Surya Darshini Dosa Cafe

A go-to place for healthy and authentic Bangalore style food! The Benne Mysuru Masala Dosa is perfectly crispy, the Set Dosa and Idlis are soft and fluffy, and the Filter Coffee is smooth and flavorful. The batter is soaked, stone-ground, and naturally fermented, with no soda, additives, or coloring agents, making every bite wholesome and delicious. The cafe has cozy seating, perfect for a relaxed meal. Highly recommended for anyone looking for healthy, authentic South Indian flavors!

Good food but not really Bangalorean flavors like they advertised. Visiting the bay area from Seattle and was obliged to check out SD due to the rave reviews about the Bangalore style masala dosa. The service was super efficient. You can order at the self service ipad or at the counter and if you ordered the coffee they ask you if you want it right away or with the food or later which is a nice touch. The food took about 5 min and Is served in a clamshell box on a tray. The dosa looked authentic on the outside with the reddish brown color and the thickness. On the inside it was flat. No tell tale pock marks of a good fermented dosa batter and the taste showed. It was on the sweeter side without the sour to balance it out. The chutney and sambar were decent. Coffee was quite good. It is highly unlikely I'll be back. I'll have to get my dosa fix at the Seattle MTR before I travel to the bay area.

This place is a gem if you’re craving real Bengaluru-style dosas. The dosas are exactly how they should be—crispy outside, soft inside, and super tasty. Their gatti chutney is next level, full of flavor and just perfect with the dosas. It’s a family-run spot and the owners are some of the friendliest people I’ve met. The restaurant is inside an NGO building, so technically it’s takeout only, but they do let you sit and eat there if you want. Everything comes in sugarcane husk boxes (eco-friendly!), and those actually keep the dosas hot and fresh. The owner told me it only takes 36 seconds from the tawa to the counter, and honestly, you can taste that freshness. I’ve gone a few times now and tried almost all their dosas—every single one has been amazing(Benne Masala Dosa and Mysuru Masala Dosa being my favorite). Big thumbs up from me. Definitely recommend if you want authentic Karnataka style Bengaluru's special dosas in San Jose! FYI they are vegan friendly too!

The ambiance was disappointing and almost non-existent. The food arrived cold and tasted quite average, with everything leaning overly sweet. The idlis, in particular, were cold and lacked freshness. To add to the odd experience, a group of girls walked in and started practicing their dance inside the restaurant, which made it feel more like a noisy canteen than a café. The furniture was old, worn out, and rusty, further dragging down the vibe. Overall, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this place.

We ordered catering from here for a party, and it was excellent. The set dosas and vegetable rice were delicious. The food was generously portioned and there was no shortage of (non-watery) chutney or korma. We also treated ourselves to a benne masala dosa while picking up our catering order, which was great. I particularly appreciated the kind service - Narendra was responsive to our phone call and made sure we had our food on a Saturday even though the website technically didn't allow us to order catering for that day (since we were placing an order late in the game). We hope to be back!

I had high expectations for Suryadarshini, but unfortunately, the experience didn’t quite live up to the hype. The dosa here is overrated—it’s decent but nothing special. I ordered a butter masala dosa, rice idly, and filter coffee. The first dosa we got wasn’t cooked properly, and we could still taste the raw batter. However, when we brought this to the owner’s attention, they were kind enough to replace it with a properly cooked one, which I appreciate. Customer service was good, and they handled the situation well. That said, the filter coffee didn’t taste authentic, and the idly was disappointing. Overall, while the service was good, the food quality didn’t match the reputation.

Wonderful experience! Was missing some home food and came here just to try the Bangalore Butter Masala Dosa! The dosa was pretty good, but I would’ve loved the batter to be slightly more fermented because it wasn’t too fluffy for my liking But what impressed us more was how fluffy soft and delicious the rava idly was. I’m not a big idly fan but I loved this! The saagu it comes with is very very Bangalorean styled and if you’re from there you’ll love it too. The chutney was even better! The filter coffee is super authentic too They have Kannada music playing inside the restaurant and some place outside to sit out in the sun and eat too! There’s plenty of parking and you don’t need to worry about finding a place. The people at the counter were very sweet too!! Definitely try the rava idly!!

