Satkar — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

For years I used to only go to A Slice of New York whenever I came to this strip mall, but would eye Satkar every time and lament my lack of a second stomach or hollow leg. Once ASONY began to only be open for a nanosecond per week I stopped coming entirely (and started making the trek to Colosseum Pizza every time I wanted authentic NY-style pizza instead).

One day (that ASONY is closed on, which is more days than not nowadays) I happened to be running an errand nearby enough that I was like, screw it, let's finally give Satcar a go.

It's a small counter service joint with a few inside tables. It was pretty full when I went but I can't say how common that is. There was no wait to order.

In the intervening years they seem to have converted to an all-vegetarian menu. (Most of the dishes on the "which would you recommend" section of Google Maps are no longer on the menu, and most of the new menu is missing from that list as well).

I got the paneer bhurji, which came with 1 piece of naan cut in half. The texture of the shredded paneer is very different from the cubed paneer I'm used to, and is less sticky than amul cheese (all cheese, even days vegan cheese, is good in my book). It's pretty spicy, though not overpowering, and it doesn't have a lot of sauce unlike something like * tikka masala. The amount of sauce/liquid/oil I would say is akin to a Chinese dry pot or stir-fried noodle.

The naan had a good balance of soft/fluffy and crispy parts, and was mostly devoid of really hard, black char. YMMV on whether that's a good thing or not (my mom, may she rest in piece, loved herself some burnt/charred food).

I might be back, if I remember this mall...

Satkar is overwhelmed with well-deserved demand. They don't need you, but once you eat here, you'll need them.

An aspiring patron needs persistence, and sometimes many phone calls before an employee deigns to answer. When you finally get through, you have mere moments to state your order. Be prepared and decisive. Squander this rare opportunity and you'll have to restart the process. But, when you complete this gauntlet, you will be rewarded.

The food is amazing - not your glammed-up, expensive, overdressed Indian fare masquerading as casual. Satkar delivers the radical idea that you can have unpretentious, high-quality (albeit a bit oily) food for reasonable prices (by Bay Area standards).

For a vegetarian, this place is truly a godsend. Their Bhatura is fluffy, their Cholae rich. The Shahi and Karahi are well-balanced, tangy, yet still pack a good kick. Nothing is heavily drenched in cream, and they never skimp on the Kofta.

Every time I visit, I see the chef in the back, tending to the tandoor as a blacksmith tends the forge, and I can only say one...

Came here last night during the dinner rush, and boy was there a rush of people in the tiny restaurant... but now i know why!

I'm Indian so I am definitely more critical of Indian food because I know exactly what really good and authentic indian food is suppose to taste like, heck I can even make it myself!

Anyways, my point is this place is really good and you should definitely go here if you want really amazing tasting indian food.

However, take it to go if you plan to eat during a lunch or dinner rush, or else you'll be sitting there for quite some time before you get the bill or boxes because they get so busy they cannot tend to you. I still give them 5 stars because they have signs everywhere warning people of the wait and service time and the food is just so good. So next time I will definitely take it to go and eat at home.

Also, I was looking for a hole-in-the wall type of spot for Indian food in the south bay, and this is...