Try a dosa at the vegetarian canteen in the basement of a Hindu temple in Flushing

Image source: shawnzam on Flickr

In their search for the best dosas in NYC, we hope the Dosa Hunt crew stopped at the canteen in the basement of the Ganesh Temple (GMAP), which happens to be next to Dosa Hutt. One of the most interesting buildings in Flushing, Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnam is a Hindu temple and community center with a modest-looking eatery in its basement, next to the gift shop.

To get down to the canteen, go around the corner from the main temple entrance on Bowne Street, and you’ll see another entrance on Holly Avenue. It’s a nondescript door next to a grander outdoor hallway that tempts you with photos of Indian sweets between carved figures of Ganesh. You don’t have to remove your shoes to enter the canteen and gift shop area of the temple complex.

The all-vegetarian cafeteria offers dosas (crispy crepe-like pancakes made of rice and lentils with a variety of fillings), uttapam (a thicker pizza-like flatbread topped with chili peppers or tomatoes), idlis (round steamed cakes made of fermented lentils), and other popular Indian comfort foods. The mango lassis are delicious as well, and you can also try sweets like those on display in the hallway. And did we mention that it’s all very reasonably priced?

This is just one of the awesome food options available at houses of worship in Queens; others that are popular with adventurous eaters include the food bazaar at an Indonesian mosque in Astoria and the festivals at the Thai Buddhist temple in Elmhurst (this year’s Royal Kathin celebration will be on November 25).