Super high prices with poor quality service. Atmosphere inside looks shady and seems like a warehouse rather than a restaurant. Most of the time no one is at a counter to attend you. They only serve in to go boxes even after charging exorbitant amount. Also the wait time was 40 minutes even when not a single person at a restaurant. Very disappointing.

3 stars only for the dosa... the potato palya was ordinary, no red chilli and garlic paste on inside , very sweet sambar (even sambar available in bangalore is sweet , but not this sweet), very average coconut chutney.... Many people dont realize that potato palya is not the masala.... It's the red chilli and garlic paste which is the actual masala... So no other than the crispness nothing else is close to bangalore style of masala dosa

Super excited to have found this unique South Indian Bangalore "Darshini" style dosa...been here recently to explore this unassuming tinted glassed location in midst of corporate buildings (near great mall). Tried their crispy Benne Butter masala dosa, kesari bath and my friend tried the Vegan set dosa. Very filling and tasty akin to home made style chutneys and sambar. The grainy semolina(Sooji) kesari was tasty and less ghee unlike many other places.. Plenty of parking and it's only take out hence served in to-go box. Large space to dine right there though to savour the hot piping dosa(can't do take out dosa for me). I really hope they would sometime in future set up a full service dining spot with delish crispy dosa like CTR, Vidyarthi Bhavan classic spots in Bangalore ifykyk

I finally got to try the benne dosa at Suryadarshini. Its possibly the closest to the Bangalore style benne dosa in bay area and an absolute delight! Love the sambar and chutneya also. The rava idly wasn't okay, not phenomenal - i would skip it the next time. The ordering is self-service, and has lots of space indoor and outdoors.

Came here for brunch after suggestion from a friend. From earlier pictures it showed as foodtruck but as of may 2024 they have moved into their own place. The seating is outside but doesn't have any seating inside. 4/5 butter masala Dosa - The dosa was big, a little oily but overall tasted well with the potato masala. The chutney was tasty and fresh and sambhar was decent. 5/5 Filter Coffee - this was freshly made and would recommend. 4/5 Khara buns - these are savory buns and bit hot due to pepper and onion in them and pair well with Indian chai. Overall a good place for hitting that dosa craving.

Order Butter Marsala dasa. So horrible. The Dosa was so dry so hard to eat. The chutney and sambar are so watery. High salt in palya. As a whole they packed me full of garbage.

3/5: Not Value for Money. We tried the Butter Masala Dosa. The dosa itself was excellent, with a perfect balance of crispiness on the outside and moistness within. The potato masala (palya) accompanying the dosa was delicious, adding a savory complement to the dish. I enjoyed the chutney's taste and its watery consistency, the sambar was quite average. At $14 for a single dosa, the value for money is questionable, especially considering the casual setting of the restaurant -- a patio for seating, lacking the ambiance of a proper sit-down establishment. Even then, price isn't justified for a dosa. If they add in a filter coffee & vada make it a 14-15$ meal, it would prolly make sense. Otherwise, not very pocket friendly.

