Profile

Though a proverbial stone's throw away from Curry Row, the Madras Café's distinctive cooking is a step up from its neighbors' 25-restaurants-all-sharing-one-kitchen cuisine. The vegetarian menu specializes in Udupi cuisine from the primarily Hindu state of Karnataka, in South India, where chili, ginger, cilantro, and black mustard seeds are frequent refrains. Rasam, a thin peppery soup, comes with rice and lentils in a savory tamarind-based broth. Keerai masiyal is a spinach, tomato, and garlic dish, bound together with a paste of mashed red lentils. Golden dosa crepes are served with a potato masala, fiery chili chutney optional. The non-dairy mango lassi is nearly as creamy as the real thing, and only slightly diminished by its soy aftertaste. The restaurant's interior feels homemade, with streaks of dark orange paint on distressed walls, and photos of dosas beneath glass-topped tables. In comparison to some nearby eateries, however, the décor seems like sophisticated restraint. — Ethan Wolff

Masala dosai, $8.95; chana masala, $8.95; keerai masiyal, $9.95