MEENAKSHI BHAVAN

"This is a South Indian restaurant for Indian customers. Not to say others aren't welcome, but random San Antonioans may feel at a loss. The restaurant name is hard to remember and spell. The menu has descriptions for only a few menu items, and very few pictures, so expect to do a lot of Googling to figure out what the different items are. I'm no expert on South Indian cuisine, but this definitely reminded me strongly of flavors from when I worked a month in Tamil Nadu - including that some items can be spicy. The restaurant dining area looks nice and has a good amount of space, although there seems to be a constant roaring clatter from the kitchen. I tried the "medhu vada," described as "crispy lentil doughnut served with chutney & sambar." The "dougnuts" weren't sweet and were a bit denser than a donut. The inside is white and fluffy with occasional green specks. It comes with three spices. The orange one is spicy and tastes a bit like peanut butter. The white one is gritty and fairly bland. I also tried: "HMB Special Meals (Limited Quantity) Poori, Rice, Sambhar, Kuzhambu, Side Dish, Rasam, Vegetable Curries, Raitha, Curd, Sweet, Appalam and Pickle" This consisted of three carbs and a number of steel cups, each containing a different substance. The bread is hollow; the tortilla-like flatbread is crispy and fragile. There's also a good amount of white rice underneath. As for the different cups, they vary with different flavors and levels of spice and saltiness. A white one is a little bit like sour cream, and then the most solid one is dessert, a thick and mildly sweet ball. On the whole, it wasn't bad. I wish I knew more about all the items involved, but I enjoyed being able to try a variety of flavors. I'm always happy to see plant-based restaurants in town. This can be an interesting option to try if you have culinarily adventurous friends."

"A Vegetarian's Delight! FINALLY a delicious all-vegetarian South Indian restaurant with impeccable service. If I could give 10 Stars, I would. If there's anything you don't like, let them know. They are accommodating to spice recommendations as well as getting any extra chutneys, etc. Just love this place and the new owners."

"The main positive is that they open at 8:30 AM on the weekend in case you are craving South Indian food for breaky. Place is easy to miss so watch for a Dunkin Donuts off Babcock and it’s in the same complex Service is friendly and the food good (though we only tried the combos). The medium vada needs some work since our was uncooked inside, but the idlis were light, dosas good and nothing was spicy at all (I could have used at least some spice)."