Dosa is a savory pancake made from a rice and black lentils batter and usually eaten with sambhar (lentil based vegetable stew) or chutney. There are many types of dosa, but the most famous of them all might be the masala dosa: a dosa with sautéed potato and onion filling.

Before coming to India, I had a dream: to eat enough dosa to last me a lifetime since where else can I find better dosa than at its birthplace. Thus naturally I ordered a cheese paper masala dosa for my first meal in Pune. What a sight it was when the waiter brought out the crêpe-like monster, so big it stretched across two dinner plates. I tore out a piece of dosa, scooped up some potato filling, dipped it in the sambhar, put it in my mouth, and expected heaven. Nom nom… waiting… Ehhhh, hmnn. Nothing? Let’s try again… Nom nom… Ehhh, hmnn… Something was not quite right here. Where were the starburst and the mind-numbing bliss? Why are people raving about this dish?

Well, shame on me for not doing a more thorough research for better dosa places and for giving up after just one try. I paid the price with three dosa-less months. Thankfully, Adam and I were saved by our weekend getaway to Bangalore.

While searching for a restaurant specialized in Southern Indian cuisine for dinner, Adam came across MTR - a beloved jewel of Bangalore eateries. The foods they serve are intended for light meals so we decided to go there for breakfast the next morning. The quest to find this place took so much patience because I insisted to walk from our hotel instead of taking a rickshaw. We found the street it’s supposed to be on but pinpointing the exact location was next to impossible. After 45 minutes of wandering around and asking 5 different people, we finally found it hiding in a tiny street.

Waaaaa! I have been missing out. The masala dosa here was shivering delicious - warm, crispy, spongy, and mouth-watering buttery. For its reputation and quality, the price was surprisingly inexpensive. Two coffees, a masala dosa, a portion of idli, and an onion dosa - all came out for under 250 rupees ($4.06). We were so impressed that we returned the next morning. This time each of us got our own masala dosa since this heavenly goodness is definitely not for sharing. I finished mine in a heartbeat and salivated profusely watching the evil Adam slowly appreciating his last few bites. I did conspire to steal a bite of his by batting my eyelashes to distract him, but at the last minute, my conscience won. Lucky Bunster! Eat faster next time so you won’t inadvertently torture poor poor Thien.

Now I can consider us redeemed. And we can totally boast that we have eaten one of the tastiest masala dosas in the world.

Next stop: Vaishali - Pune! Watch out, masala dosa monster is coming!!! Rarrrr Rarrrr Nom Nom.