02/20/09

Our First Experience

by cutebirdie

We had heard great things about this restaurant and were full aware of its uniqueness, being a vegetarian Indian cuisine. We walked in about 5 minutes after they opened. Many empty tables were available and one or two customers were reading over menus. I stood in the foyer waiting to be seated. Two employees were walking about putting trays of food on their buffet table. They passed me once, twice, three times, with nary a glance my way. The silence became awkward. My uncomfortableness obvious. My husband and son quickly joined me after parking the car. THEN, they noticed me. Hmm... "Sit down here," said a waiter ( one of the guys putting out food earlier) as he pointed at a table and then promptly left. We sat there w/ grins on our faces, because he gave us NO MENUS, and only two napkins adorned the table. We waited. Never occurred to them to return to our table. We helped ourselves to napkins from an empty table near us. No water. No mention of taking our order. Oh, that's right! We had NO MENUS. A look around the restaurant told us that most everyone else was eating from their buffet for $9 per person. Since we weren't being waited on, we got in line and scooped food from their buffet. Seeing how this was our first visit ever to Indian food, we were lost. We did not know the sauces from the soups. I am sure they were amused to see me slurping up one of their sweet sauces as if it were soup--but I'll never know, because no one helped us. The food was spicy, of course, and everything seemed to be the same, but the quality was good according to the satisfied faces from other customers. I give this place a low rating due to their rudeness and lack of variety at the buffet table.

• Pros: Vegetarian
• Cons: Service is Bad! No variety with their buffet dinner!

01/17/09

South Indian Vegetarian - Fabulous!

by kristylsummers

I had heard really good things about the food at Udipi Palace, and after months finally made it over there. Everything was delicious, the portions are generous, and the service was good. The best and most authentic Indian food I have had in Washington. Experiment - don't go with expectations of what to order or expect. Just try things that sound good, interesting or both - you won't be disappointed.

• Pros: Authentic South Indian food, the carrot dessert, ample free parking
• Cons: Bathrooms need to be painted and seriously scrubbed down

06/30/08

Most disgusting service

by techpsyche

The Service in this hotel is disgusting, Imagine if you had to wait for 1HR on the table after ordering 2 medhu vadas. Its heights of patience. The staff here are totally inexperienced and don't know whats meant by service. I would never ever step into this hotel again.

• Pros: Nothing
• Cons: Everything

08/21/07

Offering southern Indian specialties and a generous lunch buffet, this Crossroads Mall restaurant supplies substantial vegetarian meals.

by Contributor

The Scene
A spare and simple room filled with glass-topped tables, this strip mall location has a friendly, bustling feel while still being spacious and comfortable. Families, teens and tech workers swarm the generous lunch buffet, but many tables linger to talk over tea rather than rush off in a hurry. Dinner brings in a mix of folks heading to the nearby Cineplex and shoppers at the surrounding mall. For both meals, servers are kind and smiling, but language problems can lead to occasional communication errors.

The Food
Strictly vegetarian, the lunch buffet offers a wealth of choices. Steamed rice, chewy bread and an assortment of fried snacks create a starchy backdrop for a number of lentil, chickpea and potato dishes; dessert and chai are included in the price (sweeten the chai to taste at the buffet table). A la carte choices are available, including crisp rice crepes with various fillings (dosas) and the frittata-like uthapaam.

Hits: Because southern Indian food is fairly rare in Seattle, this is a great spot to experience unfamiliar flavors or hunt down longed-for dishes.

Misses: Indifferently prepared steamed rice at the buffet is a disappointment--it feels like inexpensive filler instead of a complement to the meal.