ID Cafe, a restaurant specializing in Southern Indian dosas, opened in Downtown Berkeley on Jan. 7. Its website describes its food as “recipes sourced from the chefs of famous street-style dosa carts in India and recreated to perfection.”
The restaurant is now open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day with the exception of Monday. The Berkeley location joins a chain of five other Bay Area locations in Pleasanton, San Jose, Newark, Oakland and San Francisco.
The cafe is located near Edwards Stadium on Fulton Street, which was previously home to an Organic Greens restaurant. ID Cafe Manager Vishwa Patil said the location was picked for its proximity to students and the public, particularly “corporate users.”
ID Cafe’s menu features its signature dosas and idly with an assortment of drinks, including popular items such as buttermilk, rose milk and mango lassi.The interior sports natural lighting and a modern black and red design with wood accents.
“It’s clear that they’ve just opened and they have some kinks to work out in terms of service, flow and decor, but you don’t go to fast casual dosa for decor,” said customer and San Francisco resident Hawk Hrdly. “You go for flavor and the flavors are good.”
Hrdly added that these dosas have “really nice” fillings and “sizable” portions.
Dosas are a popular item in South Indian cuisine. They are known for their thin, crispy texture and fillings and are usually paired with chutney and sambar. ID Cafe has a variety of dosas, including vegan, gluten-free and meat dosas. However, their menu is primarily vegetarian.
“I used to go to the salad place that was here, but I love dosa so I decided to check this place out,” said customer Joy Larson. “The food has so much flavor and the people here are really friendly. I’m for sure going to come back and bring some friends.”
In ID Cafe’s second week of being open, the restaurant is still in its soft opening, which includes promotional offers.
From 9:30-11 a.m., the first 10 customers get free dosas with the purchase of another item. The restaurant’s rewards program, “Berkeley Passport,” is a punch card that rewards customers with a free dosa after 10 visits, according to ID Cafe’s Instagram.
According to Patil, the restaurant will be offering free mango lassi at a cart in front of the store and on campus in the coming weeks.
Patil said ID Cafe’s opening is going well, noting it is getting a good response from students who come to the restaurant’s promotional mornings.
“Everybody loves dosa here,” said Patil.