Lots of Indians Is Always A Good Thing

I can't think of a better first post to begin with than the Chaat Cafe in Crocker Galleria, my favorite lunchtime indulgence.  It is situated on the top level of the Galleria, and at lunchtime during the week, is always packed with people, particularly Indian clientele.  Which can only be a good thing in any Indian establishment.  Aside from the thrill of potentially running into a long lost cousin, the food is very clean, tasty and fairly affordable for a Financial District lunch. Lunchtime food ranges from Indian-style sandwiches and salads to authentic thalis, lassis and chaat food. 

My favorite is the chicken tikka plate:

It comes with 3 generous portions of tandoori chicken, basmati rice, a side of dal or curry sauce, a garlic naan and a cucumber salad (hidden underneath the mountain of naan in this picture).  The chicken is incredibly tender, the sauce is sort of spicy, but you can fire it up with chutneys from the chutney bar, and there is more rice and naan than the average carb-starved San Franciscan can handle, all for $8.

When I go with a group of people, I also like to share the Bhel Puri appetizer:



It consists of rice puffs, crispy noodles, potatoes, green chili, and onions mixed together with tamarind and mint chutneys.  It's basically a mixture of crunchy, tangy, sweet, tart, and spicy all in one, an explosion of flavors all in one bite.  It's not the best Bhel Puri I've ever had, but is pretty good regardless. Good luck going back to work after this one. (Best Bhel Puri = Vik's Chaat House in Berkeley)

Chaat Cafe has 2 locations in SF, one in Berkeley, one in San Jose and one in Fremont.  And of course they use only fresh Halal chicken and lamb and source only organic vegetables.

If you time your lunch right, you can catch the Thursday Farmer's Market at Crocker Galleria and grab some fruits or munch on samples:

Restaurant:	Chaat Café Express
Location:	Crocker Galleria, 50 Post St. SF, CA
Items ordered:	Chicken Tikka Plate with Curry Sauce; Bhel Puri
Pricing:	Under $10
Grades:	Taste: A-; Cleanliness: A; Service: B+