Temple Canteen
| Address: | 45-57 Bowne St, Flushing, NY 11355, USA |
| Phone: | +1 718-460-8484 |
| Site: | nyganeshtemplecanteen.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 8:30AM–9:30PM 8:30AM–9:30PM 8:30AM–9:30PM 8:30AM–9:30PM 8:30AM–9:30PM 8:30AM–9:30PM 8:30AM–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
LU
Luo Amy
This is one of the great food values in NYC, hence the five stars. We discovered this place when we went to visit the Temple gift shop for a statuette after eating at Dosa Hutt. The canteen is located in the basement of the Temple and has all the ambiance of your high school gymnasium. The crowd seem to be mostly local, with the odd lot of hipsters. You order cafeteria style, and the process is somewhat confusing. Theres a video menu, but there are specials posted on handbills, so if its not too crowded, give all of the menus a good perusing before making your choice. You pay, get your number, find a table and approach for your grub when the numbers called. Its well organized, for the most part. We went with a ghee roast, the Hyderabadi dosa, and a vegetable uttapam. Also tried a masala chai, and halwa. The dosa was filled with a spicy green chutney. Masala was a $1 add on, sambar and coconut chutney were included. The dosa was crisp and delicious, the sambar was thicker and tastier than Dosa Hutts, and the green coconut chutney had more zest. I had ordered a ghee roast on the basis of favorable Yelp reviews, not knowing exactly what it was. Here it is a buttery dosa, folded into a pyramid, with the same masala, sambar and the chutney on the side. For some reason the uttapam was delayed, but it arrived large, fluffy, tasty and greasy, more ample than the ones I have had in the City. The halwa was so rich and sweet we could not quite finish. The tea was on the mild side, with a bit of milk. All this provender for $23.00. You wont need much dinner if you lunch here.
LY
Lynn Lan
Hands down, the best dosas & South Indian food in NYC. Ganesh Temple Canteen beats my two other dosa spots (Sapthagiri & Saravana Bhavan) hollow. Heres what we got: Masala dosa: crispy, buttery, with a supremely flaky texture and really delicious potato filling, served with dollops of coconut chutney & a thick steaming sambar = the touchstone of all dosas. Pondicherry dosa: Slightly larger than the masala dosa, with a very unconventional filling of farsan (a fried snack). I didnt care for the filling, but the dosa was good. Mirchi pakoras (spicy fritters): I didnt have this, but our friends couldnt get enough Bise Bhele bhaat (rice with curry powder): slightly spicy, slightly tart and very mouth watering Tamarind rice: Flavorful, tangy and fresh Filter coffee: on the milder side, the only mild disappointment Mysore Pak: soft, full of ghee and everything else thats sweet and delish What else you need to know: -- Served canteen style - spend some time studying the menu & the daily specials before you queue up to order -- you dont have to remove your shoes to go to the canteen -- All the above for under $30!! Yelpers are reporting that on some days the chutney is watery and sambar is served lukewarm. I hope that never happens when we return, because I will be really, really heartbroken! Verdict: Felt I was back home in India. Highly recommend you stop by if you get a chance.
KA
Kajsfklasf Ashf
Good dosas, better uttapams, but Im factoring in atmosphere as much as food in my rating. The canteen is a little hard to find without guidance if you approach from the Bowne St entrance to the Temple (then again, I do have a woeful sense of direction). Luckily, a lady in orange robes who was busy smashing coconuts was on hand to direct us. Not sure how you can criticise the service. Its a canteen. You put in your order, they give you a receipt with a number, you collect your tray when they call yours, but I guess some Yelpers expect full table service at a temple canteen with $5 dishes. Definitely worth the walk if you happen to be in Flushing, if not for tasty uttapams soaked in coconut chutney, then for the experience.
SH
shirley jing
Service definitely needs improvement. Lake Pavilion bills itself as an upscale Chinese restaurant and while you can get upscale food, the service leaves a lot to be desired. Many times our teapots were empty, we had to ask for clean plates, they forgot when we asked them to bring more bowls, etc. We ordered king crab made 3 ways ($38/lb! STEAL!), steamed fish, tofu with conch and green beans, and peking duck. I didnt care too much for the peking duck, but all the other dishes were delicious. The king crab was made with stir fried sticky rice and honestly that is the best sticky rice Ive had in a restaurant. That along with the tofu dish are 2 dishes you must try at least once! Food is good, service is spotty.
TH
Tharun Thavakumar
I will not say anything ill of the temple of itself, but indeed it is a holy and wonderful place. But to my concern, the hindu comunity center and its outrageous problems. I recently had an event there and my family and my guests were treated really bad. All they wanted was the money in our pocket. It really disappointed me with how they acted. They charged us for every small thing, just for their pockets. The security tried to kick us out 5 mins ahead of time and treated my guests like cows. Telling them to get out, I did not appreciate this at all. If i were advise someone looking for an auditurom and hall I would not advise the temple.
NA
Nagendra S. Rao
Convenient place to eat if you have gone to temple. Right there in the basement. And it is pure vegetarian. Standard South Indian dishes. The food has become really OVERPRICED of late. Portions are very small. Once it was reasonable. No healthy food items. Exceptionally bland food of only tolerable quality. The fried vadas are small and of poor quality - too hard and tasteless to boot. For a temple it is run like a really sharp and tough business. That is a huge turnoff. Not particularly welcoming. Other similar South indian temple canteens are more competitively priced and offer better value for money, of better quality.
CH
Christine Nigro
I took my son on a Flushing Food Tour, figures itd be one of the hottest most humid days of July. He didnt want to leave Flushing without getting Dosa at this Temple Canteen. A slow sweaty walk. The sign inside the door says its only open on weekends. I was feeling beat and defeated but I heard some chatter down below and decided to take a peek. Turns out it was open. Very friendly people and my son was quite satisfied with his Ghee Roast Dosa. Next time well come back with more people and order a bunch of different dosa so we can taste all kinds! Oh and this made me VERY happy, their restrooms are tidy and clean (thank you!).
KA
Kamica Way
I was uneasy at first about eating South East Indian food due to the fact that it was vegetarian. As we went down the winding steps and entered the canteen, it was a very simple set up, more like a cafeteria. Any way, we ordered and sat down to eat. I could smell the powerful spices as I said my prayer. I took the first bite and was pleasantly surprised at how well blended the flavors were. I completely devoured my food. It was amazing, I didnt miss the meat at all. This will be a must, when ever I visit the city. If you are one that likes to try new food this is a must try spot...enjoy!
HA
Hashfl Asfsfh
Big fan of Ganesh so visited the temple like a tourist, then found the canteen and loved the food! The masala dosa was my favorite. Some of the others were of course a bit too spicy for my buds but most of it was fine. Prices are ridiculously cheap. Went there past the lunch rush on a weekend and it was fine. If you wanna pretend youre a tourist, walk around the rest of the block and youll find a few other Hindu Temples, a Buddhist one, and even a Christian church! ;) Got my Ganesh paperweight as a souvenir and went home after my travels outside my borough! :)