Well! This restaurant is not for everyone- but definitely awesome for people who love this particular thick and crispy style dosa- the Bangalore style dosa. If you've grown up eating this style, read no more, go try everything from this place, you won't regret it. It's authentic to an extent that my 3 stars would make some of their fans pretty sad. Also, maybe you're not too conscious about oil/ butter like me - you will LOVE it. So go try them out :) Anyway, here I am with my honest thoughts- They have a pre order system and we ordered a takeout for Saturday afternoon and the pickup experience was pretty easy - absolutely no wait. The dosa was pretty tasty and crispy. Loved the potato masala as well. But, there were a few things which put us off - it was too buttery and when I say too much, I felt like it was almost shallow fried. Me and my partner couldn't finish 1 dosa each coz it was too heavy for us. Also, the sambar was not even mildly hot- and too less in quantity (there are two little boxes in the takeout box, one had chutney and the other had sambar. I would expect at least a 4 ounce container of sambar. Also, probably we were the unlucky ones that one side of one of the dosas was almost burnt. This restaurant today is run end to end by a couple. I wish I could support them better. Recently, they've started serving more items like idli recently. They sell khara buns as well - we couldn't try it. They were super clean and added 1 fresh napkin in each box as well. Parking is easy and they have a good number of outdoor seating available outside the pickup area.

Finally tried this quite-popular Bangalore style dosa place. This came highly recommended by a friend who also warned me about the ordering process and how it gets sold out fast (and it does, so order well ahead to pick up on the coming weekend). Thankfully, their new location in Milpitas is convenient for weekend pick-up (They used to operate out of a food truck previously). They have limited options and their plain one gets sold out pretty quick. So i ended up ordering the Butter masala dosa. Price is on the higher side if you compare with other dosa/South Indian places in the bay. However, with dosa I feel eating fresh is the key 'coz by the time I got home to devour my dosa, it had become quite soggy. Nonetheless, the taste was really good, the dosa was soft and masala was tasty. Sambar quantity was a bit less (I missed the in-restaurant sambar refills tbh). But, all-in-all, a good place to try Bangalore style dosa :)

This was the best dosa I've had in the Bay Area! It's a typical Bangalore dosa with amazingly crispy exterior with a soft and chewy interior! It's served with sambar and chutney which paired well with the dosas. The aloo masala inside tasted yummy and we got a generous serving inside the dosa. They have moved to a new location in Milpitas which is not a food truck. Keep in mind they only have takeouts but there is some public seating outside. I recommend eating the dosas as fresh as possible to get that crunch. I highly recommend this place when you are craving some authentic dosas for an indulgent breakfast or lunch!

Please ignore this review if you are from Karnataka and grew up eating this. Anyone from there will love this even if it's normal, due to the elevated sense of nostalgia. My review is based on my own neutral experience. I am sorry to say I don't understand what the hype is about. We had to pre book our meal and I thought maybe it will be freshly done during our time slot. But they had already made and boexed the items before the pickup time, so the dosas had lost some of their texture. We tried the masala Dosa and the set dosa. The sagu was decent but the sambhar and chutney was very average. The dosas are good if you are looking for the kind of dosa they serve here which is hard to come by. Overall it's a decent joint, but I won't be super excited to be having it the next time

I revisited Suryadarshini and was pleased to find that it is open for orders throughout the week. As expected, the dosas were excellent, maintaining their high quality. What's more, they also serve filter coffee, which alone is worth returning for. The lady at the counter was friendly and provided great service. The dosas, both the masala and plain varieties, were perfectly prepared and delicious. I highly recommend visiting Suryadarshini for their consistently excellent dosas, and the opportunity to enjoy a cup of authentic filter coffee. The only issue I have is that the price of $15 for a dosa seems slightly high. I hope they don't raise the prices anytime soon, considering it is a takeout establishment rather than a sit-down restaurant.

Came back here after a while. The dosey is still awesome. It was fun to see the demand and hustle bustle in the kitchen. I had been craving for the khara buns and the availability of filter coffee just completed the set. I enjoyed the kharabath and kesari bath. The consistency and flavors were very good. The chutney paired really well with the kharabath. My daughters new favorite was the dosa with kesari bath.

Dosa was good. Would have preferred eating inside than outside as there was no space inside. Request to put more smaller tables inside as some chairs in big tables were empty but could not sit as thy were couples/bachelors sitting there and we were family with kids.

