It’s always heartwarming to read placards of shops and restaurants carrying Hindi/Urdu names here in Saudi Arabia. Ever since moving to Alkhobar, the one restaurant that had intrigued me was ‘Sukh Sagar,’ Hindi for ‘Ocean of Happiness.’ Add to that the restaurant’s tagline of ‘vegetarian cuisine’ and Sukh Sagar becomes a one-of-a-kind restaurant in the Kingdom serving only vegetarian food.
So when on a weekend my cravings for a South Indian dosa were uninhibited, my husband and I promptly headed out for the nearest ‘dosa place’ — Sukh Sagar.
Located on Aziziyah Road, the restaurant has a seating capacity of 160. The family section though, is modest, with tables placed too close to my liking.
Also, unlike most other local restaurants, Sukh Sagar does not have enclosed seating arrangements, a definite minus for families observing niqab.
A look at the menu, and you would know that the restaurant is much more than just dosas, or its specialty of Udupi cuisine (South Indian food).
Besides the all-time favorite dosas, Sukh Sagar offers vegetarian fast food fare in North Indian, Continental, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Italian and other cuisines, as well as a range of sweets and savories.
We ordered a cheese dosa and a Mysore plain dosa. Dosas are crispy, savory pancakes made from rice flour and ground pulses, typically served with a vegetable filling, a lentil stew and a variety of chutneys (sauces).
The cheese dosa was a lot cheesier than I had imagined. Thick shreds of cheddar cheese lined the insides of the dosa. I delighted initially but by the end of the meal, I felt I had consumed too much cheese! The dish comprised of two medium-sized dosas served with sides of sambar, a spicy lentil and vegetable stew, coconut chutney and a garlic and onion chutney, all of which tasted mediocre.
Mysore plain dosa was crisp and had a spicy, red mix smeared inside the pancake.
Next, we ordered Mumbai’s famous snack, pav bhaji, which has a story of its own. (More on that later!) Pav Bhaji is a spicy dish, prepared with mashed vegetables served with gently fried bread, a dollop of butter, chopped onion and a slice of lemon.
Sukh Sagar’s pav bhaji scores in all departments, except that the bread, which ideally should be lightly sautéed in butter, appeared to be doused in fat. We ordered two extra pieces of bread to finish up every last bit of the delicious bhaji.
Price wise, Sukh Sagar is reasonable, although a tad higher than other places that serve South Indian food. While pav bhaji at a decent restaurant can cost anywhere between SR6-8, at Sukh Sagar it costs SR15, in addition to SR6 for extra bread.
Sukh Sagar’s story is a rags to riches one. The restaurant’s owner began in 1962 from a small stall in Mumbai selling pav-bhaji and fruit juice, and went on to establish a strong chain of 20 eateries in India and the Middle East. The restaurant is credited with bringing respect and dignity to Mumbai’s favorite street foods like pav-bhaji or puri-bhaji, which are generally consumed at corner carts.
Alkhobar’s branch, the only one in the Kingdom, opened in 2011.
Would I visit again? Yes, there’s much unchartered territory on the menu. Is the husband reading?
Sukh Sagar: For a vegetarian, variety fare
Sukh Sagar: For a vegetarian, variety fare
