Known as Golden Gate City or the City by the Bay, San Francisco has much more to offer beyond its well-known architectural wonders and beautiful scenery. Here's what the discerning desi traveler will find:

Community Receptiveness:
The Bay area is home to a thriving and vibrant desi population. Many desi folk—particularly the Sikh community which dates back to the early 20th century—have been in the area for generations. Due to the dot-com and tech booms of the 1990s, the desi population has grown exponentially, with every ethnic and linguistic community represented. At last count, the South Asian population of San Francisco numbered more than 150,000.

Community Resources:
To accommodate such a large and disparate desi community, the Bay area offers equally numerous desi houses of worship. The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area, also known as the El Sobrante Gurdwara Sahib, provides religious services for the San Fransisco Sikh community. The Islamic Center of San Francisco offers a meeting place for Bay area Muslims. For Hindus, one of the myriad temples is the Hindu Temple and Community Center in Sunnyvale. Even the Jain community has a strong presence, as evidenced by the Jain Center of Northern California. There are also many organizations that focus on the Bay area desi community as a whole. The India Community Center was initially founded as a support service for senior citizens but has since evolved into a full family resource center devoted to providing comprehensive educational, cultural, occupational, recreational, and most importantly, health and human care services.

Food and Entertainment:
Indian and South Asian restaurants abound in the Bay area, but there are a few that stand out. Gaylord India, a San Francisco favorite for 25 years, offers delicious North Indian cuisine with a breathtaking view from its prime location in Ghirardelli Square. La'zeez Asian Fusion Restaurant bills itself as a fusion of delicious spices and doesn't disappoint. This highly rated eatery offers cuisine from all over South and Southeast Asia, from Thai tom yum goong to Tibetan momos (potstickers) to Indian tikka masala.

And after you've fed your stomach, you'll want to find something to feed the soul, desi-style. San Francisco has plenty to offer. The recently opened Asian Art Museum displays treasures from nearly every country and culture in South and Southeast Asia, emphasizing the evolution of Buddhism. It also has the distinction of being the only museum in the Western hemisphere with a gallery devoted to Sikh art. After exploring all the desi delights San Francisco has to offer, find peace and relaxation at Kamalaspa Day Spa and Salon, located in famous Union Square. Promoting inner peace and outer beauty with its use of ancient Ayurvedic techniques and modern products by Fresh, the spa is known for the Abhyanga, or four-handed massage, and the Shirodhara, a streaming oil massage of the forehead.