Best dosa I've had in the US. 90-95% of the flavor vidyarthi bhavan / mtr. The sambar and fresh chutney is reminiscent of Bangalore and they Got the flavor profile right. A bit pricey at $14 but worth every dollar to transport you to the memories, taste, and joy of home.

Go to place for Bengaluru style dosa! Definitely the best in BayArea. The restaurant is conveniently located and online ordering and pickup is smooth. The people who work here are friendly and dedicated to the art of crafting tasty dosas. The filter coffee is great too!

It's okay but a lil oily for me and it made it heavy for a lunch. Nice crunch but nothing else was special. Lil expensive

Good Bangalore style dosas. Pricey for sure. For the price, increase the quantity of Sambhar and Chutney. Recommendation: please dont add sugar to the Chutney.

Dosa: When Indians who have enjoyed the taste of Bengaluru style Dosa leave India and come to US, they miss the taste of some great restaurants like CTR or Vidyarthi Bhavan and crave for the authentic Dosa. I missed it too. As someone who enjoys Dosa, I craved for it. I have tried several Dosa places in the US and nothing even comes close to the authenticity and taste of Surya Darshini. In-fact, when I visited India, I missed Surya Darshini Dosa. I have been visiting Surya Darshini since the beginning and not once have I felt the taste has changed. It is so bang on every time. Perfectly Crispy on the outside and Soft on the inside. The overall taste of Palya and Sambar just adds to the flavour so aptly. Place: Always playing melodious old Kannada songs, gives you pleasant vibes. Owner: Every time you talk to him, one of the things that really stands out is the passion of the owner towards Dosa and serving Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5

The best dosa in the area hands down This is Bangalore style with a crispy exterior. Filling of potato, onion, and spices are spot on. Sambar has a nice tang and the coconut chutney isn't too spicy This is made to order and it's best enjoyed immediately. There is plenty of benches and picnic tables just outside Owners are super friendly It's only be preorders only at this time from their website. Orders start on Tuesday with pickups available on Saturdays and Sundays

Amazing, authentic. Must try you will not regret it. I wish they open up in a bigger place.

My standard order is Benne Masala Dosa + Buttermilk. It is a self service place with a standard menu on all days and yet the best Dosa I have ever had here. Perfectly made Bengaluru style dosa - this is your place.

Had been waiting a few weeks to order, since we live far - being able to choose when to pick it up was important. Once they had that set up, decided to come back and I'm upgrading my review from a year ago to 5 - maybe just caught them on an off day then. The dosa was very well made ( If I had to nitpick, maybe the dosa could have been a little crisp but this is more a preference and it was perfectly good the way it is) - you could taste the butter without it being overwhelming, so you still feel good after and not stuffed - perfectly balanced. The sambar was perfect, the flavor and sweetness nailed what we found in Bangalore style dosa. The aloo filling inside was perfectly made without being lazily chopped and you could tell the attention paid to it. Really took us back to Bangalore, I thought $14 is on the higher end while ordering but after eating it, for how authentic and put together the whole package is with attention paid to the sides as well as the dosa, it was worth it. You can't find it anywhere else, will definitely be back for more! P.S : Eat it as soon as you get it for the best taste. Won't be the same once it's cooled down a little.

Amazing dosa! Great taste. The best part is the authenticity. I've tried the Karnataka style dosa in many places, but suryadarshini takes the top spot. Love the crunchy texture, chutney and palya. I'm definitely coming back again

The OG Benne dosa place in the Bay Area. The dosa, potato stuffing, chutney and sambhar are all quite authentic staying true to the bengaluru roots with the mild mix of sweetness spice and sour flavors. Found them to be consistently good across multiple visits! Their Khara buns are a bomb of flavor - highly recommended if you're visiting them :)

Over hyped dosa place. I wouldn't go regularly for my dosa cravings. Dosa was way too buttery/oily. Taste was okay. Not great If you do not care about calorie intake, this is your place.

Excellent darshini style food. For anyone from Bengaluru missing breakfast joints, this is a good place to go.

