This article is excerpted from the Utah Eats newsletter. To get the full newsletter every Wednesday, subscribe at sltrib.com/newsletters.
Hello, Eaters! As The Salt Lake Tribune’s food reporter, it’s always exciting to try something new. Recently, I had that experience at SV Cafe in West Jordan, at 1617 W. 9000 South.
SV Cafe is a vegetarian South Indian restaurant, run by restaurateur Lavanya Mahate — founder of the Saffron Valley restaurants — and philanthropist Dr. Dinesh Patel.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Lavanya Mahate at SV Cafe, a South Indian, all-vegetarian restaurant in West Jordan on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
Originally called Srivari Caffe, the restaurant was opened in 2017 by two Hindu priests, who were making the kind of food served in temples in India, Mahate told me. The priests moved away, though, and there wasn’t anyone running the restaurant.
Patel and his wife were regulars at the restaurant. Not wanting it to die, Patel decided to get involved in the business, and asked Mahate to join as a managing partner.
The two reopened the restaurant as SV Cafe in March. (SV stands for both Srivari Caffe and Saffron Valley.) One of the biggest changes they made was updating an interior wall with a mural of brightly colored Indian icons: a peacock, a Hindu temple, Lord Ganesha, a cup of Indian coffee, a chrysanthemum and more, all pictured above.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) SV Cafe, a South Indian, all-vegetarian restaurant in West Jordan on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
SV Cafe is a space for community, Mahate said. “It gives you a feeling that you’re in Little India, in San Francisco, or New Jersey, or back in India,” she said.
Take note that this is South Indian cuisine — think foods like the savory crepes called dosas, and various breads like poori, idlis and vadas served with vibrant chutneys, soups and stews. You won’t find North Indian foods like naan and curries on this menu. If that’s your only connection to Indian food, visit SV Cafe with an open mind and try something new — you’ll love it.
Being unfamiliar with the food at SV Cafe, I was happy to let Mahate recommend some things for me to taste. She suggested I try a dosa — the cafe’s signature menu item, which is pictured rolled up above — and the poori combo, which you can read more about by scrolling down to the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kesavan Rajendran prepares a dosa at SV Cafe, a South Indian, all-vegetarian restaurant in West Jordan on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
Dosas were invented in Indian homes as a breakfast dish about 2,000 years ago, Mahate said. They’re made by soaking rice and lentils overnight and then grinding them slowly into a batter that’s allowed to ferment, and then cooking that batter on a hot griddle. Dosas caught on as a street food in India, and are now gaining popularity in restaurants, to be served any time of day, she said.
At SV Cafe, you can order a dosa with all different types of vegetarian fillings, or just get one garnished with a little bit of ghee (clarified butter), like the one I tried.
You eat dosas with your fingers, breaking off pieces and dipping them into chutney or a lentil dipping soup called sambhar. Dosas are best eaten hot and fresh, Mahate said.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) SV Cafe, a South Indian, all-vegetarian restaurant in West Jordan on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
Eating dosas — and any food at SV Cafe — is a rich, sensory experience. “Eating with our fingers connects us more to the food and makes it more delicious,” she said.
If you go: SV Cafe is slightly hidden in the southeast corner of Redwood Road and 9000 South, in the same strip mall as Asian City. Although Mahate said they’ve ordered a new sign to reflect the restaurant’s updated name, for now, the old Srivari Caffe sign is still up. Look for strings of orange and yellow marigolds in the windows, and you’ll know you’re in the right place.
Live deliciously,
Kolbie
Food News
Openings:
• Health-centered local restaurant chain Vessel Kitchen, known for its “comfort food made new,” is opening a new location in Orem at 115 W Center St., according to a news release. There will be a grand opening celebration happening all day on Friday at the new spot, which is Vessel Kitchen’s ninth restaurant overall.
• Family-owned candy company Sir Walter Candy Company has opened a new store at 3828 S. Main St. in South Salt Lake, according to an Instagram post. Inside the gorgeous pastel-colored space, visitors can watch candy being made, as well as browse a selection of treats that include popcorn, ice cream, chocolate-covered strawberries and more.
Closings:
• Mochinut closed its Sugar House location on Highland Drive on Aug. 15, according to an Instagram post. Its other locations — in Park City, South Jordan and Ogden — are still open, the post said. Mochinut is known for its Korean corn dogs, boba tea and mochi doughnuts, which are a cross between Japanese rice cakes (mochi) and American doughnuts, the shop’s website states.
• Shades Brewing has temporarily closed its new Shades Brewery & Pub at 1388 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City due to a “dispute” with their landlord, according to an Instagram post, which says they hope to reopen by the end of October.
Booze (and Drink!) News
(High West Distillery) High West Distillery has come out with a new bourbon called Bottled in Bond.
• High West Distillery has come out with a new bourbon called Bottled in Bond, which is now available at their distillery in Wanship and will be coming to select liquor stores later this month. This is High West’s first-ever release made entirely from their in-house pot still bourbon, according to a news release. When sipped, this bourbon has multiple flavor notes including ginger snaps, roasted marshmallows, cocoa nibs and molasses, the release said.
• Mountain West Hard Cider has released a new hard cider as part of its Little Orchard Series, according to an Instagram post. Sage Advice is a late-summer peach and sage hard cider, the post says, that’s “semi-sweet, peach-forward and lightly herbal.” The new cider is available in the ciderhouse at Mountain West or in a growler to go.
Dish of the week
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Poori combo at SV Cafe, a South Indian, all-vegetarian restaurant in West Jordan on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.
For a colorful, multitextured introduction to South Indian cuisine, order the poori combo ($14.99), which comes with two pooris (puffy frybread), potato masala, an idli (steamed bread made with rice and lentils), a vada (like a savory doughnut), two chutneys, sambhar (lentil dipping soup) and a lightly sweet semolina pudding called kesari.
To eat any of the breads, just tear off pieces and dip them in the chutneys, sambhar or potato masala. There was a lot of discovery and surprise for me as I ate this tray of food, and I hope you find the experience as special as I did.