Kovai Cafe - Cupertino/San Jose

Masala Dosa

A long, crackling-thin crepe wrapped around spiced potato filling, arriving golden and properly fermented — the benchmark dish here

Paper Roast Dosa

Wafer-thin, shatteringly crisp version of the dosa without filling — ordered for the fermented batter flavor and the crunch alone

Idli Sambar

Cloud-soft steamed rice cakes served with a sambar that tastes like it's been simmering all morning and two house chutneys

Medu Vada

Crunchy, airy lentil donuts with a well-seasoned, herb-flecked interior — best dunked directly into sambar

Rava Dosa

Lacy, semolina-based dosa with a distinctly crispy, web-like texture and nuttier flavor than the rice version

Parotta with Kurma

Flaky, layered flatbread served with a mildly spiced vegetable kurma — a Coimbatore street-food staple rarely done this well in the US

Weekend Meals (Thali)

A full South Indian lunch spread — rice, sambar, rasam, kootu, and rotating curries served on a banana leaf or stainless tray

Filter Coffee

Traditional South Indian degreased brew poured between tumbler and davara to build froth — strong, sweet, and indispensable at the end of any meal here