First off - I am from Bangalore, and I liked Suryadarshini when they first started their truck in San Ramon. Their Masale dose was on point and superb. I visited them 2-3 times and was always happy. Recently I tried their Milpitas location. Booked my slot ahead for a Wednesday afternoon. I tried the following: 1. Masale Dose - The quality has come down significantly. I strongly recommend trying the Benne Masale Dose at Mylapore Pleasanton. They do more authentic Bangalore style dose compared to SD now. 2. Set Dose - this was very very bad (see picture). It didn't feel like set dose nor tasted like one. Seemed undercooked and not fluffy at all. They need work more on this one. 3. Rava Idly - Average as well. Idly was a bit undercooked and I could feel the batter little bit. I don't think it is worth all the planning and paying $14 for dose and drive to this out of nowhere location. Needs a lot of improvement.

After enjoying their dosas at work through WeBox, I brought the family to the cafe. The dosas did not disappoint. The masala dosa was perfect! They clearly called out the allergens so it made it easy to choose items for those with allergies. I even had a nice chat with the owner about their history. Highly recommend this place.

InshaAllah decent tasting dosa. My experience wasn't that great because there was so much anticipation on the food as you have to order atleast a day ahead to get a slot in the very less time they are open. It was actually a little bit of disappointment.

The dosa is reminiscent of the Bangalore Masala dose - but the side dishes sagu , sambar & chutney taste stale! The ambience is a bit strange - it's spacious but you can see bunch of plastic bags & books lying around. The lights are dim & turn off entirely when there is no movement & heating doesn't seem to work at all. The staff are friendly for sure. Overall, I'm not going back again !

This was highly recommended by many friends so finally got to try it. There are lot of things about online pre booking etc but we can totally walk in and order. There was around 20 min wait time. This place is open only limited hours. Please check the time before you go. This place is small eatery so don't expect any fine restaurant vibe. It is very simple and people are very nice. Now food: Regular Dosa/ masala Dosa is nice. It has amazing crunch and desired thickness. Dosa has lots of butter in it. So it's heavy. Set Dosa: well this one did not live up to my expectations. Set dosa should have very spongy and fluffy texture but here set dosa is just another thick dosa. I loved the green chutney, it's is one of the best I have ever eaten. It's spicy - made of coconut, green chilly, cilantro etc. with hint of sugar as well. We also enjoyed sambar and Sagu. Filter coffee is must try too ! We will be definitely visiting again.

Awesome Bengaluru style thick crispy buttery dosa. Really yum. But it's pretty heavy and you feel a bit lazy after eating as it's buttery. I go there almost every month and love the dosa though

If you're looking for a good dosa, I think this food truck (despite some reviews) is a bit overhyped for the experience and flavors. You'll read that the ordering process is cumbersome and confusing. We accidentally ordered more than we intended and there are no cancellations/refunds. If you're late picking up your order.. it's also canceled. You have to arrive exactly within your time frame and present your ticket/receipt to the food truck to get your order. There are only three options: plain, masala, cheese. The plain runs out within 5 mins of the ordering window opening. The sambar is not good. It's runny and bland. Same with the chutney. Not flavorful. The packaging is decent, but it's definitely something you want to eat right away for the crispiness of the dosa. I don't recommend taking it home. However, the seating is very limited in the food truck area. Overall, I was hoping for a better experience give the difficult ordering process and all the hype.

Very authentiic dosa. Best dosa eaten in Bay ares. Place is very clean. Run by a couple, who are very friendly.

Excellent Butter Masala Dosa, probably the best in the Bay Area. Anyone from Bangalore and have loved the Dosas there from places like MTR will love this place! Highly recommend this place!

This place has authentic benne dosa from Bangalore. crispy texture of the dosa and the green chutney are bomb. Sambar could be a lil better compared to the chutney but nothing to complain.

