Celebrating two decades of culinary excellence in Scarborough, Saravanaa Bhavan - an international vegetarian restaurant chain - has been a beacon for lovers of authentic South Indian cuisine.
Its enduring outpost at Woodside Square is a mesmerizing symphony of sensory delights, with an open-concept kitchen where the art of crafting mammoth-sized dosas is on full display.
Step into the inviting dining space, furnished with generous tables and cozy booths, perfectly suited for family gatherings over a shared feast.
This is where Toronto's finest South Indian crepes, rich in tradition and flavor, are enjoyed.
Boasting an impressive array of nearly 30 unique dosas, each one is crafted to personal proportions that stretch to the length of an arm, or even thrice that size for the family-style dosa.
The delicate rice batter is skillfully rolled by seasoned cooks, hailing from the original restaurant location in India. Their decades of expertise shine through in the meticulously crafted crepes, each achieving the ideal balance of thickness.
Such is the finesse required that it often takes at least two artisans to roll each dosa.
In the bustling kitchen, the morning heralds a flurry of fresh preparation. Around 500 coconuts sourced from local markets are meticulously ground every day, creating the trifecta of fresh chutneys - coriander, coconut, and tomato - that accompany every dosa.
The ghee paper dosa, priced at a modest $10.99, is a crispy, paper-thin delight, enriched with a hint of nuttiness from a dollop of clarified butter. It is served with the three vibrant chutneys and a side of fiery sambar.
You can enhance your dosa experience by opting for the potato masala version, priced at $11.49, which features a freshly ground masala blend that has remained unchanged since the restaurant's inception in Tamil Nadu 40 years ago.
The menu, a testament to the versatility of dosas, has an appealing choice for every palate. For the devout cheese aficionado, the dosa bursting with a melty three cheese blend of mild cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack, priced at $10.75, is bound to be a tantalizing spectacle.
