Praise for the Lowly Condiment

An enthusiastic report on India Chaat Cuisine's Maharashtrian fast food—cuisine from the Mumbai area—included praise for the house-made red chutney, a chile and coconut concoction served with vada pav, deep-fried potato balls. The chutney is "DA BOMB," according to losfelizhound. The mention of the chutney recalled daveena's recent plea for house-made sauces to improve the dishes at Hawker Fare.

So who in the Bay Area is making excellent house-prepared condiments?

Hot pepper paste with Chinese chives graces the table at Ryowa in Mountain View, where eatzalot ate it with tsukemen—warm flat noodles served with sliced pork and a side of broth.

Along with the house-made veggie burger championed in a few threads, Greenburger's in the Lower Haight makes its own pickles and mayonnaise, both of which are available (for liberal application) at a fixin's bar constructed out of an old Wedgewood stove.

On the high end, shouzen liked the flavor of the house-made XO sauce served with white sausage at Benu, but longed for a more rustic, unstrained version with "bits" floating in it.

India Chaat Cuisine [South Bay]
1082 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale
408-246-6000

Ryowa [South Bay]
859 Villa Street, Mountain View
650-965-8829

Greenburger's [Lower Haight]
518 Haight Street, San Francisco
415-829-2491

Benu [SOMA]
22 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco
415-685-4860

Discuss: Maharashtrian Fast Food at India Chaat Cuisine, Sunnyvale
Tsukemen Ramen at Ramen Ryowa, Mtn View?
Outstanding house-made veggie burger at Greenburger's
Benu reports?