San Idli Vegetarian Restaurant & Indian Food — Restaurant in San Diego

UPDATE

Food: 5/5 Service and Setting: 2.5/5 Value: 2.5/5

After trying Chennai Tiffins, I definitely needed to get San Idli just a minute away. Going inside, the restaurant is a little rough but not scary enough to not go in. The tables were a bit sticky, but you will forget all about it as you begin to dig into the delicious food. The service was quick and kind. The parking lot can get congested but definitely an easy journey.

Thali: 5/5 Compared to Chennai Tiffins, San Idli’s thali was a bit saltier and a bit more watery/less intense in flavor. The flavors were delicious and the side of pickles was a refreshing and tart addition. While they do give you poori, the vada and dosa they give at Chennai Tiffins are game changers. With that out of the way, the thali was filled with various curries that were spicy, gently rich, and full of South Indian flare. Coconut, peanuts, and a lot of care are the foundation for all of the food and it was fantastic.

Rose Lassi: 3/5 The rose lassi was a bit meh. The portion was small and it tasted quite watery. While the texture was to my taste, I really do enjoy a sweeter, more sour, and flavorful lassi especially when I drink it at a restaurant.

Vada: 5/5 Crispy, light, deep in flavor, these are the doughnut shaped fritters that dreams are made of. The pairing with coconut and peanut chutneys with sambar make it an incredible snack and meal. Though I wish it came with the thali, I am more than happy to purchase it to create a perfect meal.

Food: 4.5/5 Service and Setting: N/A Value: 4/5

My order was delivered thus I cannot rate service or setting. My food was well packed and warm so that is a plus! I have to say that the food here is very unique compared to the more generic Indian restaurants out there. I’m very excited to eat here in person one day!

Vada: 5/5 Holy moly, you need to come here just to eat the vada. I have never tried vada before but dang. It is super crispy almost like a Cheeto, but has a lot more substance. Crunchy, savory, and a perfect accompaniment to the sambar and coconut chutney.

Mysore Masala Dosa: 3/5 This one for sure you need to eat fresh. When it got to me it was quite soggy and a bit dense. The dosa itself was slightly sour and tasted strongly of oil. The potato filling was very good though and tasted a big like aloo gobi. It was rich and warmly spiced.

Idli: 4.5/5 This was super different and reminded me a bit of Korean steamed rice cake called baek seol gi. It was very mildly sweet and had a slight fermented sour taste. Very good and was a perfect complement to the sides.

Sambar: 4/5 I remember a long time ago I watched a video with a South Indian man getting mad that other Indian people pronounced this dish wrong haha. This is like a peanut curry and was very peanut-y for a lack of a better term. I wish that it was maybe a bit more aggressive with the seasoning, but this is my first time trying it and it was not bad at all. Definitely one of a kind.

Coconut Chutney: 4.5/5 I liked this one a lot! I was served chilled and has the flavor and texture of coconut. I found the flavors to be super interesting, seeing how the coconut paired with the rich spices they used. I also wish there was a bit more seasoning in this but perhaps its meant to be more refreshing.

Rasam: 3/5 I believe the soup was called Rasam. It tasted like a basic vegetable soup with Indian spices. I can definitely see how people may eat this on the day to day.

Mango Lassi: 4/5 I ordered a “Lassi” but I guess that meant only mango lassi and it was okay. The flavors were pretty strong but it definitely leaned on the sweeter side rather than sour. It was not too thick but not particularly thin. Solid drink and a great way...

We visited San Idli twice while we were in San Diego in July 2023. Initially we had just gone shopping to an Indian grocery store near San Idli and we asked the cashier where we could get some good vegetarian food in the area and she raved and suggested we go to San Idli. Having a local rave about the food is always a good sign and sure enough when we went there it was packed with some people waiting outside for a table - definitely a good sign. We had a fantastic lunch not only on that day but on our last day in San Diego we actually did a take out for about 12 people in our family. San idli had delicious food and it was strange because 2 weeks prior to this we had fantastic south indian food in Freemont Northern CA (at ID company) and now we had another amazing South Indian lunch at San Idli in San Diego (Southern CA).

