Udipi Palace

Among the dozens and dozens of restaurants along Devon Avenue in the west side of Chicago, I chose a small but apparently well known restaurant called Udipi Palace. This restaurant specializes in South Indian cuisine, an obvious fact from the large letters displayed on the sign outside.

Upon entering, you immediately smell Indian cuisine. It’s not the stereotypical “curry” smell, but it actually is a warm, inviting scent. It’s not a flashy place, no, but it’s just a typical restaurant. There aren’t many fixtures on the wall or ceiling, it’s a bit plain. There are a few paintings here and there, but it’s nothing to gaze at immensely. A couple of my friends and I sit down and are greeted by a polite waiter.

The menu isn’t large, it isn’t small; there are just many, many variations of each item.

We chose to get the fried idli (small, fried rice cakes), sahmber (thick soup with pieces of bread), and palak dosa (large, ground rice bread made with spinach, peppers, and spices dipped in chutney and idli).

We received our order in a timely manner, I was surprised actually. And it looked very appetizing. Was it because of my extreme hunger though? Perhaps. But I believe its more about the taste and as the cliché goes, “the stomach need not know looks.”

I dipped the idli into the green chutney and the first taste was quite the succulent one. It tasted of crunchy rice cakes, but so much more. It was soft and moist. It was perfection in a small fried package.

While I was devouring the idli, I looked at what was around me, the people there, and the environment. The sound of crying babies filled the air and overpowered the faint Indian music. My friend had gotten up and left for the restroom, but upon returning, complained to me that the sound of the fan in the women’s bathroom was unbearable to say the least. Well, its probably not as bad as the crying babies.

I disregarded the distractions and proceeded to take a bite of the sahmber. It was thick, but the texture was perfect. The bread in it though, wasn’t too shabby; it was a bit dry. Still delicious though. And then there was the palak dosa. I ripped a piece off of the delicate mix and dipped it in the sahmber. It was a burst of flavors; sweet, bitter, spicy, and blandness. I didn’t think it was amazing, but it definitely was good.

So overall, is this a place worth going to? Yes. The price is good (around $6-$10 a plate), the food is delicious, and the atmosphere, is well, not bad. I had gone on a holiday weekend so I can accept the fact that it was packed.

Udipi Palace is located on 2543 W. Devon Ave, Chicago, Ill. (773) 338-2152