Dosa

My girlfriend and I are always in conflict about where to eat since I'm vegetarian (I try to be vegan) and she is quite the carnivore. Dosa has always been the perfect choice since it offers so many amazing dishes for both of us. They have an unbelievable choice of salads, which is very unusual for an Indian joint. Their South Indian Mung sprouts has a wonderfully delicious crunch and is fantastically healthy. My girlfriend always get the Prawn Masala and will not deviate from that. They also serve an amazing Dahi Vada in organic yogurt that has all the right spicing to tickle your taste buds. We always start our meal with the Sparkling Riesling and have always been very well taken care of when we go there. Thank god it's so close to place in Bernal. Pros: Phenomenal food, warm ambiance, neighborhood feel Cons: Bit noisy more

I've been to Dosa about 3 or 4 times now and have always had a great experience. They were even very accomodating when some of my friends got wonderfully tipsy on the deceptively seductive cocktails. The food is to die for and vey, very well spiced and I should know because I grew up in India. I'm always surprised by how knowledgeable their staff is about Indian food considering none of them are. It does get a bit noisy at times but it definitely has great energy. Try the German Reislings or the Spanish or Australian Red Wines. It's alway on my top three restaurants when I have out-of-towners visiting. Pros: Hip ambiance, great energy, excellent wine & cocktails Cons: Parking is not alway easy more

We had a reservation for 8 people at 9-30 pm on a Saturday night and we reached there promptly at 9-15pm. We got our table EVENTUALLY at 10-40pm when everyone else had finally left. They have no notion of what a reservation means. The seating hostess had nothing to say except that people were refusing to leave after dinner. And the waitress was in so much of a hurry that she kept forgetting our orders and sometimes had to be reminded thrice to get a drink. She was also very impatient. The manager of the hotel did nothing to make our dinner better. For this of kind of uptight behavior, I'd rather eat any other Indian restuarant in San Francisco. This was my worst restaurant experience ever. Pros: Nothing Cons: The worst service ever more

Dosa is not your typical Indian restaurant-- they primarily serve Indian ""snack"" foods-- and the food is Delicious! The ambience is hip, though borders on loud. The wait for a table can be painful, but they accept reservations for groups of more than 8. The wine list is pretty good- they have some nice white wines that go with the spciy food. Pros: Tasty food, good portions, reasonable price Cons: Long waits, too loud for quiet conversation more

Phenomenal! Dosas - the food - are served with Sambar - lentil sauce - and chutneys and Dosa - the restaurant - makes the best Sambar Ive ever tasted. I was told that they make the sambar fresh everyday and you can definitely taste it. The spices and flavors are absolutely perfect. \r \r They also have the best Rieslings Ive tasted in a long time and the pairings with the spicy food were excellent. I went for the Fred Prinz Riesling Kabinett which had some sweetness and a hint of citrus flavors. \r \r We had the organic green salad with mango and sheeps feta and the crunch of the toasted walnuts was a nice little touch. Ive never had a decent salad at an Indian restaurant and this was one of the best salads Ive ever had. I started with the Chennai chicken, which, again, was amazing. I dont know how they do it but with my first morsel the flavors just massaged and seduced all the corners of my mouth. Even the chicken was so very tender, which is often so difficult to find. My date and I had the Mysore Dosa and the Prawn Masala for our main course. Im very familiar with this food on my frequent business trips to India and Dosa did a perfect job. We dug in with our fingers and dipped each morsel of the dosa into the sambar and the chutneys. The dosas had the right amount of crispiness, which is just the way I like them. All the flavors and textures came together in perfect unison. The Prawn Masala served with sweet Basmati rice, came with large jumbo prawns that had right level of juiciness and firmness. Even the service was informative and friendly and the ambiance had a nice alluring glow. \r \r While Dosa is a definitely casual dining place, Im very glad that theyve gone through the extra effort to create some unbelievable dishes with fresh, and often organic, ingredients that are authentic and delicious. \r \r Thumbs way up! Pros: Delicious food from start to finish, Perfectly paired wine list, Great Service more

The idli that you get as an appetizer is really poor. It is not soft and fluffy at all, quite disappointing. A friend of mine ordered egg oothappam. In other south Indian restaurants, egg oothappam means that the eggs will be poured on the oothappam while it is half cooked and then it blends in the oothappam and makes it soft and yummy. Here, the oothappam was made seperate and the omelet was placed on the oothappam. It is so not the right thing. Needless, to say he was quite disappointed as he ordered idli and egg oothappam. more

