Dosa on Fillmore

A classy, stylish Indian restaurant in the heart of San Francisco. I think it is one of a kind, where the ambiance makes you feel you should have dressed up a little more, may be something in black and red, the service is exemplary and extremely quick, and the food intoxicates your senses. Mind blowing!

The dimly lit, exotic looking chandeliers spruced up the interiors. There is a fairly big sized bar.

Dosa on Fillmore

We stopped by for dinner at 6 pm and were pleasantly surprised to know that the Happy Hour was on till 7 pm. We grabbed a couple of bar stools, ordered drinks and a Vada Pav. Well, it is a little pricey, given the location and the classiness, but it is worth every penny.

The waitress brought out a complimentary plate of Papad (a thin crispy cracker like munchee). Vada Pav is like Potato Slider. A fried potato patty is stuffed between bread, usually with a green chilli. A couple of spicy sauces (chutneys) are applied to the bread. The plate included a side of salad and a garlicky spicy dip.


Vada pav @ Dosa

We then ordered the Chili Garlic Masala Dosa. Dosa is more like an Injera. It is a savory rice and lentil crepe, served with tomato & fresh coconut chutney, and sambar, a flavorful lentil dipping soup made with vegetables and spices. The Dosa had a filling of potatoes and onions cooked with spices, called "Masala".
I have tried sambhar at a few other restaurants and nothing comes close to what you get here. It was piping hot till the last spoon.


Chili Garlic Masala Dosa @ Dosa

Here's how you eat it - Take a piece of the Dosa, dip it in the sambar, pile some chutney on it and pop it in your mouth. And, feel free to use your hands, the Ethiopian way.

It was really huge and very filling. We left the place quite sated. On reaching our hotel, I realized that I had left my cap beihind in the restaurant. The kind waiter had given it to the front desk, where it was waiting for me, when I went back for it.

This restaurant is a gem and we will have dinner here whenever we visit SFO. They are open only for dinner on week days. They also have another location, on Valencia. If you haven't been to Dosa, go right now!