If you happen to harbor some uncertainty when it comes to Udupi Palace’s menu, simplify things by ordering a thali, a combination plate that pairs up most of the restaurant’s regional standards. Take the South Indian thali, for example, which includes rasam (a varying South Indian soup based on everything from tamarind to tomato), sambar (a chowder-like mix of chopped vegetables), daal (a split-bean stew), rice, chappati (a soft flatbread staple), raita (a yogurt-based cucumber dip), papad (a crisp, cracker-like flatbread) and payasam (a coconut rice noodle pudding). Together it all makes for a liquid-heavy meal, but take enough time with each component (making sure to swipe through some flatbread), and every one of the thali’s stuffed metal cups will reveal a certain charm, from the complex spices of the sambar, to the saffron and cardamom cues of the payasam.

UDUPI PALACE 18635 PIONEER BLVD | ARTESIA 90701 | 562.860.1950 | UDUPIPALACE.NET | OPEN TUES-SUN 11:30AM-9:45PM | FOOD FOR TWO $15-30

Tags: artesia, dinner, indian, lunch, udupi palace