Udupi Palace

Love this place. Been coming here for years. The service is always really great. My girlfriend can’t have lactose and they made sure to tell us which dishes were lactose free and took care of all our needs. Our server Samir was so helpful and it was a great time. Always come back here when I’m in town.

We introduced friends to South Indian food at Udupi Palace and it was the perfect choice. We ordered masala dosa, onion–rava dosa, mixed-vegetable uttapam, idli (with its softer, different batter), avial. Everything was fresh, fast, fully vegetarian, and a clear contrast to North Indian dishes people usually know. Don’t miss the filter coffee or the Indian tea boiled with milk. The restaurant is at 18635 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA, with metered street parking and a nearby lot.

I’m really upset that I have to write this, but I feel like I need to share what happened to protect my someone else like me. I have a severe nut allergy and I called ahead before coming in to make sure it would be safe for me to eat here. I specifically asked if any of the chutneys contained peanuts or cashews, and I was told no. I also asked about dosas and whether any contained nuts or were made on shared pans. Over the phone I was told no, and said they are very allergen friendly. When I arrived, I was then told in person that the coconut chutney actually contains cashews and that I shouldn’t eat it. Also, I was informed there is a paneer dosa that contains cashews. That immediately worried me because it contradicted what I had just been told on the phone and would have had second thoughts about coming here as my intention was to eat dosa in a safe environment which they had assured. So trying to be as careful as possible, I ordered the South Indian thali (approx$17). The staff did help remove all the gravies since they said those contained nuts, and they substituted sambars and rasams instead. They assured me the beetroot poriyal would be safe. Since they were closing, I only ate the sambar and rasam there and saved the beetroot for later. When I got home, I noticed the beetroot poriyal had peas in it, which isn’t typical for the dish and made me uneasy. Shortly after eating it, I went into anaphylaxis. Even while living in India with my tree nut and peanut allergy, I haven't gone into anaphylaxis while eating a south Indian thali because south Indian food usually is a safer option as most don't contain nuts. But this was a gross cross contamination leading to anaphylaxis. When you have a life-threatening allergy, you rely completely on clear and accurate information from restaurants. I just wish they had been more honest and consistent upfront so that we didnt have to go through this experience. The inconsistent answers and what ultimately happened put me in a very dangerous situation. The server was extremely helpful and checked so many times with the kitchen. But at the end of the day, if there’s a mistake in the kitchen, it can have fatal consequences. My friend also ordered everything nut allergy friendly just for me to be safe but they still placed the coconut chutney with cashew on the table! I really hope the restaurant takes allergen communication and cross-contamination more seriously. No one should have to go through something like this just from trying to have a meal out.

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