A visit to the food court at Henderson Place Mall in Coquitlam is like a trip around the world.
From Seoul-style street food to sushi, and Korean-style hot dogs, there are many places to try.
But the newest offering caters to an exceptionally broad swath of the South Asian community.
People from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and India enjoy dosas, a crispy pancake — and they can get them made fresh and hot at Desi Dosa Madras in the Henderson Place Mall food court.
"We are just getting known here," said Chef Kathiravan Vaduganathan, who said the quick service restaurant opened in December.
It's the second outlet for Desi Dosa Madras, which also has a location in Delta.
Made of fermented rice and lentils and cooked on a griddle until crispy, dosas come stuffed with meat or vegetarian fillings, two chutneys (a creamy coconut sauce and a sauce made of tomato and ginger) as well as a hot bowl of lentil curry soup called sambar.
For authenticity, the dosas are served on a banana leaf, which is how they would be eaten in his home country, said Vaduganathan.
Dosas, however, are the main event, and they are huge: rolled up and crunchy like a waffle, with more of a sourdough flavour, they are filling, and one serving is enough for two people.
"It's one of the main breakfast foods," said Vaduganathan, "like eggs and omelettes."
However, he said most people visit his eatery for lunch and dinner.
Vaduganathan studied culinary arts in Madras and lives in Coquitlam. With his kitchen helper, and the support of manager Praneal Prasad, Vaduganathan is kept busy making food for customers.
Fillings include onion, potato, cheese, spinach, mixed vegetable, egg and potato, butter chicken, lamb and even prawn.
In addition to dosas, Desi Dosa Madras' menu offers a wide range of appetizers, curries and biriyani.
Henderson Place Mall is located at 1163 Pinetree Way, and parking is available underground.
