I had first visited Dosa, a South Indian restaurant in San Francisco, over this past summer. The restaurant has two locations within the city; one on Valencia Street in the Mission District and one on Fillmore Street near Japantown. Now South Indian cuisine is actually very different compared to North Indian cuisine which is typically served at most Indian restaurants.

In South Indian cuisine, the food is typically spicier than North Indian cuisine. They also use ingredients such as coconut milk, tamarind, and curry leaves which aren’t used in North Indian cuisine. Typical South Indian dishes include dosa (stuffed fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils), idli (savory rice patty), and vada (savory fritter).

My first time at Dosa, I went to their Valencia Street location so this time I decided to go to their bigger restaurant located on Fillmore.

We mostly ordered items that our waiter suggested as their most popular dishes.

Mandarin and Lentil Salad with Black Eyed Peas, Avocado, Coconut, and Pomegranate (6.5-7/10).

Spicy Vindaloo Style Shredded Duck with Onion Uttapam (7.5/10).

Chennai Chicken Marinated in Yogurt, Cumin, and Coriander (7/10).

Masala Dosa: Mashed Spiced Potatoes, Onions, and Cashew Nuts with Tomato Chutney, Sambar, and Coconut Sauce (7/10).

Inside the Dosa.

Halibut Moilee with Coconut Sauce with Cumin and Coriander with Coconut Rice and Vegetables (7.5-8/10).

Dosa was a nice change from the typical dishes you might find in most Indian restaurants. My favorite dishes of the dinner were the spicy vindaloo duck, the dosa, and the halibut. The spicy vindaloo shredded duck was extremely flavorful with tender meat served on top of a fluffy pancake, uttapam. However, I would not recommend this dish to people who do not like spicy food as this was the spiciest dish of the night. Next, the masala dosa was well made and tasted delicious. The crepe had a crisp crust with a soft interior and a slightly sour flavor which paired beautifully with the potatoes mixed with spices and onions. The dosa is served with tomato chutney, sambar (lentil and vegetable dipping soup), and coconut sauce. Our main course, the halibut moilee, was super tasty with moist white fish smothered in a scrumptious sweet yet spicy coconut sauce served with aromatic coconut rice and vegetables.

Overall, I’d rate Dosa at a 7/10. If you enjoy Indian food but want to explore other dishes then I would recommend coming to Dosa for yummy South Indian cuisine.