smoothly sweet $4.75 Rose Milk (Photo 7), it worked for me. FOOD - 4 stars...South Asian specialties done with panache AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...fast food setting, grab any seat available SERVICE - 4 stars...guided me to the right intro meal TOTAL - 4 stars... perhaps there's a little adventure left in this old boy yet RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://yelp.to/YxrSeG2ltX read more