"Desilicious is a South Indian restaurant in North Austin that’s more about the food than the dining room. The AC kind of works, pre-filled metal pitchers of water are sitting on all of the tables, and in the background is a TV playing Indian pop music videos over tinny speakers. They’re open for lunch and dinner, but it feels especially well-suited to an early visit since they offer a lot of classic Indian breakfast dishes. The specialties here are dosa and idly—everything is vegetarian—and whether you choose the thin and crispy crepes or the pillowy steamed rice cakes, you’ll have to decide between dozens of different toppings and fillings. Read through the fine descriptions like a legal document, or just point a finger and randomly pick from the 80+ options on the menu knowing there’s only a 1.25% chance of ordering the same thing twice. photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel photo credit: Richard Casteel Food Rundown photo credit: Richard Casteel Karivepaku Podi Idly All of the idly here have a great texture—the rice cakes are steamed until they have a little bit of bite, but aren’t too chewy or hard. We like the karivepaku podi variety that comes tossed in a spicy curry leaf powder that adds a little earthiness to the dish. It’s also served with a few chutneys and dips that vary a little from day to day. photo credit: Richard Casteel Rava Dosa The rava dosa is lacy and a little crispier than the smooth and glossy dosa more commonly found at Indian restaurants in Austin. It arrives spilling over both sides of the oversized plate with a different set of chutneys and dips each day. It’s crispy and well-seasoned, but giant whole peppercorns occasionally overpower some of the bites. This is great for sharing with the table. photo credit: Richard Casteel Mango Lassi If you’ve had mango lassi before then you know what to expect—slightly tart and creamy, and just a little sweet. Desilicious’ version doesn’t stray too far, but it comes in a cute cup that makes drinking it feel a little more special." - Nicolai McCrary
