If you’ve lived in Dubai long enough, you know that debates over food can be just as passionate as those over traffic or rent. And among South Indian communities, and anyone who’s ever fallen for the irresistible crispness of a dosa , the question of who makes the best dosa is more than just idle chat, it’s about a dish steeped in tradition and regional pride, with contested origins between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Led by one of the UAE’s most beloved storytellers, Khalid Al Ameri , known for his uplifting content and deep dives into identity, family, and food, recently set out to find the best dosa in Dubai in his recent YouTube video, armed with a camera, and rallying five Dubai-based creators to help settle the score, or at least stir it gently.
“We’re on a mission to find the best dosa in the city, as ranked by all of you on social media,” he announces at the start of the video, which quickly turns into a warm, witty, and flavor-packed journey across five distinct restaurants.
Khalid’s guests are not just tag-alongs, they each champion a different style of dosa, each coming from a personal, cultural, or creative place.
With the lineup and itinerary in place, Khalid sets out not just to sample dosas, but to explore the stories of tradition, creativity, and nostalgia that each one carries.
Five stops, five very different Dosas
Stop 1: Malgudi Restaurant, with Anil
At Malgudi, the focus is on authentic Karnataka flavors. Anil, a comedian from Mangalore, admits this is his first visit here, despite his roots. The star of the show is the “benet dosa” — smaller and thicker than the usual, made from a rice and lentil batter. What sets it apart is the generous spread of white unsalted butter flown in from Karnataka, lending a rich creaminess that’s hard to forget.
In the kitchen, the chef tests the pan’s heat with a splash of water — a simple but crucial step to get the crisp right. The batter is spread thin and cooked to a golden crisp. The dosa is filled with onions, cheese, and a dusting of pi powder, a spicy, flavorful addition. The chutneys served alongside—coconut, tomato, garlic, and a tangy secret chutney called puli in wa—complement the dish perfectly.
Anil’s enthusiasm is clear; the crisp texture and buttery richness hit all the nostalgic notes. Malgudi’s dosa earns a solid 10 out of 10 for its authentic, heartfelt preparation.
Stop 2: Yummy Dossa, with Raf and Mel
Yummy Dossa is where dosa gets a bold, modern twist. Established in 2017, this spot brings a creative fusion of South Indian and Mumbai street food influences, resulting in innovative, visually striking dishes.
Their standout is the matka dosa, a layered, cheesy, gravy-filled creation that bursts with flavor. Khalid Al Ameri likens it to “dosa on steroids,” with its bold, layered preparation that feels less like cooking and more like painting a canvas, applying fillings directly onto the dosa to pack every bite with taste.
At the end of the menu is the Nutella dosa, a sweet and indulgent take that pushes boundaries by turning the dosa into a dessert experience.
Yummy Dossa scores a 10 out of 10 for its fearless creativity and execution, redefining what dosa can be without losing its soul.
Stop 3: Vasantha Bhavan, with Rohit
Here, the dosa takes on a minimalist, health-conscious approach. Vasantha Bhavan, a Dubai staple since 1997, emphasizes balance over indulgence, using minimal ghee to create a lighter, yet still flavorful, dosa.
Rohit, known for his witty social media commentary, appreciates this dosa for its straightforwardness and clean flavors. The dosa is crisp but not oily, paired with well-seasoned sambar and chutneys that hit just the right notes without overpowering.
Khalid calls it “the healthiest dosa I’ve ever eaten,” and it’s easy to see why. It’s not flashy, but it’s reliable, a dosa you can enjoy any day without guilt. Rohit awards it a 9.5 out of 10, valuing its elegant simplicity and thoughtful preparation.
Stop 4: Sangeetha Restaurant, with Jasmine
Sangeetha brings a sense of tradition and familiarity, having been a part of Dubai’s food scene since 1984. The dosa is served on banana leaves, adding an earthy, nostalgic touch. The chutney is slightly coarse, evoking homemade authenticity, while the filter coffee is sharp and refreshing.
Jasmine, a creator with a fondness for classic dishes, chooses the paper roast dosa — an extra-thin, crispy sheet that crackles delightfully when torn. She likens it to a dosa she’d bring to a family gathering: understated but dependable.
The dosa evokes a sense of home and comfort, despite some minor rough edges in the chutney. Jasmine rates it 8 out of 10, appreciating the genuine experience that harks back to old memories.