Food - For the initial lunch we were only 3 of us dining at restaurant but as mentioned we also did a takeout for 12 people few days later. During both of our experiences we ordered quite a few varieties and each and every item was delicious and satisfied us fully. . We ordered Vadas, Idli's, Chhana Masala with Puri, Parotta with cheese, onion & chilli peppers, Lemon Rice, Pongal plus various varieties of Dosas, and salted lassi.

Vada & Idli - we ordered regular Vada & Dahi Vada for dine in. They were both really good and the dahi vada really hit the spot as a cooling dish on the hot day. We also ordered the regular idli and the mini Podi idli. Both being soft, fluffy and when you dipped the regular idli with the sambhar and took a bite it just kind of melted in your mouth and you were in heaven!. The mini podi idli was perfectly spiced - not too spicy but just enough to get noticed. The sambhar was also very good and the accompanying chutneys were really flavorful. Idli's were so good that when we did a takeout we ordered so many idli's and everyone in our family loved the idli .

Channa Masala with Puri - a decent portion with 2 large puris and the channa masala had the perfect balance of spice and consistency (not too runny). I really enjoyed that dish

Dosa - we ordered mysore masala and rave masala dosa when dining in (no dosas ordered for takeout as in my opinion they never taste good for takeout). Both these dosas were delicious & crispy. As with Idli the accompaniments (Sambhar & Chutneys) were a perfect complement and you could take more sambhar if needed. .

Lemon Rice & Pongal - Probably the best lemon rice & pongal I have had. It was really flavorful and couldn't stop eating it. Again we did this for takeout and everyone loved it

Service - You order the food at the counter and then servers bring the food to the table. All the people taking the order plus the servers were friendly and ready/willing to answer any questions and /or make adjustments where possible. We had asked for couple of items to be made without onion & garlic and they did make it which was great. During the dine in lunch food took a while but she had alerted us because there were so many people in the restaurant and numerous take out orders. We ate food as it came so in one way it was good because we had the vada and idli first and then the dosa and channa masa's

Ambiance - Nothing extraordinary but place was clean and table were not very close to each other. Also it was nice to view slides on the display monitor/tv that explained the medical benefits of various foods and spices

Overall value - very good experience and would gladly go again

Each and every member of our group...

Title: Mixed Experience at San Dilli Restaurant

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I recently visited San Dilli, a restaurant known for its South Indian cuisine, and my experience was a mix of highs and lows. While some dishes left a positive impression, others fell short of my expectations.

The dosa, sambhar, idli, and pongal at San Dilli were delightful. The dosas were crispy and flavorful, and the sambhar had a perfect balance of spices. The idlis were soft and fluffy, and the pongal had a comforting taste that reminded me of homemade goodness. These dishes truly showcased the restaurant's expertise in South Indian cuisine.

However, I was disappointed with the chach (buttermilk) and coconut chutney. The chach lacked the refreshing tanginess I expected, and the coconut chutney lacked the authentic flavor and texture that make it a delightful accompaniment to the dishes. These elements didn't meet my expectations and left me wanting more.

On a positive note, I highly recommend trying the Maisoor pak and vada at San Dilli. The Maisoor pak had a perfect balance of sweetness and crunch, making it a delightful treat. The vada, with its crispy exterior and soft interior, was a true highlight of the meal.

While the dosa, sambhar, idli, and pongal impressed me with their flavors, the subpar chach and coconut chutney were disappointing. However, the outstanding Maisoor pak and vada compensated for this, leaving a lasting positive impression.

If you visit San Dilli, I suggest giving the dosa, sambhar, idli, pongal, Maisoor pak, and vada a try. The restaurant could improve by refining the chach and coconut chutney to match the excellence of their...