Masala Dosa Street Kitchen
6G, Samdach Sothearos Blvd, Phnom Penh
Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 14:30 and 17:30 to 22:00
Monday from17:30 to 22:00
Tel: +855 023 213 672

Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5


Funky!

This is a restaurant that I have walked by many times and that came recommended. But somehow an Indian meal for me includes mutton or chicken, otherwise something is just missing. As I have started 2024 on a bit of a health streak, cutting out booze and reducing meat consumption, I finally ventured into this place. What can I say, I have been missing out.


No hard menu, all ordering is done online.

As the name implies, they serve mostly Dosas, though they also have Naan bowls, which I have not tried yet. There is no physical menu, all the ordering the is online. Once the very friendly staff explained how to go about this, the whole process is very quick and efficient. I actually like it, as it takes the waiter misunderstanding the order out of the equation. Pretty much every dish has a plethora of options when ordering, some come at a cost, some come free. I do not remember all the options, but there was the possibility to add cheese (vegetarian or real), specify whether the dish should be spicy or not, all sort of accompaniments, and so on. This sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.


Very good, if somewhat expensive, Lassi.

The first time I went, I ordered a Lassi with saffron. Not cheap ay $4.00 plus VAT, but really good, though it could have been a tad colder. My food was a Hummus Dosa with Amul cheese. With the extras it came to $9.75+. Again, not the cheapest Dosa in town but one of the best I have eaten. Whilst it could have been a little spicier, it was well seasoned and absolutely delicious! I walked out with a full belly, but not stuffed to the gills as is so often the case when I eat Indian, for $15.00. There are cheaper Indian restaurants in town, but very few are nearly as good as this one. I will be back. Actually, I did go back two days later and tried the Channa Masala Dosa, which was just as good.


Hummus Dosa.

The interior is quite funky with Indian movie and advertising posters and good A/C. The staff are super attentive and friendly and speak excellent English. They did manage to walk me through the whole ordering process, which was no mean feat.


Dosa with all the trimmings.


With some extra Hummus on the side.

I have been there once - never, ever again. Everywhere you look at this place are signs showing you what you are not allowed to do, only digital menu and a very uncomfortable atmosphere. Take away or Food Panda might be fine, since the food was ok, but you won't get me in there again

I was there once when it opened up first. The food was quite weird. I've been in India for long periods so I think I have a good enough idea about Indian food. I eat Indian food a few times a week. Anyway all their options seemed to include corn kernels like they are some sort of miracle food. I like Idli Dosa on 51 mainly because I've been going there for ever but their quality and portion sizes have declined over the years. I'll check out this place again.

ressl wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 9:00 pm I have been there once - never, ever again. Everywhere you look at this place are signs showing you what you are not allowed to do, only digital menu and a very uncomfortable atmosphere. Take away or Food Panda might be fine, since the food was ok, but you won't get me in there again

OK, I thought the atmosphere was OK. I did see the (small) sign prohibiting guns and drugs, didn't bother me. And you better get used to digital menus, it is the way of the future,

John Bingham wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:04 pm I was there once when it opened up first. The food was quite weird. I've been in India for long periods so I think I have a good enough idea about Indian food. I eat Indian food a few times a week. Anyway all their options seemed to include corn kernels like they are some sort of miracle food. I like Idli Dosa on 51 mainly because I've been going there for ever but their quality and portion sizes have declined over the years. I'll check out this place again.

Nary a kernel in sight when I was there. I cannot vouch for the authenticity as I never lived in India (grew up with Indians and went to an Indian school, but the Indians in Kenya seem to come from a part of India where Dosas are not a thing).

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:42 am

There is no physical menu, all the ordering is online.

Is this the menu to order from? https://www.orderdosa.com/

I just tried to use my phone to read their menu and I can't see any of it without my reading glasses. Even with them it is unpleasant to navigate. When I am out for a beer or a meal I rarely have my reading glasses, I don't 'read' my phone, it's just for comms.

A decent size menu should be an asset, not a liability to be eliminated to save a few $'s. It should be a showcase for the restaurant's offering - it should be informative, enticing and seductive. It should be a window into the quality of the establishment - starting with a high-quality covering. It should be presented with pride. There are very few places that get it right, but when they do, I recognise it immediately and enjoy the lively expectation of good things to come.

A menu the size of a packet of cigarettes is a miserable soulless husk of what a menu can be and should be. I wonder if these tech pioneers have thought about that? I wonder if they have ever seen one. I suspect they see a great menu as one that costs nothing and seamlessly integrates with their POS, online ordering, delivery and payment systems. It's a sad fucking rabbit hole we are going down.

I have been meaning to try this place and was willing to forego my chicken tikka and mutton curry. The digital menu is a compromise too far. It's a "No" from me.

I get what you are saying but can’t say I agree with much of it.

On my phone I can easily zoom in and read. Using my own device means I don’t have to touch a laminated menu fingered by the great unwashed masses.

I can see more benefits to digital ordering than drawbacks.

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 11:18 am

khmerhamster wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:52 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:42 am

There is no physical menu, all the ordering is online.

Is this the menu to order from? https://www.orderdosa.com/

I just tried to use my phone to read their menu and I can't see any of it without my reading glasses. Even with them it is unpleasant to navigate. When I am out for a beer or a meal I rarely have my reading glasses, I don't 'read' my phone, it's just for comms.

A decent size menu should be an asset, not a liability to be eliminated to save a few $'s. It should be a showcase for the restaurant's offering - it should be informative, enticing and seductive. It should be a window into the quality of the establishment - starting with a high-quality covering. It should be presented with pride. There are very few places that get it right, but when they do, I recognise it immediately and enjoy the lively expectation of good things to come.

A menu the size of a packet of cigarettes is a miserable soulless husk of what a menu can be and should be. I wonder if these tech pioneers have thought about that? I wonder if they have ever seen one. I suspect they see a great menu as one that costs nothing and seamlessly integrates with their POS, online ordering, delivery and payment systems. It's a sad fucking rabbit hole we are going down.

I have been meaning to try this place and was willing to forego my chicken tikka and mutton curry. The digital menu is a compromise too far. It's a "No" from me.

I get what you are saying but can’t say I agree with much of it.

On my phone I can easily zoom in and read. Using my own device means I don’t have to touch a laminated menu fingered by the great unwashed masses.

I can see more benefits to digital ordering than drawbacks.

Fair enough, but never go into the kitchens, or the unhygienic laminated menus will be the last of your concerns.

I suppose I am just old-fashioned and appreciate the effort a good menu requires. Sadly, they are only really found in high-end places now.

lol, right.
I kid myself that the high cooking temperatures mitigate some of the unhygienic practices in kitchens.

There used to be plenty of places with dirty toilets for customers situated right next to the kitchens. Sometimes it’s better that you don’t know!