Sankranti — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

O.M.G. I just went here today for the first time and I have to say it’s the first time in a long time that I have had a fully immersive experience at an Indian restaurant.

TL;DR Try their Thursday lunch or dinner special buffet. You can thank me later. (Thursday buffet is different from every other day.) But most days have buffet.

Full summary:

I am a regular at all kinds of cultural restaurants, with Indian being one of my higher frequented cuisines. But one thing most Indian restaurants miss the mark on is full flavored preparation.

Sanskranti has hit the mark all across the board for their Thursday Dosas & Biryanis and More Special Buffet. At $14.99 it may sound pricey, but hear me out before you make any judgements.

They have a diverse set of options from veg to non veg. This includes all kinds of veg options including paneer biryani, several veg curries, and more. For non-veg they have many options including chicken, egg (a rarity in Indian restaurants), and goat Biryanis. They have butter chicken, and some kind of sheesh kabob which was very tasty. The quality of their ingredients is very high. I tried almost everything, and not a single dish had a low quality feel. They include drinks on the side. You may assume this means water and chai. YOU WOULD BE WRONG. They also include high quality beer (today was Modelo - a very nice Mexican beer) and Mango Lassis. All included in the buffet. The only condition is that you not waste food, otherwise they charge you for the wastage. Their sides are well matching including raita, and 3-4 other liquid sides. They also have great naan and dosas. And several types of prepared rice. Lastly, they have a great set of closing desserts including laddu, the aforementioned mango lassi, rice pudding, and one or two other options (all were good).

Now, for the nuance I referred to earlier, the way they flavor their dishes includes a bit of spiciness that packs a punch, while also including a broad set of flavors that are magic...

Sankranti: A Weekend Feast at an Unbeatable Price

Tucked away in a Sunnyvale strip mall, Sankranti isn't much to look at from the outside. But step inside, and you're greeted by a warm atmosphere and an incredible spread of food that's sure to leave you satisfied, especially if you visit on a weekend.

The star of the show here is their weekend lunch buffet, a steal at only $18.99. With this price tag, you might expect a limited selection, but Sankranti goes above and beyond. They offer a mind-boggling variety of dishes, catering to all appetites.

The lunch buffet itself includes four delicious breakfast items, so you can indulge in a morning favorite alongside a full lunch spread.

And a vast selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Six veggie curries ensure there's something for every palate, from mild to spicy. Three types of rice provide the perfect base for soaking up all the delicious flavors.

But Sankranti doesn't stop there. Meat lovers will rejoice with a selection of five non-vegetarian options, including chicken, mutton, and fish. And no Indian buffet is complete without biryani, a flavorful rice dish. Here, you get not one, but two biryanis to choose from!

After indulging in the savory options, don't forget to visit the dessert counter. Three sweet treats will tempt you, the perfect ending to a delightful meal.

And here's the kicker: the buffet also includes naan, chaat, curd (yogurt), and believe it or not, even beer! At this price point, it's an incredible value.

Sankranti might not be a fancy fine-dining establishment, but it offers a true feast for the senses. With its wide variety of dishes, friendly service, and unbeatable price, it's a hidden gem in Sunnyvale that deserves to be discovered...especially...

This review is solely for the Thursday biriyani and disa buffet. The name can be a bit deceiving because you are in a treat for other dishes too, in addition to biriyani and dosas.

The buffet started with five dishes including chutneys and raita/curd. This buffet is worth every penny for vegetarians too, as they have a wide option of veg dishes.

The veg section started with mysore bonda and baby corn manchurian. The bonda was spongy and fluffy and really good with the chutney. There were two varieties of biriyani for vegetarians, the classic veg biriyani and paneer biriyani and two rice items, plain rice and lemon rice. The paneer biriyani was too good. Almost five veg curries were there, including bittergaurd fry, navaratna korma and sambar. Flatbre ad was limited to naan. My favorite combo in the veg section was the naana and navaratna korma.

The non-veg section started with chilly chicken and kabab as appetizer, followed by four types of biriyani. My favorite was the Vijayawada chicken biriyani. There were two chicken curry, butter chicken and andhra chicken curry both of which I did not try because I was full.

Since the name said dosa buffet I thought there would be a variety of doses, but I got only two. Also the dosa kept coming in from the kitchen and got over really soon.

The buffet had two desserts, rice kheer and kesari along with unlimited supply of mango lassi. Overall a superb variety of dishes for q...