Stop 5: Saravanaa Bhavan, with Shaz
Saravanaa Bhavan is the heavyweight of South Indian vegetarian cuisine, serving hundreds of thousands daily worldwide. For Shaz, a YouTuber and Chennai native, this dosa is deeply personal — a taste of home and tradition.
The highlight is the ghee roast girros dosa, paired with classic potato-onion masala, crisp vada, and strong filter coffee. The dosa is rich but balanced, with the familiar flavors that define Chennai’s culinary heritage.
For Khalid and Shaz, this dosa represents authenticity in its purest form — no gimmicks, just a straightforward, satisfying meal. They give Saravanaa Bhavan a perfect 10 out of 10 for its faithful representation of tradition.
Who wins the dosa crown?
So, who wins?
Khalid’s verdict is simple: everyone.
Instead of crowning a single champion, he honors all five restaurants with a special recognition — because the “best” dosa isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about what resonates with you.
Because here’s the real takeaway:
The best dosa is the one that reminds you of home, or helps you make a new one. It might be slick with butter like in Malgudi, wild and sweet at Yummy Dossa, light and clean at Vasantha Bhavan, paper-thin at Sangeetha, or soulfully complete at Saravanaa Bhavan.
Each version holds its place, tells a story, and leaves behind a little more than just a satisfied stomach. And that’s what Dubai does best — it turns even the most regional of traditions into something global, yet deeply personal.
VERDICT:
Led by one of the UAE’s most beloved storytellers, Khalid Al Ameri , known for his uplifting content and deep dives into identity, family, and food, recently set out to find the best dosa in Dubai in his recent YouTube video, armed with a camera, and rallying five Dubai-based creators to help settle the score, or at least stir it gently.
“We’re on a mission to find the best dosa in the city, as ranked by all of you on social media,” he announces at the start of the video, which quickly turns into a warm, witty, and flavor-packed journey across five distinct restaurants.
Khalid’s guests are not just tag-alongs, they each champion a different style of dosa, each coming from a personal, cultural, or creative place.
- Anil, a Mangalorean comedian known for his viral sketches, champions Malgudi Restaurant, which specializes in Karnataka-style dosas. For him, it’s a nostalgic experience,the crispiness, the butter, and the famed “benet dosa” he had heard about but never tried until now.
- Raf and Mel, a creative couple running a fast-growing food page, support Yummy Dossa , a spot outside Karama that reimagines dosa by blending bold, almost rule-breaking Mumbai street food influences with traditional South Indian flavors. Their approach brings a lively, chaotic energy that makes their dosas unforgettable.
- Rohit, whose Instagram page “Tiddingofficial” offers sharp, often humorous observational comedy, recommends Vasantha Bhavan , a place known for its lighter, health-conscious dosas. He emphasizes that flavor doesn’t always require generous ghee, highlighting how balance and taste can coexist.
- Jasmine, a calm and reflective creator with a deep appreciation for old-school food, favors Sangeetha Restaurant—one of Dubai’s long-standing vegetarian favorites. For her, a perfect dosa means a crispy exterior with a soft interior, ideally paired with authentic coconut chutney, evoking memories of family dining back home.
- Shaz, a Chennai native and YouTuber with over a million subscribers, advocates for Saravanaa Bhavan—perhaps the most established name in South Indian vegetarian cuisine worldwide. For him, it’s the go-to spot when seeking authentic, no-frills dosa that stays true to tradition.
With the lineup and itinerary in place, Khalid sets out not just to sample dosas, but to explore the stories of tradition, creativity, and nostalgia that each one carries.
Five stops, five very different Dosas
Stop 1: Malgudi Restaurant, with Anil
At Malgudi, the focus is on authentic Karnataka flavors. Anil, a comedian from Mangalore, admits this is his first visit here, despite his roots. The star of the show is the “benet dosa” — smaller and thicker than the usual, made from a rice and lentil batter. What sets it apart is the generous spread of white unsalted butter flown in from Karnataka, lending a rich creaminess that’s hard to forget.
In the kitchen, the chef tests the pan’s heat with a splash of water — a simple but crucial step to get the crisp right. The batter is spread thin and cooked to a golden crisp. The dosa is filled with onions, cheese, and a dusting of pi powder, a spicy, flavorful addition. The chutneys served alongside—coconut, tomato, garlic, and a tangy secret chutney called puli in wa—complement the dish perfectly.
