Sambar By The Bay: Dosa

There are a number of times that I have asked and been asked the question - "If there was only one type of food you could eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?" Invariably, I have only one answer to that - South Indian, and more specifically, dosa. It is far and away my favourite food. The crisp rice-lentil pancake accompanied by a steaming hot bowl of sambar, potato masala and chutney just make for a perfect, well balanced meal. It is my first meal in the morning each time I go home and the only dish I can really eat multiple sittings in a row! There was a time back in college that any trip to New York would always involve a first stop at Pongal, which at the time was the only place in the city you could get a decent dosa. Times have changed since then and the arrival of Saravanaa Bhavan and Tiffinwallah have made Pongal an afterthought for dosa in New York. However, as I have discovered on some of my recent trips there, the Bay Area has developed its own contender in the imaginatively named Dosa.

Dosa has two locations in San Francisco - one on Valencia and the other on Fillmore. While both my trips have been to the location on Valencia, both seem equally popular judging by the lack of available reservations. Our hostess was kind enough to hold our table for 20 minutes when we were running late the last time, but it wouldn't have been long before she would have to give in to the number of people waiting for a table on a Sunday night. The friendliness of the staff is evident even in the service once seated at your table and definitely helps with the overall experience of eating here. The setting itself is relatively pleasant but simple - bright orange walls, wooden chairs but with back to back tables cramped in like airplane seats. Its not the most elegant of atmospheres, but definitely stands apart when compared to a lot of other South Indian restaurants.

The other unique thing about Dosa is that its menu is not all vegetarian. While Dosa is decidedly South Indian, it is not an "udipi" and seems to pride itself on some of the curries and other non-vegetarian dishes offered as well. This probably shows through in the diversity of the diners present in the restaurant as well in that there are many non-Indian locals present. The menu is varied, and while the focus remains on the dosas and uttapams, there is something to be said about the vada pav or the Tamil vegetable curry giving them a run for their money.

While my brother and I stuck to the dosa / uttapam the last time I was there, SS and I had actually made it out once before when I got to try an appetizer of the mung sprouts salad. Completely healthy choice to start off with but it was extremely delicious as well. The fried papadums that come out as a snack are exactly the opposite of healthy, but a nice alternative all the same. My downfall lay in the dosa I was to order next. The habanero mango masala comes with a warning on the menu and was doubled up by the server asking me if I was sure I could handle the intense heat. Having been through a number of faux spice claims, I brushed it off as I would any other. To my chagrin, it was the one time where the product was as advertised and had me gasping for breath and feeling in my tongue half way through my meal. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the dosa. Its just that I couldn't get past the third bite.

Having learnt from my mistake, I ordered the South Indian Moons the next time around - a selection of five different uttapams from the menu. While each of them was very good and unique (aloo masala uttapam anyone?), I wasn't too big a fan of the paneer and peas version. There is something to be said about innovative cuisine, but when it comes to the classics, I think it is best to leave a good thing unchanged. The tomato and onion uttapam and the chile and cilantro versions exemplified this and were the stars of the selection. My brother ordered the cilantro mint masala dosa which was also an interesting play on combining some very traditional ingredients. What makes Dosa great though is its sambar . I firmly believe the quality of any South Indian restaurant needs to be judged by its sambar and the version at Dosa is definitely the highlight of the meal. It is light and tasty with just the right amount of spice and that perfect stewy consistency which allows you to dip your dosa in it or just eat it with a spoon. Sambar can make or break a South Indian restaurant but Dosa's comes through with flying colours.

I wish I got out to San Francisco often enough to try some of the other dishes on Dosa's menu. The table sitting next to us ordered the chana bhatura which looked extremely delicious. The various rices (yogurt, coconut, lemon) and chutneys (tomato, coconut, tamarind, cilantro-mint, eggplant and yes, habanero) all sound worthy of a try as well. And yet, I get the feeling that somehow I will be drawn to the dosa each time for one simple reason. Not since the sambar at MTR in Bangalore have I remembered a sambar with such fondness as the one at Dosa. If only I didn't have to be by the Bay to be able to get some.

Dosa is on 995 Valencia Street and 1700 Fillmore Street in San Francisco. Moderately Expensive. Very Veggie Friendly. Highly Recommended.
http://dosasf.com/










Photo Credit: Dosa