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DOSA is already one of San Francisco’s most popular Indian restaurants, with two bustling locations. Now, with dosa by Dosa, husband-and-wife owners Anjan and Emily Mitra are expanding to the East Bay and moving to a counter-service model.
In an uptown already crowded with restaurant competitors — and gaining more every day — dosa by DOSA offers a casual feel with a high culinary pedigree.
The vibe: dosa by DOSA is a striking presence on Broadway, with high ceilings and abundant natural light. The space aims to capture the spirit of an Indian street market in a space that is airy and clean. A huge photo mural of Dehli’s Moonlight Square market, Chandni Chowk, dominates one wall. Diners can enter and grab a menu, then a seat, if they need time to decide, then order at the front counter. Staff will deliver your drinks and food to your table.
It’s a great place to meet a friend for a drink and a snack after work, grab a meal before a show at the Fox, or have a quiet lunch curled up in a corner with a good book. You can go with one of their frozen slushee drinks and a few small bites, or have a full meal.
The food: The dosas themselves are the stars of the restaurant; as thin and delicate as a potato chip (and crispier than what you may think of as a “normal” dosa), and the size of a cymbal. You can see them on the grill through the kitchen windows, then watch in awe as they’re rolled up and delivered. Dosas are served with a filling of your choice — masala potatoes, butter chicken, Tamil lamb and more — and sides of sambar and chutney. The menu includes “street wraps” made with roti and rice bowls. If you’re looking for that snack we talked about above, grab an order of naan, idli fries, samosas or kebabs from the small plates menu. Breakfast is available, too, both in the form of dosas or naan with scrambled eggs.
This spot has a full bar, with a “Spice Route” cocktail list ($11 each) that enhance traditional drinks with the spices and flavors popular in Indian cuisine, bringing in cardamom, mango, chile, fennel and more. The Slushies ($8 each) offer tropical flavors in a frozen drink; the cooling sensation of the rum-spiked Shoeflower Cooler, made with passion fruit, ginger, orange and lime, was very important to me as I contended with surprising heat from the Prawn Masala street wrap.
Details: dosa by DOSA, 2301 Broadway, Oakland. Open 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, open at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. www.dosasf.com.