Dosa Diner is one of my favourite eateries in Mumbai. It has outlets across many places in Mumbai. I have had food from their joints in Bandra (the first time), Chembur, Andheri (only spot from where I have not had), Fort (near Gateway) and also in front of GPO (now they have closed it; not because I visited it; cmon how can you be so mean to think that). They also have on in Pune, I hear from my friend.
So why do I like Dosa Diner? Well food is one of the basic necessities of life. If someone were to ask me what do I live for, I would have no hesitation in answering ‘for food’. I would not be telling them shelter or clothing. Maybe money, yes. But that is not the point here.
Then what is the point here? The point here is that I love any place that serves food. Ha, that was very simple wasn’t it? And to say this, I beat around the bush. Ha..ha.. that was intentional.
But why do I like Dosa Diner above other eateries? Well for starters they serve South Indian food. Does that mean I don’t like North Indian food? No, it doesn’t. It just mean I LIKE South Indian food. Period.
Dosa Diner specialises in dosas. They have a variety of dosas on their menu. And I love dosas. That is a good enough reason for liking Dosa Diner. But don’t they serve anything else? YES THEY DO. They serve every South Indian food like aappam (my other favourite), idiappam, idli, uthappa, etc. They also serve delicacies like neyyappam, suhiyan, etc (slurp..slurp.. oh my gosh I just cannot control my mouth watering). One also gets coconut water, infact along with the tender coconut shell if asked for. Try aappam with stew any day and I promise you will like it.
They cook food very tasty and delicious. Am I cooking it up? NO NO NO … Try for yourself and see. Well that is another good reason to visit them again and again. Infact, I have no shame in admitting that they make South Indian food better than South Indians do (or is it South Indians itself cooking in the kitchen, I wouldn’t know as I always pay my bill).
The ambience takes the cake among all reasons for liking the spot. Very simple in furnishing, the ambience has soft music playing in the background. The waiters are all well dressed and polite. They have their nametag displayed on their shirts. The moment one enters the place, they direct you to a table. Then the guy who serves the table, comes and welcomes you to the place, introduces himself and takes the order.
Talking about waiters a joke suddenly struck me, which I read in Reader’s Digest some time back. Mark Twain was once having food from a restaurant in New Zealand. The waiters were all very slow and casual. He was waiting for his food for more than an hour when the headwaiter came and started talking to him about the food. The headwaiter among other things mentioned ‘Sir, the speciality of the house is snails’. Mark Twain immediately interrupted and said, ‘Yes and you have got them dressed as waiters’. Ha, ha, ha…. Cmon you have to laugh here..
Jokes apart, let me assure you that it is NOT the case with Dosa Diner. The food is served promptly.
The biggest advantage Dosa Diner has over other eating spots is the prices. India has always been a price sensitive market on any product. All foreign companies are fast finding that out the hard way. All the food items are priced reasonably except mind you, please read very carefully, water. What did I say? Yes, WATER. H2O. A one litre bottle of mineral water costs Rs.28 where it costs only between Rs.10 to 15 outside. Even upto Rs.20 was okay. But Rs.28 is something like five star charges.
But would that deter me from going to Dosa Diner again and again and again. You bet it would not. Have I made any of you interested in the joint? Please do visit atleast once. Do you think I might be getting commission on referral. Mums the word on that question. Guess for yourself.