Udupi Palace Restaurant   

You know the type of restaurant: you walk by and there's nothing in its external presentation that grabs you or distinguishes it from any of the other restaurants in the area. Then you go in on a hunch, figuring its something different to try, and after one meal you can't stop recommending it to friends. That's Udupi Palace. Humbly huddled among all the restaurants that pepper Devon Avenue, Udupi separates itself from the rest of the pack by offering what few others do: a strictly vegetarian menu firmly rooted in Southern India. Unlike most of the popular Indian restaurants and buffets, Udupi eschews the tomato- and tandoori-rich Northern Indian tradition for a lentil-based menu. Though some familiar and popular dishes are served, such as the spicy eggplant entree baigan bharta, many of the items will be new to those unaccustomed to Southern Subcontinental cuisine. The menu is filled with veggie delights, simmered with spices imported fresh from India, and cooked on gargantuan grills in back. Save room for the trademark dosai -- lentil and rice crepes -- because though they're light and delicious, they are mammoth enough to double as luggage. -- Jonathan Messinger