I walked into Dosa with high expectations after friends that I grew up with in Fremont kept raving about it. After an impatient 35 minute wait which was alleviated by an excellent glass Gerwurtzaminer I sat down with high expectations. After my first taste, I realized why all my Indian friends love this place. The dosas were excellent and the Pepper Chicken had all the wonderful flavors of a perfectly cooked curry. While I grew up as an Indian in Fremont, I needed affirmation from my dad who grew up in India. Last week, I returned with him again. He entered Dosa with reservations but was instantaneously won over after his first sip of the wonderfully complex and delicious Sambar. He loved the potato masala in the Masala dosa and devoured the Prawn coconut. I tried the potato croquet this time around which was surprisingly spicy and delicious. My father chose a large bottle of Taj, while I opted for an amazing glass of the Riesling Spatlese (sp?) based on the servers recommendation, which ended being a perfect pairing for the spiced flavors. The servers, none of whom were Indian, treated us like royals. Im very impressed that Dosa has managed to create environment comfortable enough for my parents and hip enough for my friends! They have won me over!!!!! Pros: Amazing food, great wine list, charming ambiance Cons: Slight wait during rush hour more

We tried to book for Saturday night, we were put in the waiting list and as soon as we arrived the staff accomodated us right away. We didn't have to wait. Great organization. As soon as I walked it the whole restaurant smelled like spices and I felt liked I wanted to sit down and start eating right away. The curry lamb and the prawns were delicious,perfectly cooked. I liked the lentis dumplings,light and full of flavor. The only disappointing part was desserts. I had some fried milk balls soaked in maple syrup. The balls were wet,too sweet and had a kinf of stange flavour to it. My husband a cheese dessert. Not very good at all. The cheese was served like a cream and it was basically king a yogurt. next time I will defently go for their icecream since besides these too dessert there was nothing else. I will defently go back and try the other dishes. more

BRAVO!!!!! My children treated me for a wonderful b'day dinner at Dosa back in december. Coming from Bangalore India, I have to say Dosa has the best south Indian cuisine. I loved the masala dosa, the sambar and chutney tasted very authentic ( better than my own!). ... got to taste pepper chicken, shrimp curry and lamb. Deeelicious!!! Being 53 the noice level was a bit much for me ....but that didn't stop me from going back again. this time it was a treat from one of my sons for mothers day on a sunday right after their doors opened, and it was much quieter. The staff is always friendly, you feel good being there. They always have a smile and very knowledgable of all the items on the menu ( even the non-indian ones). I don't think I will wait 5 months this time. Pros: friendly service, authentic taste, great ambiance more

Everything was impeccable - food, service, recommendations, wine/beer/cocktails, and the final bill. The staff and owner are extremely helpful with making recommendations and planning your meal. All dishes were so well balanced, flavorful and perfectly cooked. Dessert was perfect, taming down the often spicy dishes. Dosa is fabulous for groups as everything is very 'sharing' oriented. And the final bill... wow. Bottled waters, beer, several dishes, desserts, and it still came to less than $25 per person including tax and tip! The restaurant is also beautiful inside! Pros: Ambiance, Value, Delicious Food! Cons: parking, reservations only 5+, a bit noisy more

My friend and I decided to try Dosa on a Thursday night. When we arrived the hostess took down our name and told us that we could have a seat at the bar. When we approached the bar and there were no seats available. The hostess took notice immediately and walked us around the bar. She had two chairs brought over for us to sit on. We immediately noticed the simple, yet elegant decor. The owner came up to us and introduced himself and we were seated within a few moments. We ordered calamari as an appetizer, which was just amazing. The spices were phenomenal. My friend and I ordered the lamb dish and the chana Bhutura. They were both excellent. The added touch was that the owner was going from table to table to make sure all his guests were well taken care of. Wonderful Restaurant! Pros: good service, excellent food, beautiful atmosphere Cons: parking is difficult, small restaurant more

7. The most fragrant and incredible sambar known this side of the Bay. 6. Unique decore that is warm and infusing. 5. Crisp, full and appropriate wine selections. 4. Classy and charming waitresses who aren't afraid to take command of the menu to help out new-comers.. (Especially the little indian(?) one! I've never had such a satisfying meal recommendation) 3. LAMB. CURRY. 2. SPRING. DOSA. 1. Authenticity. more

I had been to Dosa in its second week of existence and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I returned about 4 months later after traveling and realized that they had improved everything to yet another level of excellence. The sambar (lentil dipping soup) was by far the best I have tasted. It had a kick that surprised me and yet drew me in for more. The channa bhatura was the most exquisite guilty pleasure I have allowed myself in recent memory. Being primarily a red wine drinker, I recently started pairing my dishes with the excellent German Rieslings that are reasonably priced. I have lived in India for many years and have become very particular about Indian food. Dosa is the ONLY Indian restaurant I frequent in SFsince all the others range from mediocre to awful. I was always leave Dosa feeling satiated in more ways than one! Pros: Best Sambar, Attentive Service, Excellent Value more