Anil’s enthusiasm is clear; the crisp texture and buttery richness hit all the nostalgic notes. Malgudi’s dosa earns a solid 10 out of 10 for its authentic, heartfelt preparation.
Stop 2: Yummy Dossa, with Raf and Mel
Yummy Dossa is where dosa gets a bold, modern twist. Established in 2017, this spot brings a creative fusion of South Indian and Mumbai street food influences, resulting in innovative, visually striking dishes.
Their standout is the matka dosa, a layered, cheesy, gravy-filled creation that bursts with flavor. Khalid Al Ameri likens it to “dosa on steroids,” with its bold, layered preparation that feels less like cooking and more like painting a canvas, applying fillings directly onto the dosa to pack every bite with taste.
At the end of the menu is the Nutella dosa, a sweet and indulgent take that pushes boundaries by turning the dosa into a dessert experience.
Yummy Dossa scores a 10 out of 10 for its fearless creativity and execution, redefining what dosa can be without losing its soul.
Stop 3: Vasantha Bhavan, with Rohit
Here, the dosa takes on a minimalist, health-conscious approach. Vasantha Bhavan, a Dubai staple since 1997, emphasizes balance over indulgence, using minimal ghee to create a lighter, yet still flavorful, dosa.
Rohit, known for his witty social media commentary, appreciates this dosa for its straightforwardness and clean flavors. The dosa is crisp but not oily, paired with well-seasoned sambar and chutneys that hit just the right notes without overpowering.
Khalid calls it “the healthiest dosa I’ve ever eaten,” and it’s easy to see why. It’s not flashy, but it’s reliable, a dosa you can enjoy any day without guilt. Rohit awards it a 9.5 out of 10, valuing its elegant simplicity and thoughtful preparation.
Stop 4: Sangeetha Restaurant, with Jasmine
Sangeetha brings a sense of tradition and familiarity, having been a part of Dubai’s food scene since 1984. The dosa is served on banana leaves, adding an earthy, nostalgic touch. The chutney is slightly coarse, evoking homemade authenticity, while the filter coffee is sharp and refreshing.
Jasmine, a creator with a fondness for classic dishes, chooses the paper roast dosa — an extra-thin, crispy sheet that crackles delightfully when torn. She likens it to a dosa she’d bring to a family gathering: understated but dependable.
The dosa evokes a sense of home and comfort, despite some minor rough edges in the chutney. Jasmine rates it 8 out of 10, appreciating the genuine experience that harks back to old memories.
Stop 5: Saravanaa Bhavan, with Shaz
Saravanaa Bhavan is the heavyweight of South Indian vegetarian cuisine, serving hundreds of thousands daily worldwide. For Shaz, a YouTuber and Chennai native, this dosa is deeply personal — a taste of home and tradition.
The highlight is the ghee roast girros dosa, paired with classic potato-onion masala, crisp vada, and strong filter coffee. The dosa is rich but balanced, with the familiar flavors that define Chennai’s culinary heritage.
For Khalid and Shaz, this dosa represents authenticity in its purest form — no gimmicks, just a straightforward, satisfying meal. They give Saravanaa Bhavan a perfect 10 out of 10 for its faithful representation of tradition.
Who wins the dosa crown?
So, who wins?
Khalid’s verdict is simple: everyone.
Instead of crowning a single champion, he honors all five restaurants with a special recognition — because the “best” dosa isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about what resonates with you.
Because here’s the real takeaway:
The best dosa is the one that reminds you of home, or helps you make a new one. It might be slick with butter like in Malgudi, wild and sweet at Yummy Dossa, light and clean at Vasantha Bhavan, paper-thin at Sangeetha, or soulfully complete at Saravanaa Bhavan.
Each version holds its place, tells a story, and leaves behind a little more than just a satisfied stomach. And that’s what Dubai does best — it turns even the most regional of traditions into something global, yet deeply personal.
VERDICT:
- Malgudi Restaurant — Best for authentic Karnataka-style indulgence
- Yummy Dossa — Best for wild creativity and fusion lovers
- Vasantha Bhavan — Best for health-conscious dosa fans
- Sangeetha Restaurant — Best for tradition and nostalgia
- Saravanaa Bhavan — Best for classic South Indian flavor and scale
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