Saravanna Bhavan - Frisco, TX

I have to be honest about this one.  I'm new to Indian food not served on a buffet.  And since I typically hate buffets, I am not extremely knowledgeable about Indian food.  After my experience at Saravanna, I am definitely going to get more acquainted.
Saravanna is a Southern Indian, all vegan restaurant.  Don't let this scare you.  There are plenty of other things to scare you but this shouldn't be one of them.
Upon entering, signage is clear:  The wait staff will seat you.  Everyone I met was very nice... this is quite different from other Indian restaurants I'd been to but I was later told that's more of a northern Indian thing. It's like the USA only less fried and definitely less meat.   The decorations are clean, open, airy, and tasteful. The kitchen is in the room behind a glass and you can watch your food get prepared without hearing the sizzles and smelling the smells.  I like sizzles and smells most of the time but in a restaurant that has multiple curries, I can see the benefit of this.  I'll give them a point.
There was a water pitcher on the table in a shiny pitcher.  Points for shiny and points for self serve water.  This saves the waitress from having to stand there while you deliberate about getting a beverage that is going to cost money and then decide to be "healthy" and get water.  This also saves me from getting fruit in my water... I hate fruit in my water unless it's Lemon and sugar all mixed together.
The waitress gave us a menu.  I was with my good friend CT who is a vegetarian and was really excited to finally have options.  The waitress turned my menu to page 3 and said, "Americans usually order from this section."  I was amazed she knew I was an American.  I've always thought I looked British... except my teeth are straight.
CT and I are both experienced travelers, and decided to order from the Indian portion of the menu.  It was sort of a sampler and since I'm not up on my Hindi, Indie, or Sanscrit, I'll just say that I ordered food that had names like "Poodie" "Padi" "Soodi" "Sadie" and "Satan's pickle"... but more on that.  The couple next to CT and I overheard us say that it was our first visit.  We struck up a conversation and they ended up really helping out.
Our food arrived in a large, round tray.  A giant bowl of rice in the middle and several small containers of dips encircling the rice.  On top of the rice was a giant piece of puffed bread.  Sort of like naan but puffy.  The texture of the surrounding dips moved sequentially from soup all the way to porridge and a smaller dish at the end with a little pickle sitting in a red sauce.
I tasted a little of the soup... Pootie, I think it was called.  The pootie was good but our friendly neighbors began shouting, "no no no! You aren't eating it right." Great, now I'm self conscious.  Self conscious and gun shy.  I guess I'll have to add Indian food to my list of gun shy activities.  Truth or dare, Open stalled urinals, and Indian food.
Luckily, the friendly neighbor man walked over to our table and began instructing us how to properly eat the food of his people.  He was soon joined by our waiter and they would converse in non-American then instruct us on how to eat the Rooti, Tootie, and Tadi.  They began telling us of the health benefits of each dish.  Lots of fiber...
I got hung up on the flavors.  So light yet vibrant.  Each texture and taste hitting the tongue differently so as not to completely annihilate the previous dish.  Then I realized they were going in levels of heat too.  The waiter asked if the spice level was ok (points off for timing) and I assured him it was fine and that I have a condition that makes my upper lip drip like that. I was able to tame the heat by dumping it over a bit of rice on the banana leaf provided on the tray.
CT was not as lucky.  She doesn't eat much rice and made it around the circle before I did.  Poor thing popped that pickle right in her mouth.  The place got quiet and I saw one of the wait staff cross themselves (do Hindus do that?).  Her eyes popped open and she explained, in between expletives, that the pickle was actually a small piece of Satan's nipple and under no condition should I eat it.  I dipped the tip of my fork in the sauce and concluded she was right.
We rounded out the meal trying to learn the Indian translation for some of CT's words and with a cup of Indian coffee.  The coffee was heavy with a chai spice and the cream used in it was light, sweet, and didn't overpower the drink.  I need to learn what was in this.  My ears were ringing by this point and I think some sweat had blocked my right ear canal so I'll get the ingredients on my next visit.
A healthy meal, friendly staff, clean environment:  I give this place a 9.5.  If they would have warned us about Satan's pickle, it would have been a perfect 10.
Even a few hours later, as I sit here in the john with "Chocolate Rain" on repeat, I am eagerly awaiting my next trip.

Happy Eating, Y'all.