Vik's - Berkeley, California

Vik's Chaat Corner
726 Allston Way
(between 4th St & 5th St)
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 644-4412
www.vikdistributors.com/chaat/chaatMenu.html
$

Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday 11:00am - 6:00pm

If you're in Berkeley, and you like Indian food, this place is a must!! Very traditional Indian chaat fare. Chaat is similar to the idea of Spanish tapas. Order a couple of dishes per person and eat a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Most everything on the menu is fried, but it's not greasy.
Their menu is mostly vegetarian and there are so many choices, that I'll just list my favorites...

Sev Puri
Crisp flat "chips" topped with potatoes, onions, mint chutney, tamarind chutney and garlic chutney.

Samosa Cholle
Two crusty pastries stuffed with green peas and spiced potatoes, covered with a spiced garbanzo, tamarind chutney.

Bhatura Cholle
Large puffed "flatbread" made of fermented white flour along with garbanzo curry, onions and mango pickle. (But if you're already getting the samosas, this is a lot of cholle.)

Mix Veg Pakoras
Crisp fritters of cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, potatoes and onion in chick pea batter served with mint and tamarind chutney.

If you're there on the weekend, try the Masala Dosa (Crepe made of rice and lentil flour stuffed with potatoes and served with coconut chutney and lentil soup.) which is huge, and better than the best dosas in Delhi.

Also served only on the weekends, the Dhokla (Steamed chickpea flour cake, mildy spiced and served with mint chutney.) is a favorite of my fiance, Todd. But get there early, because this is a popular dish that runs out quickly. Also, ask for extra mint chutney to flavor this deliciously spongy savory cake.

0-25 - $
25-50 $$
50-75 $$$
75-100 $$$$