- [Narrator] On the surface,the Ganesha Temple in Queens
seems like just a place of worship for Hindus.
- Hi.
- [Narrator] But, if you take the side entrance,
down the hall with all the lights,
follow the signs, down the stairs,
follow more signs, down more stairs,
you'll find the temple canteen.
A restaurant serving food to rival anything
you would find in India.
This is Dr. Uma Mysorekar,
- Namaste.
I'm the President of the Hindu Temple Society
of North America in Flushing, New York.
The temple came into existence in 1977.
- [Narrator] And as one of the first of its kind
in North America, the temple has become a cultural hub
for Hindus throughout the US.
- This is a place like home.
People who come to the temple spend their whole day here.
They have their worshiping services in the morning,
and they very often have cultural programs.
But also, they come here to eat.
- [Narrator] They come to the temple to eat?
- Yes, they do come here to eat.
Some of them come just only to eat,
not even to come inside the temple.
- [Narrator] So, in addition to a place of worship,
a community center and a wedding venue,
the Ganesha Temple serves cuisine authentic to South India
and is open to the public.
And the food is pretty fantastic.
Just ask the New York Times, or New York Magazine,
or Anthony Bourdain.
- [Anthony] This is delicious.
- [Uma] It's not easy to find our Indian food everywhere
around the corners, so people come
to find authentic Indian food.
- [Narrator] Okay, so if you don't know anything
about South Indian food, here are some of the must-haves.
There's vada.
- [Uma] I always called it salty donuts.
- [Narrator] Idli.
- [Uma] It is nothing but puffed rice.
- [Narrator] Sambar.
- [Uma] It is made of lentils.
Very healthy.
- [Narrator] And most notably, dosas.
- [Uma] There are at least about eight or nine
kinds of dosas.
It consists of dough, and there is a filling inside.
We have authentic Indian cooks.
In our Hinduism we strongly believe,
without the offering of food to the deities
our prayer is incomplete, and that's how it really started.
But I think when you go to a canteen or a restaurant,
you want to enjoy your food.
We want to make sure that whether it is a Hindu
or a non-Hindu, should be able to enjoy the food.
Who cares really whether it is
an Indian restaurant or a non-Indian restaurant,
you just want to go and eat food.
- [Narrator] So the next time you're hungry in Queens,
try the temple.