Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe — Restaurant in Chapel Hill

A very nice older man with white hair (the owner?) was most helpful when I walked in this restaurant and had no idea if I was supposed to wait to be seated, or wait to be served. After sitting at a table (where customers and waitresses were bumping into my chair because the place is quite jammed packed with little breathing space) for about 10 minutes, this helpful man informed us that we were to go to the counter and order. Oh, okay. No problem. But there was a problem... I couldn't walk well due to a very painful sore on my foot. Why did I have this newly-formed sore? There's no parking to be found, and I had to walk about a quarter of a mile. That's nothing they can help, but when I was driving around Chapel Hill for 20 minutes looking for parking, I called the restaurant to ask about parking, and the woman on the phone said it cost about $20 for two hours. I was surprised. She had an accent, so maybe it was a miscommunication, but that led me to park by Pluto, which led to my foot being sore.

Anyway, moving on...

I ordered food at the counter. The staff was very nice. There was a tip jar, which always puzzles me why you're supposed to tip when it's self-serve.

The food was... meh. My lamb meat was tasteless, but not tough. They gave me enough sauce only to frustrate me. It was a bit dry. My "rice pudding" was white rice thrown into heated milk, literally. The only wine I like is sparkling wine, and I paid $7 for a glass of dry sour wine with a bite that made me cringe; definitely not sparkling wine.

We had a nice table, but there was a three-year-old party here, who kind of took over the room, and the kind man kept urging us to leave, suggesting we get another table. About every 10 minutes he'd suggest that, but the only other tables were tiny and out of the way. After a baby wailed and I winced, my friend suggested we go to another table, so I felt forced to move to this little tiny table against the wall, and there wasn't enough space to put our food. They don't clear the table. Or maybe they do, but they didn't clear ours.

Also, the air conditioner kind of sort of works. I was sweating. The ceiling fan above my head was still.

So I sat there, sweating, feeling cramped, my foot hurt, and the band we came to see played outside where it was way too hot to sit. I had never been to this place before, so I had just assumed the band would play inside since it was 97 degrees earlier today. I didn't know there was no space for a band, or that there was a nice courtyard, which would be wonderful in better climate.

Anyway, I do want to say that the staff seemed awfully nice. The hot temperatures outdoors and parking problems certainly aren't this restaurant's fault (tho the lack of AC and the milky pudding was). Maybe I'm wrong about the food, because other reviewers loved it. I just spent a miserable evening being uncomfortably hot inside with no...

Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe is the real deal! Authentic, honest, delicious Indian food! I make a trek as often as I can - and when I start to crave the crispy-edged light as a whisper Dosa, that can't be found in the Indian restaurants closer to my home (45 minutes away). I have good intentions that I will try something else, but the Masala Dosa is my regular order. It's filled with a scoop of savory and mildly spiced potato, onion, and ginger, and served with a trio of chutneys. I always think I can eat more, but the dosa is so tasty and filling and fun to eat with your fingers. I'm completely satisfied with this for lunch, sitting out in the beautiful courtyard with lovely shade trees. Try a hot chai to accompany it or a glass of iced hibiscus tea or lavender lemonade. Don't forget to order a home baked cardamon brownie or rice pudding and take it with you for later. Vimala herself and the staff are so welcoming and gracious, and you can sometimes see Vimala taking a rest outside, away from the kitchen. She's always talking with her customers, sometimes taking the food to the tables. Ordering is easy. Choose a table outside and scan the code for the menu. Order and pay and someone will come immediately with a carafe of water and a smile. Some are "put-off" by this type of "self-service", but I love it here. I get to sit where I want, settle in, and start to enjoy the experience right away. I'm always ready for it - always ready for my Dosa. I promise myself I'll start to work my way around the full menu next time. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, and meat-options available. Take home meals for your family are available too. * Thanks for reading this well-deserved...

You don't have to know Indian food to recognise the quality that underpins everything Vimala offers at her restaurant. In the last week, I've tried the shrimp and chicken biryanis (delicious, fresh, with enough protein in each serving, including plump, succulent shrimp), meat and vegetable cutlets (have not seen this in many other Indian restaurants - Vimala is constantly changing and adding to her menu), veg kofta (absolutely delicious, with a light gravy that does not need heavy cream or ghee to satisfy), and aloo gobhi (basic Indian "curry" done right).

Vimala's menu is selective and thoughtful, NOT a mish-mash of pre-prepared gravies to which proteins and veg are inauthentically and lazily added. The freshness and quality of her ingredients shines through in her recipes, and the accompaniments (fried onion and curry leaves garnish on the rice, chutneys, homemade pickles, and raita) are not half-heartedly provided or prepared. The fried okra is delicious and very more-ish, and Vimala's pakoras are also an absolute treat, not at all soggy, stale, or bland.

Eating at Vimala's reminds me of eating at all my aunties' houses (well, the ones who were good cooks). It seems to me like Vimala runs her business with her customers, staff, and food uppermost in mind, not profit. There are plenty of other cheaper, identical-to-each-other Indian restaurants from which to choose, but if I want great Indian food made with love and care, that is healthy and true to the spirit of the grand tradition of Indian cuisine, then I'll gladly pay whatever Vimala charges. She knows what she's doing, she cares about what she's doing,...