Indian Restaurant Food

I’ve tried many places in SF, and while I do love Naan N Curry, Dosa on Valencia is my absolute favorite indian restaurant in the area.

Ambiance/Atmosphere

They have great lighting, tasteful wall decor and the seats feel cozy to me. It’s a great place to go on a date, and they usually do pretty well at allowing couples to have privacy while still being attentive.

Appetizers

I like to order he paneer roti wrap along with the chickpea soup for a good combo of starch and soup. Other recommendations include the Chennai Chicken and lentil dumplings.

Main Dishes

One of my favorites is the 5 Indian Moons, which is the chef’s choice of 5 uttamapams, accompanied with chutney and sambar. It’s like being taken on a journey to 5 wonderful islands, each one with a new amazing taste sensation. The Spicy Ming Masal Dosa is also very impressive – the spice is powerful, but not overdone so I could still taste the subtle flavors while simultaneously enjoying the heat as well.

The Paneer and Peas Dosa comes in 3 big rolls along with the sambar, which is definitely needed. It’s very rich and creamy, and combined with the sambar, tastes great. If you’re looking for another spicy dosa, try out the habanero mango dosa which has a great combination of sweet and spicy – with emphasis on the spicy. The coconut and lemon rice was absolutely out of this world. The way the lemon butter combines with the slight sweetness of coconut and melts on your tongue as you chew is completely unforgettable.

Desserts

While I come primarily for the main courses, the desserts don’t disappoint either. I recommend the little donut balls in syrup which were nice and crunchy with a sweet finish, and also the rice pudding in rose water, which is a less in your face flavor, but still soothingly satisfying.

Overall

While some might say this place is overpriced, if you’re not desperately hungry and you’re looking for a place with a nice ambiance, I think you can’t go wrong with Dosa on Valencia. I’ve heard some people complain that dosa’s are simply ‘breakfast food’ and that people are paying a premium for essentially ‘toast and eggs.’ I understand that sentiment, but it sounds like you’re looking for another genre of restaurant. For me, the whole package deal is worth it, and from the South Indians I’ve talked to, this place is definitely legitimately delicious.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.