Neehee’s Indian Street Food

Closed. F’ing tragic.
Allegedly when they cleared out the store half of the space, it was to put in more restaurant seating. Guess that didn’t work out. Now where will I get my lunchtime saffron ice cream fix?

Neehee’s is to dosas as Noble Fish is to sushi.
Love:
–that it’s located within a grocery store
–the prompt, attentive counter service
–fresh, homemade icecream
–dosas bigger than my outstretched hand
–vegetarian
A dear old friend of mine moved from Detroit to the west coast to work for Google, and we struggle to break out of the routine of hitting our old favorites when he’s in town. I had overheard a programmer at work mention that she loved the place; I grilled her, consulted Unilocal (thanks to Marco D. and dea a. for the informative reviews), and let my friend choose between Maria’s Front Room (just a walk away and a favorite) and Neehee’s. He chose, we picked up a friend, and made the trek.
We drove past the strip mall containing Neehee’s TWICE. The first time around, we actually drove around in the parking lot and STILL couldn’t spot it. They’re tucked away in the north corner, barely visible from the street.
If you haven’t been there before, grab a menu from the counter instead of staring at the giant menu on the wall.
We ordered:
18. Khaman Dhokla (5 pc) — steamed chick pea cake doesn’t sound delicious, but they were the fluffiest, softest, spongiest things I’ve ever eaten and I snarfled them down like my life depended on it. Tasted like cornbread.
10. Samosa Chole (2 pc) — not your typical puff pastry samosa, in a good way.
71. Mini Uttappam Platter– five different «mini pizzas», ranging from onion chilli, dry nut, peas and cheese, tomatoes and cilantro, and pineapple and jalapeño. The latter was the crowd pleaser, an unexpectedly delightful combination.
81. Gun Powder Masala Dosa– these dosas are HUGE. It wasn’t nearly as spicy as I expected, but the flavor was outstanding.
82. Andra Spicy Masala Dosa– milder than the Gun Powder, with a zesty tang
If you order more than 3 dosas, expect to have to maneuver them around a bit to get everything to fit at one table.
Somehow the three of us wound up with 4 cups of the delicious soup– not sure how it happened, but I can tell you the soup is just as delicious the second day.
Additionally, we tried EVERY SINGLE FLAVOR OF ICECREAM. Not because we asked to, but because the staff suggested it. The counter worker dutifully scooped 3 tiny spoons into each flavor until we had sampled all 8 flavors. That’s truly the finest service I’ve ever had ANYWHERE. We had Anjeer, Mango, and something that tasted like butterscotch from heaven (if I can find the name, I’ll post back).
Also, try a glass of sugarcane juice if you’ve never had it before. Mildly sweet, slightly green taste.
Sidenote:
The grocery store (Suraj Indian Groceries) rivals, and perhaps in some ways surpasses, Patel Brothers in Sterling Heights. The lentil selection was amazing. I was also pleased to see fresh herbs in the fridge near the back.