San Idli Vegetarian Cuisine: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

San Idli is a South Indian restaurant at 9550 Black Mountain Road, Suite G, in San Diego, and the whole menu is vegetarian. Meat and fish never appear on the menu, and the main site calls the food pure vegetarian. Paneer and yogurt rice put dairy on the menu, so vegans need to ask which dishes contain milk products.

San Idli belongs to a small group, and the company site lists three locations in San Diego, Phoenix, and Frisco. This profile covers the San Diego shop. The San Diego shop calls itself locally owned and specializes in South Indian vegetarian fast food, with idli, dosa, and chutney as the headline items.

Start with idli. Order a pair with chutney and sambar, or pick Mini Sambar Idli or Mini Podi Idli in ten-piece orders. Medhu Vada comes two to an order, and the Idli Vada Combo puts both on one plate. Pongal comes alone, or you can pair it with a vada.

Dosas fill the biggest section of the menu, from Plain Dosa, Masala Dosa, and Mysore Masala Dosa to Podi Dosa, Andhra Spicy Dosa, and a Chettinad-style San Dosa add heat. A reviewer quoted on the restaurant’s own site singles out the Rava Onion Chilli Dosa. Uthapam, a thick pancake, comes in Veg, Chilli, and Onion versions. For something bigger, you can order Poori Kurma, Poori Chole, or Veg Kothu Parota.

Thali is the other full meal, and every plate comes with rice, sambar, and items that change each day. Monday brings Beans and Carrot Poriyal, Peerkanai Kootu, and Milagu Rasam, with halwa for dessert. Thursday features Capsicum Usili and Garlic Rasam. Saturday and Sunday add avial. Weekday thalis cost less than weekend ones, so check the menu for the current price.

Sides and curries sell by the container, which helps when you want to build your own spread. The list has Sambar, Rasam, Poriyal, a vegetable Kootu, and Channa Masala. The Spicy Curry lists tamarind, tomato, and red chili as its main ingredients.

Rice dishes add range. Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice, Sambar Rice, and Yogurt Rice all appear. Veg Biryani appears based on availability. Indo-Chinese noodles and fried rice round out the list, with a paneer option. A Jain section offers vada, idli, chapathi, poori masala, and masala dosa made without root vegetables. For dessert, the menu lists Gulab Jamun. The main site also lists filter coffee.

Weekend breakfast combos let you pick several items, according to a reviewer quoted on the site. Groups can order in bulk. Curry combos with rice, sambar, rasam, poriyal, and kootu feed two or three people, and the restaurant offers catering and party bookings.

The San Diego page lists hours of 10am to 9:30pm Monday through Thursday and 9am to 9:30pm Friday through Sunday. Call (858) 800-1230 or order online through the shop’s own site.

Go on a weekend morning. Take a friend. Order the Masala Dosa and a pair of idlis, then ask for extra sambar.