According to the San Francisco Business Times, the Bay Area-based vegetarian concept Idly Express plans to debut its sixth location in the region.
Coming to 1145 Polk Street in San Francisco, the eatery will land near establishments such as Acquerello, Himalayan Cuisine, and Karahi House.
The concept’s owner, Jay Jayaraman, tells What Now San Francisco a little about how Idly Express came into existence: “We wanted to open something in the Bay Area… I asked myself, ‘What is it in my cuisine that can offer?'”
“Idly is a steamed rice cake, considered the healthiest breakfast in the entire world,” he continues. “We launched in Milpitas in 2021… now we have four locations in the Bay Area.”
On the menu are different types of idly — a common breakfast dish in South India; a kind of steamed cake made from a fermented batter of lentils and rice, often served with chutney and sambhar — alongside sweet and salty snacks and beverages such as mango lassi and rose milk.
The spokesperson for Dolmen Property Group, Michelle Hughes, shares his opinion on the business’s upcoming Lower Nob Hill location with the Business Times: “Idly Express are a strong tenant to join the neighborhood who, like many other restaurateurs, have chosen to bring their concept back to San Francisco from the peninsula.”
He continues, “Polk Street is a central location for delivery app pick up now that apartments are starting to fill back up across the city. Smart restaurateurs see the value in that, which has motivated us to move forward with a custom build-out of the one remaining space, for which we have already seen significant interest in.”
Regarding the opening date, “September 15 is what we’re targeting,” shares Jayaraman. Stay tuned for updates.
