South Indian Street Bites Pickering — Restaurant in Pickering

I checked out South Indian Street Bites in Pickering recently, and I’ve got to say—this place is legit if you’re craving real South Indian flavours.

I started with the Punugulu – crispy, golden, and perfectly fluffy inside. They serve it with chutneys that are full of flavour, especially the coconut and tomato ones. It felt like street food straight from home.

Next up was their Dosa, and I tried the Masala Dosa. The dosa was crispy on the outside and soft inside, stuffed with a well-seasoned potato filling. It came with sambar and chutneys, and the whole combo was comforting and super tasty. You can tell they know what they’re doing when it comes to South Indian classics.

For mains, I tried the Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani—so flavorful, with layers of perfectly cooked rice and juicy chicken. The spices were bold but not overwhelming, just right. I also tried their Egg Pulao, which was lighter but still super tasty with caramelized onions and soft-boiled eggs.

The place itself is clean and casual—great for a quick dine-in or takeout. Staff were friendly and service was quick. Prices are very reasonable for what you get (most items around $10–20), and portions are solid.

Overall, South Indian Street Bites gave me serious home-style vibes. Everything from the dosa to the biryani was on point. I’m going back to explore more of the menu, especially the Mirchi Bajji and other...

Wow, what an experience today's lunch takeout was. We ordered Gutthi Vankaya Biryani and Gobhi Manchurian, What we got was something else entirely. Taste? A generous 1/5.

Let’s start with the so-called "biryani." Apparently, in this place, biryani just means plain, colored basmati rice with a sad, soupy eggplant gravy slopped on top. If this qualifies as biryani, I’m honestly at a loss for words.

Moving on to the gobhi manchurian—well, at least they got the deep-fried part right. Unfortunately, that’s where the resemblance ends. The actual manchurian flavor? Nowhere to be found ! Instead, we got batter-coated gobi with a side of what I can only describe as week-old oil smell. Who burns the gobi?

My two cents for the owner:

If your version of biryani is this creative, maybe give your customers a heads-up, before they order. Let them decide if they want to be guinea pigs for your culinary experiments.

Stick to dishes your chef actually knows how to make. There’s no need to create a chaotic, all-over-the-place menu just to pretend to be a one-stop shop. If you’re going to serve disasters, at least limit them to a select few.

To fellow customers—eat here if you enjoy unpleasant surprises. As for me? I’ll be avoiding this place from now on. Thanks for the...

I usually don't write the reviews, but people please be aware of this place, they sell stale food and not uptown standards.

I've visited this place twice now, and while I truly appreciate the warmth and hospitality of the owners,they’re friendly and clearly working hard to make this place succeed.Unfortunately, the food just doesn't match that same effort.

As someone who enjoys South Indian cuisine, I was genuinely disappointed both times. The dishes tasted stale, lacked flavor, and didn’t represent the vibrant and fresh nature of South Indian cooking. It felt like the chef (lot of chilli powder and unnecessary masalas)either doesn’t understand the essence of the cuisine or isn't putting the required care into preparing it. It’s hard to recommend this place for South Indian food lovers. I sincerely hope the owners take this feedback seriously and make the necessary changes in the kitchen.

Edit to owner: I didn't take the receipt. I ordered dishes Tawa prawns (Prawns were spoiled and smelling bad) and Chicken Pulao, where pulao...