Best benne masala dose in the US hands down! We love coming here often since their dose brings you all the Bengaluru darshini feels. Perfectly crispy outside and spongy inside with the right ratio of dose to palya (yes, I am particular about this). The sambar and chutney are perfect accompaniments to the dose. The cafe has a warm ambience, courtesy its charming and super helpful owners. Very quick service even on busy Saturdays! The coffee is delish too and we love the Khara buns. They store well and are a great snack for throughout the week :) They have other amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes on their menu too. Give this place a try for your next dose craving!

This place is is good for someone who has no idea of what is South Indian food. Value for money is bad in terms of the overall experience. There are many better places in Bay area than this.

5* for taste. Taking a star off because my wife had a stomach upset. I don't know - maybe they add baking soda?

This review is long overdue- Surya Darshini Dosae are the best! Hands down!! The actual 'authentic' Bengaluru style variety(masale, plain, onion, set) dosaes are available here. You talk about the quality, quantity, taste, customer service, they check all the boxes. Chutney and Palya is to the next level. For many years, we were in search of good darshini style dosae and our search stopped since we got introduced to these yummy delicious dosae couple of years back! We have tasted all the items in their menu multiple times and the consistency, taste and flavor remains the same. Not just the dosae, rave idli, Khara baath, Kesari baath, Khara bun is great too. They nicely pack it in the togo boxes which remains fresh and crispy for a few hours. Last but not the least, kitchen and the pick area is clean and tidy too!

Best dhosa in Bay Area, scratch that, anywhere in the world inclusive of India. Never had Dosa this good. The service is fast. Seating can be challenging if you go there Saturday morning but 110% worth it.

It is truly the "art of dosa"!! For anyone who is missing Bangalore style "Dosey", it will bring tears of joy when you take that first bite and the joyful memories of eating a dosey in Bangalore will come flooding back. The sambhar and chutney is superb and authentic!! The service is phenomenal and the staff and owners are very accommodating. Thank you for bringing back the taste of namma Bengaluru into our daily Bay Area lives :)

If you've been craving for Bangalore style dosae then this is the place! I've been wanting to try out this place since they were a food truck in San Ramon and I finally got a chance. The benne(butter) masala dosae was so good and tastes great with their chutney. Kharabath is very authentic and took me back to my teenager days in Bangalore. Can't wait to go back!

This is the best Dose period. It is really the art as they say. For those from Bangalore or Karnataka, we can swear by the authenticity of this. Dose is golden brown, perfectly cooked. Palya (aloo bhaji), sambar and chutney adds to the experience. Narendra (chief chef and founder) is very passionate about cooking and food. You can really feel it when you taste it.

Brilliant masala dosas. You have to eat it right there for the full effect. Reminds of great dosas in Vidyarthi Bhavan. Chutney and sambar are much better than before. Rava Idli, onion dosa, kharabath all add variety but they are not necessarily special. Only thing that can make the experience is a sit down place where you can eat the dosa hot.

Awesome masala dose, rave idli and coffee! I have not tried the others but I am sure they are good too! Generous quantity and amazing quality! Just like Bangalore. Highly recommend! The owners are super cute and friendly!!

Best masala dosa in the Bay Area. Been visiting them since their food truck times and the quality is top notch. It is the crispiest dosa with delicious chutney and sambhar! Their rava idli and khara bath are excellent as well.

Best Bangalore Dosa, very authentic taste of everything on their Menu. Don't miss this if you are in Bay Area for the best South Indian flavors.

The masala dosa here is fantastic, and possibly the best in the Bay Area. I'm a regular customer and would highly recommend visiting this restaurant. It's located in a cozy canteen-style counter at the back of an office building. Dosas are made to order and served with sambar and chutney. The dosas are made "Bangalore-style" and are thick and crunchy, without being slathered with butter and oil like at other restaurants. The food tastes like it was made at home! The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife couple who are very friendly and kind. As an added bonus, make sure to try the filter coffee - you probably cannot get better coffee than this except at your own home!