Today was my first time trying south Indian food and it went out so amazing. Dosas were exceptional and staff members were so cooperative specially our server Arman. She did an amazing jo by helping is in selecting the tasty dishes. Definitely gonna visit again.
We ordered couple of items but only 1 or 2 items were nice the rest was below average.The very basic all the chutneys and sambhar were disappointing in taste and sambhar was served lukewarm?We ordered these items and I am marking their rating too-chili paneer-4/5Mini idli thali- 2.5/5 ( Only rava kesari was outstanding)Rava onion masala dosa- 3/5Ghee paper dosa- 3/5Kids cheese dosa- 3/5Mango shake - 4/5Service- 2.5/5After we asked to change the cold sambhar (as it took 10min more to approach the server) nobody came back to follow up for the food.I found some better standalone dosa restaurants then this one.Had very high hopes with the name.
I learnt of this place through an online food vlogger's mention and recommendation.It certainly did not disappoint - taste wise.I am not an expert in good indian food although I really enjoy Indian food.Most of the Indian food I have enjoyed in my life are from Northern India - specifically of the Punjab region.South Indian cuisine, at least not in recent years, was still quite unique and rare here in Vancouver area.I've only tried South Indian cuisine once. Saravanna gave me another chance to enjoy indian cuisine. This was also my first time trying out Dosa and this place's Dosa was delicious!Overall, being a vegetarian restaurant, it is vegan friendly for all those who do not eat meat. I am a meat eater however when it comes to vegetarian indian cuisine, I am always weak kneed.The reason for the 4 stars and not 5 was simply due to hygiene. Bathrooms are clean but buffet area could do some upgrading and care - specifically a more shallow guard of some type to prevent stuff like hair and personal dirt etc from potentially falling into the foods. The buffet area for sure was not the most hygienic.Another word of advice though. If you are diabetic or have high blood pressure, be cautious of eating at this place as most of the foods are packed with carbohydrates, sugar, ghee and salt. Although being a vegetarian restaurant, the recipes are very heavy and decadent. Maybe do not eat this everyday but enjoy it once in awhile as a treat or if you have just come out of fasting.One knows this place's taste is authentic when we mostly see indian people eating here.Will I return? For sure I would. I love a good indian meal and at $16 for weekend lunch buffet with plentiful free parking and ease of access, that is a steal these days.
We came here last night for dinner which the place doesn’t take reservations for. The place looks nice with a nice Indian styled ambience. We sat at the far end near the bar area. A few thing I found odd was that the TVs were not on as well as the wall led fireplace otherwise it would provide a much better experience. At the table there were already several brochure menu lying flat on the table which look like abandoned flyers. I would suggest putting them in a holder so that it looks more tidy. The dosa or uttapam price were all generally around $12 but I found the portion size a bit lacking. A few guys from my table end up ordering another entree which came down to ~$25 per person. The Indian donut was quite delicious, the sambar so so, vegetable Manchuria was alright and the garlic naan was exceptional. The timing of food arrival was ~15 minutes but a few orders took over half an hour. Staff are courteous but could be more attentive to providing cutleries, napkins and drinks. For 7 people the bill came down to ~$180 before tips and gratuities. If you like this review plz give me a thumbs up.
Great authentic ambience, came for pickup only since I love their idli but will dine in for sure next time
Amazing food lovely ambiance
This review is not to put Saravanaa Bhavan down and Please don't take me wrong. Saravanaa Bhavan will always be one of my go to South Indian restaurants when it comes down to South Indian Food, I only want Saravanaa Bhavan to live up to its reputation.I have two concerns to address.1. Some of the staff members (not all) are not very accommodating to the needs of the customers. The seating area (as seen in Pic 1) around the buffet area is not the best when there are 3 and more customs. Each time some one wants to get up and get food from the buffet the other person has to get up . When I requested Staff to give a different table this particular staff respond by saying that the all the tables as shown in pic 2 were all booked, when clearly I could see that it was all empty and not all tables were filled until I exited the restaurant2. I had no problem with the Idly, Dosa, Vada, Sambar and Chutney. But I was disappointed with the lunch side of the buffet . The South Indian Lunch combination was not right and it was not the best. I have had better lunch buffet combos before at Saravanaa Bhavan. The Rasam had no flavor, the Cauliflower fry had a taste of raw flour and the Okra kootu was not at its best. The butter vegetable curry was watered down and the Papadum was burned. When I tried the Bisi Bele Bath and the curd rice I was very disappointed. The Gulab Jamun tasted as if it was canned .I hope and wish that the Chef's and the Manager would taste the food before serving it to the customers.
Food was really good. Just the right amount of everything. Clean, and the place ambience is nice too. The idlis were perfect and soft.
We recommend puri & Dosas to be served at the buffet. We had to wait & ask for puri & dosas to be served at our table. No waitresses around to ask for service..Nobody asked if we were doing ok or need something? Had to ask for water refills & asked twice for a glass of coke. Dirty /filthy men’s washroom. On a positive note: Food was good with reasonable price: $16 per person for buffet..tips were already added to the bill = I double tipped at the table ? Tea /Water & Coffee should be self served. Hopefully,we get a positive experience next time.
Good place for south Indian food, I love eating dosa so I come here once a month. The food is amazing and taste’s delicious and fresh. The style and environment of the place definitely needs some work to be done. This place here has been here for ever but no upgrades have been done to furniture or decor so definitely needs work. Employees are also friendly.Food - 5/5Employees - 4/5Looks - 2/5