Cheap Eats 2011: Woodlands - Fairfax

It's a measure of the success of these southern Indian restaurants that meat-eating diners may forget they walked in prepared to sacrifice. That's because it doesn't feel like anything's missing from a meal when you dig into, say, the terrific rice-flour crepe known as a dosa--our favorite, the masala dosa, conceals a savory potato-and-onion hash. Tear off a piece and dip it in the coconut chutney.

The range of flavors is so wide that should you end up ordering nothing but veggie stews--we're partial to the baingan bhartha (blistered eggplants, tomatoes, onions), aloo gobi (potatoes, cauliflower), and palaak paneer (spinach and house-made cheese)--it'll still feel like a rich and varied feast.

Also good: Idli (steamed rice-flour cakes); channa masala (chickpea curry); malai kofta (veggie dumplings in almond curry); yellow dal.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.