A restaurant which introduced the North East to the wonders of Southern Indian cuisine is the result of a long and international journey.
When Sudharsan Murugavel was growing up in Dhali, a small village in the Tamil Nadu region of India, he had no idea that the practices that were just part of his normal life would be with him throughout his career.
Growing up on a farm, Sudharsan developed a passion at an early age for using fresh produce, simply because it was readily available.
The same goes for sustainability – Sudharsan may not have known that word at the time but he recognised the importance of not creating waste and making use of everything that was close to home.
Those early lessons turned out to be the foundation of what has been a successful career- and has helped the Newcastle restaurant he co-owns become a firm favourite across the North East and beyond.
Dosa Kitchen, tucked away on Osborne Road, grew from an experimental pop-up to become one of the stalwarts of the Tyneside restaurant scene.
Introducing Southern Indian cuisine – which is very different from many of the region’s curry house offerings – was a risk initially because the style of food and its authenticity was in complete contrast to what was readily available.
But it was a risk which has paid off, as Dosa Kitchen has become a firm favourite for everything from its warm welcome to the sheer joy of the food.
“In India the hospitality experience is as important as the food and that’s what we offer at Dosa Kitchen,” said Sudharsan.
“And that’s as a result of the fantastic team who work at the restaurant, some of whom have been with us since day one.”
For Sudharsan the journey to Newcastle has been a long one – picking up expert training and knowledge along the way, which is reflected in every aspect of Dosa Kitchen.
The Chef co-owns the restaurant with his long standing friend and business partner, serial entrepreneur, Mathen Ganesan.
Sudharsan trained in catering and hospitality in India before working in a number of five star hotels. He worked for The ITC Sheraton group in his home country as well as for Jumeirah Hotel Group in Dubai, which owns properties including the iconic Burj Al Arab.
The real game changer was working under legendary chef, Praveen Anand, renowned for his Southern Indian food, who helped Sudharsan hone his skills.
Eventually employed by the Accor Hotel Group, Sudharsan came to the UK, first to Wolverhampton and then to Newcastle via a stint in Birmingham. It was here that he felt truly at home.
“I just fell in love with Newcastle and knew I wanted to stay here,” he said.
His skill in Southern Indian cuisine became evident, leading to him even being allowed to create his own menu at one of the UK hotels to showcase his skills.
But despite his success there was one goal left to fulfill – creating his own restaurant.
“We started Dosa Kitchen as a pop-up so we could see how people would react to a different style of food,” he said.
“Southern Indian food is lighter and healthier. It’s well documented these days how good fermented food is for gut health and that’s exactly what dosas are.”
The thin pancakes are made of rice and protein-rich black urad lentils which are fermented over an 18-hour period, resulting in a batter full of amino acids, which is then lightly griddled and can be used in place of bread, to wrap, dip and accompany other dishes.
Its carbohydrate content enables the body to feel fuller for longer – one of the reasons why the restaurant is very popular with runners and athletes in general – and are also vegan and gluten-free.
While dosas are definitely a staple on the menu, there are plenty more tempting offerings all made with the same fresh produce – and love.
The success of the business has led to setting up a unit at STACK Seaburn – Big Fat Indian Kitchen – and an outside catering operation which can be seen at numerous events and festivals around the region.
Not content with all of that however, Sudharsan has very firm ideas about what he wants the future to hold.
“I really want to be at the forefront of highlighting food from Tamil Nadu internationally,” he said.
“I want people to know more about it, try it and enjoy it.”
For further information visit www.dosakitchen.co.uk