Cherylynn N.
Yelp
3.5 STARS
Several weeks ago, I made the mistake of NOT combing through the reviews of a South Indian restaurant in Sunnyvale.
I ordered spicy and it legit felt like I was eating lava. This is coming from someone who usually requests spicy and extra spicy, and it's not spicy enough.
What's that saying, "IF it hurts going in..."?
So, yea...I'm surprised I could walk straight the next day.
This time, I wasn't going to make the same mistake and made sure I combed through the reviews for Deccan House.
Some of the reviews state that "mild" = "very spicy", "so spicy", etc. so I went with mild. Mild was plenty spicy for me so thank you, yelpers!
Deccan House is open for takeout, delivery, and indoor dining. I ordered delivery so not sure if they still have outdoor dining.
M E N U
South Indian cuisine with a touch of Indo-Chinese: Soups, apps, tandoor, idli/vada (savory snacks), dosas, uttapam (thick dosa w/ toppings), curries, dum biryani, breads, and desserts.
No upcharge for 3rd party delivery apps BUT steep pricing...prices are 20-35%+ higher than competitors in the area. Ex: Curries start at $16.95 and it costs extra to add protein...$5 to add tofu?!
Spice levels: Normal (not sure what that means), mild, and spicy.
I ordered lunch delivery via Uber Eats. Was quoted 20-40 minutes and it was delivered in 40 minutes. Food was hot and securely packed.
F O O D
* Chettinadu: Spicy curry w/ salan, onion, special tamilnadu spices, coconut oil ($16.95): https://tinyurl.com/mrym4ja7
*** Add chicken (+$2)
*** Requested mild
The chettinadu was robustly spiced and spicy with a few pieces of tender white and dark chicken meat. The gravy ran on the salty side, and "mild" packed enough heat to make my nose run. I tempered the leftover gravy with coconut milk to make coconut noodle soup.
* Hyderabadi Dum Biryani: Indian basmati rice, aromatic spices, Mughlai-style ($15.95)
*** Add goat ($4)
*** Requested mild
The biryani was fluffy, fragrant, and medium spicy with a handful of tender, bone-in goat pieces. Some of the basmati wasn't separated and a bit clumpy. The accompanying shorba (coconut gravy) and raita (yogurt sauce) added a layer of cooling spice. It's my understanding that mughlai-style biryani is supposed to have veggies but this one didn't.
Overall, Deccan House serves pretty good South Indian fare, however, it's overpriced. I will pay for higher quality food but I didn't feel the taste, nor the quality was any different than local competitors charging a fraction of the cost. 3.5 stars rounded up for a small local business.