South Indian micro-cuisine draws lines at Bay Area Mylapore restaurants

"Holding a cup in the air the man aims a hot stream of foaming milk into a stainless steel tumbler sitting inside a steel davara that rests on the counter. In a mind-numbing aha moment for me, coffee rises inside the tumbler, its froth and bubble puncturing the air with the force of a million coffee beans as I inhale the scent of the filter coffee of my roots."

"On the tea-time menu that Wednesday is Vazhakkai Bajji, green plantain slivers folded into spicy chickpea batter, deep-fried a crisp orange-brown and presented on a banana leaf with a coconut dipping chutney on the side. They are four long ovals that those of us born and raised in South India bite into greedily to go aboard a nostalgia express to the hinterland of India's Tamil Nadu."

"Mylapore's all-day menu boasts several combinations of items for tiffin which is a term from British India for a snack or a light lunch as well as an elaborate lunchtime thali, typically served on a large, round platter with smaller bowls containing dishes like lentils, seasonal vegetables and rice or a bread or both to create a full, balanced meal."

Mylapore South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant at San Jose's Westgate Center mall offers authentic South Indian cuisine that transports diners to Tamil Nadu. The restaurant features traditional filter coffee prepared with the iconic pour technique, creating aromatic foaming milk coffee. The tea-time menu includes Vazhakkai Bajji, crispy green plantain fritters served with coconut chutney on banana leaves. The all-day menu offers tiffin items, light snacks from British Indian tradition, and elaborate lunchtime thalis served on large round platters with smaller bowls containing lentils, seasonal vegetables, rice, and bread. The restaurant's name derives from a Chennai suburb known for its Tamil cultural heritage and ancient Coromandel Coast port history.

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