Pradyumna Cafe — Restaurant in Jersey City

One of the best South Indian restaurants I have ever been to.

Service: good Ambiance: average Food: amazing

We loved it so much we went twice. First day we went for dinner. We ordered masala puri this was excellent. Spicy and savoury just how we like it. The only 2 things I world like to see is peanuts was missing. And the masala was so hot that the puri got soggy. So an upside down masala puri would be a great idea here.

Set dosa: amazing. Like the best set dosa I have ever had. And guess what! Looks like they don’t use soda! The chutney both peanut and coconut was good. The Sambar was amazing. The kurma/sagu was also very nice.

Bangalore masala dosa: amazing. Wonderful. Reminded me of home. The 2 things was the stuffing, palya was too much. And waaaaay to much ghee 😅😅 but amazing taste amazing flavour and again! No soda! Yay!!!

Gobi munchurian: taste and favour was very good. Is it exactly Bangalore style? Yea it has potential.

Second time we went it was for lunch. Ordered banana leaf meal. This was one of the best meals ever. Came with 2 chapati/phulkas. Wow. Just wow. Mossupu saaru was amazing. Horse gram palya very good. Sambar very good. Gobi palya good. Also came with bisibelebath this was also very good. Hapla and pickle were excellent. Highlight was the majjige and the mossopu saaru.

We loved the majjige so much we ordered another for take out.

Last item was the breakfast combo 1. Which came with a masala dosa. This was excellent. Idli was ok. Below average. It was dense and heavy and not fluffy and light. The Vada was bad. Very weird tasting and colour. Sambar and chutney was good. Upit was very good. But too much ghee. Was supposed to get keribath but they gave us sabudana paisa. When i asked about the kesari bath they said they had run out. Which should have been something they should have mentioned when we ordered.

Things to improve on: idli and vada needs improvement. Also the servers for some reason were always in the back. I understand it was Saturday and you might be busy. But someone needs be in the front at all times. There were people waiting to order and pay but no one to take the order or bring check. They had to right the bell.

I would definitely go here again. It’s very hard to find a good and I mean very good South Indian restaurant that makes excellent dosas without using soda. I just wish they were closer to central jersey or south jersey even! Please don’t lose the chef. Chef is excellent! The food tastes fresh and flavourful like what we make at home. If you cannot eat spicy food I would ask them before ordering what is not spicy. Evening was an excellent spicy level just...

From the moment you step into Pradyumna Cafe, the warm ambiance and the welcoming staff make you feel at home. This quaint cafe, owned and masterfully managed by Kamalesh, offers an authentic taste of South Indian cuisine that leaves you craving for more after every visit.

Kamalesh, the head chef and owner, takes exceptional care in selecting only the best raw materials. Every dish that comes out of the kitchen not only satiates your taste buds but also ensures a healthy experience. The use of high-quality vegetables, oils, and ghee stands out, making each meal a wholesome delight.

The menu offers a variety of traditional South Indian dishes, but the Idli Vada and Bissibelebath are the real showstoppers. The Idli Vada is perfectly soft and fluffy, paired exquisitely with a coconut chutney that carries the right amount of tang and spice. It's a perfect start to an indulgent meal. On the other hand, the Bissibelebath is simply sublime. The flavors are rich, with a perfect balance of spice and heat, mixed with soft, well-cooked lentils and rice that just melt in your mouth.

What I appreciate the most is the consistency in the quality of food served here. Every visit reaffirms my love for well-made South Indian food. Pradyumna Cafe isn’t just about eating; it’s about experiencing the rich culinary heritage of South India.

If you're looking for a place that serves delectable food with health in mind, look no further than Pradyumna Cafe. Kamalesh's dedication to quality and his knack for traditional flavors are evident in every dish served. This cafe is indeed a treasure for anyone looking to indulge in genuine South Indian cuisine.

Rating: 5/5 - Highly...

Having a choice of dishes is nice, but the service was slow Us being from Bangalore we didn't like the taste. It's barely authentic. The taste was average at best. Service was slow.

Talking to the owners they gave us two impressions,

One whatever they cook cannot be fresh, because the government mandates frozen food it seems. I have seen 8 seasons of kitchen nightmares America to know that here in America a restaurant serving frozen food cannot survive and people don't come to a restaurant expecting to eat frozen. They want fresh.

Second thing was that the owner mentioned that they are trying to cater to different taste buds, be it north Indians or outsiders .. I don't understand if you name yourself as taste of Karnataka then try to stand behind that name. They are trying to please everyone. That's not how it works. Frankly it felt like the owners were not accustomed to the American way. Here in the US if you provide quality and stand behind your food, crowd will come. What you need is great taste, authenticity and good marketing.

For these two reasons, I think they should change the name and remove the taste of Karnataka part if they can't stand behind it and honor that statement

Having such a huge menu with all that variety is also useless when they don't have customers or the space to accommodate all...