EDISON, NJ
Every once in a while, I like to head over to Edison and try out one of the very many Indian restaurants that populate the town. My South Indian roots were tingling so my dad had suggested to try Saravanaa Bhavan right off of Wood Avenue. I had been there once with my family and liked it so much I decided to take my boyfriend there to try their Puri. What is puri you might ask? It's deep fried bread one can eat by itself or enjoy with vegetarian or meat sides. I always go back to get their Madras Coffee.
Looking over their extensive menu, it can be quite overwhelming but it just means I have many more visits to try, operative word try, everything on their menu. One of my personal favorites was idli so when I saw they had Mini Ghee Sambar Idly (not shown) I knew what I wanted to try. Kevin has a deep love for puri, I think more than me, so his option was clear as well. The puri came with a side of spicy potatoes and a paneer (cheese curd) curry on the side.
Puri with Spicy Potato and Paneer Curry Sides.
I love that they serve you in these metal dishes so similar to the way they serve you back home in South India. The best part is when you get to poke the puri to get the air out of the middle and you dip it into your two sides. The spicy potato had a great texture and not too spicy. The side with paneer was nice and creamy.
Kevin was still hungry after eating the puri so he ordered the Paper Roast Masala. The waiter had asked whether he wanted to pack it up after seeing Kevin eat the puri but he said he was going to eat right now. The kid has an appetite.
It's quite impressive when they bring it out because it's massive! I had my doubts whether he'd be able to finish it and to my surprise he did. Inside of the big, yet thin dosa was a spicy potato mash. Compared to the size of the dosa, it's a little disappointing they didn't have the proportional amount of potato to go along with it.
How could I forget what we got for appetizers?! Another classic we ordered while we waited for our food was the Medhu Vada, crispy lentil donut that was served with chutney and sambar. The vada was soft on the inside and yet somehow magically crispy on the outside. I ripped off the pieces and dipped them into the sambar, spiced lentil-based stew. The chutney, coconut dipping sauce, was a fresh combination with the sambar.
At the very end, ordering the Madras filtered coffee is an absolute must for me. I was craving it for quite some time so I was enthralled to finally give in and drink some! When the coffee arrives, they give it to you in two steel cups, one that holds the coffee and another one below it. You can take the coffee and pour it into the cup below where it generates some foam up on top. You can always ask for them to add as much sugar as you want or you can add it in separately.
Apart from the food, the customer service was a little slow. Luckily, we were sitting next to the kitchen door so we were able to catch our waiter if we needed something. They do have a private parking lot but it's shared with a few other stores. During their busier hours, you might have to look a bit for parking.
Overall: 3.5/5
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