Saravanaa Bhavan Hong Kong

Friend of a friend of a friend . . . sometimes it still works out quite well.

An Indian friend recommended (to my friend who recommended to me) Saravanaa Bhavan, a vegetarian South Indian restaurant located in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. Upon further investigation, I found out it was the largest South Indian chain in the world, originating out of Chennai, India spawning locations as far as Australia, North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and of course, Asia.

Upon entering, we noticed that all the workers seemed to be Indian, and many of the diners were Indian as well. The restaurant chain supposedly targets South Indian expats all around the world.

The ambiance is casual and it’s never super crowded (at least during weekday lunch). The menu has a nice variety of vegetarian Indian options. There are both North Indian and South Indian dishes, but according to a regular who we met at the restaurant, the best are the Southern Indian dishes.

Most importantly for me, the dosas are excellent (I love dosas!). I’ve gone back several times now, and I really enjoy it. The dosas are made with crispy rice and lentil, which works nicely for my gluten-sensitive friend.

Dosas I’ve tried and enjoyed include the Palak Dosa (spiced spinach – pictured above), the Masala Dosa (spicy potatoes), and even just the Plain Dosa (which still comes with sambar and 3 varieties of chutney for dipping).

I’ve also tried their uthappam, a rice and lentil pancake served with various toppings. Picture above: the Vegetable Uthappam.

I don’t claim to be an expert on Indian food. And frankly speaking, this is the only Indian restaurant I have ever tried in Hong Kong. Having said that, I can say that I really enjoy the simple, honest good food, casual atmosphere, and reasonable prices at Saravanaa Bhavan.

Saravanaa Bhavan Hong Kong
Ashley Centre
23-25 Ashley Rd
Tsim Sha Tsui

This is the sixth post in the updated #50Postsin50Days – Take 2 Challenge. Other posts in this series will be added to the bottom of the original post.