If you have not yet been to Paper Dosa, you are not only behind on the place everyone is talking about in the Santa Fe dining scene but you are also missing out on some yummy food! It has the elements that count to me in a restaurant... food that tastes good, is reasonably priced, and from the hands of friendly people. The Story: Around the world and back againAfter graduating form Santa Fe High, Nellie Tischler lived in Kaui, got a degree from UNM, went to Boston Music School, and lived in Spain. During a stint back in Santa Fe, she became part of Wise Fool, a circus group for which she played drums. Expanding beyond Santa Fe, the troupe headed to Oakland, where Tischler got a gig at Dosa, an Indian restaurant in the Mission. There, she met Paulraj Karuppasamy who went to culinary school in his native India, and later received a degree in Hotel Management and Culinary Arts. After positions at a 5-star hotel in the Maldives and on cruise ships he, too, found himself in the back-of-the-house at Dosa, where the two met, were eventually married and dreamed of one day having their own restaurant together.In the meantime, they moved to Coimbatore in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. After contracting typhoid and dengue fever, Nellie returned to Santa Fe in January 2013 and learned she was pregnant. Meanwhile, Paul awaited his Green Card until May of that year. After a stint back at Dosa in San Francisco, he joined Nellie in Santa Fe upon the birth of their baby.From Pop Up to PermanentIn steps toward making their brick-and-mortar dream a reality, the duo created a following doing pop-up dinners at venues such as Secret Café (a make-shift restaurant in a private home), some dining events at Sweetwater Café and a regular, weekly gig at Café Fina for 8 months where - one exciting evening - 220 diners arrived for dinner after coverage in the New Mexican. “It was a disaster,” exclaimed Tischler. “We ran out of everything! But, people came back.” One of their ambitious off-the-cuff events included a 19-item menu at a pop-up at MuDu Noodles. “That’s more than we currently do at Paper Dosa,” muses Tischler. “But we thought… 'Santa Fe is into this!'”They began catering everywhere from CCA and the Railyard Festival as well as private parties. Their big break came, however, from BizMix through which they were awarded at $13,000 grant, and the couple used that money to negotiate a lease. With that, and a private donation, Paper Dosa opened its doors earlier this year.The ConceptTischler describes the South Indian fare as “exotic but very approachable,” and hopes to introduce people to cuisine that will become their new comfort food. Their focus is pairing traditional recipes – and a few “fusion” twists – with the freshest possible ingredients. Tischler notes that Paul’s mother and grandmother did not even have refrigerators when he was a child so food was prepared for the meal about to be eaten, and he still does not like storing food from one day to the next. “There are no prepared powdered ingredients in the kitchen,” explains Tischler. “Every ingredient is roasted, mixed, ground by hand. Paul knows his spices and masalas really well.”The FoodFirstly, a "dosa" is a "paper" thin sort of crepe typically made from rice and lentils. It is folded and stuffed with potatoes and other such things. Most often the meat component will come on the side, like a garnish. I highly recommend the White Truffle Masala Dosa ($11). I'm not sure white truffle is a flavor commonly used in India - so I assume this is one of their fusion dishes. And, it was delicious.Cashews grow in tropical environments, such as India, so the Cashew Calamari ($9) is an interesting appetizer to share. The calamari are crispy and the cashew sauce is rich. One is plenty for 2 or more. The server recommended the Tomato Onion Uttapam ($10) and she was right to do so. (Pictured at the top left of this post.) It comes with the most delectable sauces on the side. One order is easily a entree on its own. The unique Dahi Vada ($8) is a soupy sort of yogurt with savory ribbons of cilantro and spice, and a lentil cake at underneath. And, the Mango Lassi ($4) is so yummy, you could just stop in to take one to-go!While they currently source many ingredients from California, where produce is more abundant and diverse, they are playing with readily-available New Mexico produce such watermelon radishes, squash, corn and green chile. When asked to compare far-Eastern chilis with New Mexican chile, Tischler said that our powdered Red Chimayo tends to be spicier than much of what is used in India. Also, the chiles are used differently. Here the chile is cooked down into a sauce whereas Indian cooking tends to use the whole smaller red chilis in a dish. However, like any proud New Mexico resident, Paul uses green chile abundantly while cooking at home.The ConclusionPaper Dosa will rightly remain in the Santa Fe dining scene for quite a while. So, take note, and make a visit. But, be warned... it's already being discovered by new fans everyday and bursting with customers. Without a reservation you may have a little wait. Now that the weather is nice, I will likely wander over often, with friends or with a book to thumb through while sipping an Indian beer and nibbling my new exotic comfort food on the sunny patio, set to open later this Spring.