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South Indian - House of Dosas Restaurant(972 total words in this text) (806 Reads) 
1391 Kingsway
Vancouver, British Columbia
Tel: (604)875-1283
This neighborhood restaurant was highly recommended by a good friend of mine who supports local restaurants rather the usual chain restaurants. I had never heard of Dosas and thought to check it out.
House of Dosas is a medium size restaurant that serves Sri Lanka - South Indian cuisine. This gem is not hard to miss, as it is located on the Northwest corner of Kingsway and Knight Street. You will see the neon sign advertisement across the window blinking.
Dosas are crepes filled with savory fillings like variety of meats and / or vegetables for vegetarians. It is not the kind of crepes you would expect as they are unique on their own. They are very flavorful as a lot of Indian dishes are spiced really well.
You will find the service very personable as the owner welcomed and greeted us to our seats.
We started off with a cup of chai to warm up after the cold weather. Then with a couple of appetizers, Vadai a doughnut made out of chick peas and pakoras, medium spiced bite size pieces accompanied with hot sauce for dipping. For our main entrees, we order the Paper Malsala and Lamb Dosas accompanied with coconut chutney and lentil soup. Since this was my first time, I really didn’t know what to expect. Expect your dosa to come to you on a large plate as it measures about one foot long. The filling take up about half the size of the dosa. If you order the, paper dosa, it will be longer than the regular one but thinner. If your eyes tend to be bigger than your stomach, then you’ll enjoy the image of the size. Be sure to try their special sauce for that extra bite.
You will find that the prices are very affordable and it is an experience you may want to come back again as they offer a lot in the menu. It offers something out of the ordinary for Vancouverites outside the downtown core as it is truly a hidden gem.
Dosa Delicious, CBC Living Vancouver Segment
Article: Dining in KCC - At the HOUSE of DOSAS
By Penelope Bacsfalvi, contributing write to the Kensington – Cedar Cottoge “Neighbour” newspaper Issue September 2006 Issue #5
Around 8:30 PM on a Sunday night in July we decided finally to have dinner at the House of Dosas. The House of Dosas is located
on the northwest corner of Knight and 25th. My husband had had dosas once or twice before and thought they were very tasty. I was
curious and willing to try one as I love Indian food and this comes from the same part of the world. So, off we went….
Dosas are made from rice and urdu daal (black gram lentils). Dosas are wheat-free and dairy-free for those of you with special diet concerns. They look like a very large crunchy crepe and are filled with a variety of meats, seafood and/or vegetables. The batter is placed on a grill and lightly fried, which gives it its crunchiness. The menu has a great selection for omnivores and vegetarians alike.
Raj Muttavanchery and his wife Marjorie run the restaurant together. Many believe the dosa to be southern Indian cuisine, but Raja assured me that dosas are eaten in Burma, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. And, as people bring this fabulous cuisine with them to their new homes, they are now eaten all over the world. Marjorie gave me a tour of the kitchen and showed me where they grind the daal and the huge
griddle needed for making the dosas. Raj and Marjorie have owned the House of Dosas for two years now and love the neighbourhood and all the friendly people who pop in to eat and visit. Their motto is, “First time you are a customer, the next time you are family.” This is not hard to believe as the two of them toured me around, answered my
many questions, and told us stories about their restaurant and their lives. Raj is also an ardent cricket fan and informed us of the latest
world cricket champions and the local cricket scene.
The restaurant is very clean and simple. It has a family-neighbourhood atmosphere with authentic Bollywood videos playing on a TV that is suspended from the ceiling. Even before Raj tells us that they are a family-friendly place it is evident from his own son (who is about 6-yearsold) walking around and attempting to assist the staff. They also have high-chairs available for families with young children.
The menu is extensive and we finally selected our dosas. I ate the Palak Paneer Alu Dosa (the popular spinach and homemade cheese for $8.99) and my husband tried the Paper Dosa (which are a bit thinner and very large) with a seafood filling. His dosa was about two feet long! Raj tells us that the last customer of the night gets the biggest dosa. Entrees range from $4.99 to $12.99 with the average price being about $8.99. Each dosa is served with a few sauces for dipping or spreading on the dosa. We both had a coconut chutney, a sambar, a flavorful lentil dipping soup made with vegetables and spices, and a tomato-carrot dip made with onions and coconut and cooked like a curry until it becomes a puree into which we dip the dosas. Each is more flavourful than the last. The food was wonderful and because you can request the level of heat that pleases your palate, we were completely happy.
If you like Indian-style cuisine you will want to give the House of Dosas a try. Mondays are Dosa Day when dosas are $5.99 all
day! I’m sure your first visit won’t be your last. Bon appetit!
- review by: "Party Diva" Of SMiLES+FLiRTS
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