The South indian food that i ate in Dosa restaurant was better than the ones I tasted in any south indian restaurants in USA or the actual Tamilnadu. It tastes similar to the better ""Malabar"" version of the tamilnadu food. Malabar is the upper portion of the state of Kerala . People of malabar have redefined & refined food from all parts of india and made it taste better and non-oily. They also inherited some food from the Portugese,French and 5 Arab countries whom they had trade links with. Malabar was bestowed with the better tasting fish (similar to mediterranean) and spices like Malabar pepper (Also Malabar people use a few extra non-hot spices for which there are no english names or Hindi equivalents because you get those only there). . That is why 4 european and 5 arab countries had links with Malabar in the past. Saleel Pros: Crispy & Original, Soft at the same time, Fresh ingredients more

The best thing about Indian foods and spices is the multi-dimensional blending of tastes and spices. Everything we had at Dosa was one-dimensional. The green chile & coriander uttapam was spicy (which I like), but the spiciness overpowered everything else, and covered up the bland uttapam. The Masala Dosa was huge, but there was hardly enough filling masala, which was very bland. The The Russian soju was poorly mixed for $8. This was my first dosa experience and I was disappointed. Dosa's decor, however, feels cozy and warm. I love the deep orange walls, the high ceilings, and spacious dining area. However the tables are too small. Probably a good date place if you don't care about how your food tastes. I left hungry. Pros: Decor, Cozy Cons: Snappy service, Bad value, Small tables more

Dosa is not only my favorite Indian restaurant it's one my favorite restaurants across the Bay Area. Growing up with this food at home, Dosa provides a dining experience par excellence. The prices are very reasonable for a SF restaurant, the wine pairings for this style of cuisine is nothing I've ever seen before, the ambiance is chic yet very comfortable and the service is considerate and efficient. All-in-all a quintessential SF experience!! The curries (lamb, prawans & chicken) are masterful layered with spices that danced across the far reaches of mouth. Dosa had better stick around for a long, long time cause it is now part of my weekly pilgrimage. Pros: Perfectly Spiced food, Excellent Service, Great wine pairings Cons: Wait at rush hour more

my dosa came out late and was so cold, so that pissed me off. they were cold and were overly spiced. Our waiter did not pay attention to us. and it was so loud. i would still perfer rasoi for the most exotic, exquisit cuisine. p.s i've tasted way better food then this Cons: food, service, value more

I've been eating dosai since my first baby teeth came in, so I went in quite skeptically, but left eating out of Dosa's palm. The room is minimally decorated, but warm and inviting. My mother and father ordered the Rasam, which was prepared perfectly and served with a side of papadum. I gave our enchanting waitress the 5th degree about the difference between a Masala Uttapam and a Dosa Masala, which she answered expertly, making them both sound more delicious in the process, (maybe she was indian?) We had to get both! The food was so fresh and fragrant and the sambar is outstanding. In india i had gotten so used to my mom having a full bowl of sambar left at the end of the meal that i was surprised to see her scooping out the last bites with her spoon. Exquisite food, friendly and knowledgable staff and service. more

Dosa is phenominal! Theres a reason its in the top 100 restuarants amongst thousands in San Francisco. From the hostess kindly calling my cell phone when my table was ready as my party had a beer down the street at Amnesia because Dosa was absolutely slammed on a Tuesday night, to the waiter guiding us through the menu and personally making food and wine recommendations that were extremely helpful for a mix group of Indian food lovers with one common goal of eatting amazing food. The Tamil Lamb Curry and the Prawn Coconut Masala were awesome. The waiter also recommended the Dahi Rice (Organic Yogurt served with Basmati rice) which was an instant favorite, and a must order for next time. Also a must order is the Bathura and Dosa Masala. Its so refreshing to be amongst the elite that set the restaurant standards so high! Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere more

I have been a lover of fine Indian cuisine for several years, and I must say that the menu at DOSA is refreshing! If your palette is at all discerning, I recommend you make reservations and invite your family and friends to enjoy a memorable night of familiar ingredients cooked the South Indian way. The atmosphere in DOSA is altogether warm. It begins with the owners, who are a married couple sharing the load, and the love, of seeing their dream of owning a restaurant actually come to pass. The wait staff is kind and knowledgable and truly seem to enjoy being at work! The ambiance is created with candles and softly lit hanging lamps and really makes for an easy place to unwind with a glass of wine, a great meal, and your favorite people. Pros: Parking, Food, Service Cons: Need Reservations more