I love trying new kinds of food, but I always fall back on Indian food. Whichever part of the world I go, I feel it’s always good to know Indian restaurants around. In the Bay Area, you don’t really have to search so hard; but still, one needs to figure out which is good, which one should be a last resort and which one is passable.

Firstly, one basic aspect needs to be clarified about Indian food, especially for those who haven’t yet dug in deep. There are many cuisines within India, not just one. Though one can broadly classify them as North Indian and South Indian, it doesn’t really do justice. Anyway, for practical purposes, we’ll keep it that way. North Indian food is more commonly found across the world — naan, roti, chicken tikka masala, lassi and the like. South Indian food is predominantly rice-based, with sambhar, rasam and so on.

I am South Indian and I’m hugely relieved to find that North Indian food is not so dominating in South Bay. In fact, I’m wondering if it’s the other way round out here. Overall though, Bay Area seems to be blessed with pretty good Indian food when compared to other parts of the US.

The ones I like the best are Saravana Bhavan and Tirupathi Bhimas (both coincidentally South Indian). Detailed reviews of various restaurants can wait. For now, here’s a quick round-up of the various restaurants / joints I’ve been to.

Saravana Bhavan is a franchisee of a famous chain based out of Chennai in India. The Sunnyvale restaurant hardly has anything North Indian on the menu. The food is quite close to what you get back in India. Avoid crowded weekends.

Tirupathi Bhimas in Milpitas seems to be famous for the meals they serve. The food was delicious, almost like traditional home-made stuff.

Bay Leaf in San Jose too seemed good. Only North Indian food was served in the buffet at a dinner party that I had been to.

Udupi Palace too has a buffet, with a mix of North and South Indian. The food was of just about ‘okay’.

Dasaprakash in Santa Clara is yet another South Indian restaurant. It has good ambience and food.

Bombay Garden is newly opened in Santa Clara. For the price and setting, the food seemed a bit below the mark.

Shagun in San Jose is good enough for a quick buffet lunch.

Annapoorna serves non-vegetarian too on their buffet. They offer a free masala dosa for joining their mailing list.

Muniyandy Vilas, in Sunnyvale again, is too regional for general liking. They specialize in non-vegetarian food popular in the Madurai area of India.

Komala Vilas in Sunnyvale is not to be confused with the famous Singapore restaurant. The only things in common are that they serve South Indian food, in a setting that is more Indian than American.

Chaat House in Sunnyvale is really good on the price-quality ratio. 10 rotis for $3, anyone? The nearby Rajjot is similar, but the food isn’t as good.

Lucky Dhaba in Sunnyvale is a small joint attached to India Cash & Carry. The North Indian food (mostly Punjabi) tastes delicious. The eatery attached to Bharat Bazaar (is that Sunnyvale or Santa Clara?) is quite inexpensive and more than just edible. Jewel of India in San Jose is similar.

Sangam in San Jose is probably one that you’d want to stay away from. I’m not sure if I’ve eaten food from there; but I was asked not to by many.

Whew, that was quite a list! You folks must be thinking that I’m crazy of Indian food! Anyway, there’s still Amber and Spice Hut to visit. So, this post is probably the first of a series.

Comments, questions? I’ll be happy to continue the discussion.