Dosa Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Dosa is a South Indian Restaurant with 2 locations in San Francisco. We had dinner at the several month old Fillmore street location, which is across the street from the Sundance Theater in Japantown.
They focus on organic and sustainable ingredients and even use Indian spices in their cocktails.

Decor, Vibe – New stylish decor with Indian accents. Big communal table in the bar in case you did not make reservations. Techno music booming away. People in their 30′s and 40′s were packing in this place. This place was a scene.

Menu Pictures

Website Menu

Delicious complimentary Pappadum salty and spicy freshly friend chips

Picks:

Chennai Chicken ($9.50) Boneless organic Fulton Valley chicken marinated in Strauss organic yogurt with coriander & cumin, fried were crunchy, very good, and a little spicy.

Dahi Vada Lentil dumplings ($9) topped with cool Strauss organic yogurt, piped with tamarind & mint, mildly spiced was very good. Interesting combination of a hidden dumpling and the yogurt sauce.

Onion Pakora ($8) Sliced onions seasoned in chickpea batter, fried, garnished with cilantro and flash fried curry leaves was tasty. Basically deep fried onion strings.

Tamil Lamb Curry ($16.50) Free-range & natural, fennel, tomatoes, poppy seeds, caramelized onions & spices had lots of lamb that was not gamey. Pretty spicy and very tender.
They said it was great w/ lemon rice so we ordered some and it did go well. The lemon rice was a weird combination.

Basmati Rice Side ($3) Aromatically flavored with Coconut was delicious and not too heavy handed.

Masala ($10) The classic dosa filled with creamy spiced potatoes, onions, and cashew nuts (masala) was huge. The dosa was crispy and fresh. The potato filling was not overwhelming and pretty sedate.
This savory rice and lentil crepe was served with tomato & fresh coconut chutney, and sambar, a flavorful lentil dipping soup made with vegetables and spices.

Poori ($4.50) Two puffy round pieces of fried bread made from whole grain durum wheat (vegan) was very crunchy and very tasty.

Natural Mango ($4.50) Sweet ($4.50) Lassi was a refreshing natural yogurt drink. Well done.

OK:

Paratha ($2.50) Unleavened flat wheat bread, pan fried was pretty basic. Nothing special.

Juhu Palm Cocktail ($10) DH Krahn Gin, coconut milk, lime juice, Kaffir lime leaf, bird’s eye chili served up with a spanked curry leaf was an interesting combination of a coconut oriented drink that was spicy but not very strong. Do not drink this to reduce the heat.

Pans:

Gulab Jamoon ($5) Two soft, lightly-fried milk and dough balls served in a warm, cardamom flavored sugar syrup had a weird texture and was bathed in a super sweet sauce.
Head into Japantown and get a crepe for desert.

Dosa had very good service. No need to ask for water or to hail down servers. Even more rare is a list of what potential allergens their dishes contain. They add 4% to cover San Francisco health insurance costs. Glasses of wine start at $8, bottles from $30, corkage $25.
Dosa is a good South Indian to eat at. The food was good, atmosphere very nice, and location very strategic for movie goers. You can park in the Japantown parking garages and visit Japantown afterwards.

Also at:
995 Valencia (@21st Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-642-3672
Opentable

Book Dosa Reservation

$25 Dining Certificate for $5

Dosa Overall Rating: (Very Good 2.5)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Very Good)
Service Rating:	(Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Excellent)
Value Rating:	(Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Full Bar
Attire:	Dressy
Hours:	Daily 1130am-3:30pm, 5:30pm-Midnight
Parking:	Street
Reservations:	Yes
Prices:	$10 - $26