Fine Indian Fare Comes to Wynnewood in 'Tiffin'

Situated on the far corner of the busy retail center, Wynnewood Shopping Plaza, Tiffin Indian Cuisine's large bay windows, typically reserved for retail store displays, invite you to step inside and sample a diverse northern Indian menu.

Captivating and often confusing, Indian cuisine is a hearty and flavor-centered myriad of ingredients, each delicately balanced to achieve one-of-a-kind flavors unlike any other cuisine in the world.  

It has been the three-year long dream of owner Munish Narula to expand the reach of his restaurants and change the perspective of those who may have been timid to the foreign cuisine.  After opening his sixth location, the Tiffin name has been abuzz in the Philadelphia region with accolades and praise of a balanced menu that Indian foodies will support and return to sample from time and time again.

The term tiffin, which means "lunch" or "light meal," was largely used during British occupancy of India when Indian customs superseded the British late afternoon dinner practices, leading to the creation of a term to describe the meal. Today, calling the subsequent practice of tiffin a "light meal" is a bit of a misnomer, as traditionally the meals consist of rice, dal, a potato dish, and a curry with vegetables or meat.  

In India, the wives of working men prepare a tiffin, cooking in their own homes, and placing each course in a separate round tin called a tiffin carrier.  The tins are stacked and then carried, usually by bicycle, by delivery men to the workplace of the husbands. The system in which the orders are organized and delivered is complex, as each household could be sending vastly different meals all packed in tins that look identical.  It is the responsibility and duty of the delivery men to ensure the orders reach the correct consumer. The practice of preparing and delivering a tiffin has been essential to the working-class, as outside food options are expensive and not nearly as nutritionally inclusive as those of the meals prepared at home.

In Wynnewood, the Tiffin restaurant offers a lunch or dinner "tiffin" for delivery or pick-up with the traditions of India in mind.  The tiffin specials have been incredibly successful at the other locations in Philadelphia, yielding a strong following on the Main Line.  Monday through Friday on tiffin.com, the central website for the area's six locations, customers can choose from one meat or two vegetarian special meals freshly prepared each day.

Each is accompanied by long-grain basmati rice, a curried potato specialty, a dal-yellow lentil dish, and a an side utilizing seasonally fresh vegetables.  These tiffin specials change daily and are posted weekly on the website, ensuring diners will have a completely different dish every day, rarely repeating throughout the months.  The idea is to provide home-cooked and complex dishes at an affordable price, with convenience of delivery or pick-up during specified times, perfect for during busy work-days.

Place your order by 10 a.m. for lunch, with delivery or pick-up available between 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., or place your dinner order by 2 p.m. for delivery or pick-up between the hours of 5 – 8 p.m.  At the low price of $7.50 for vegetarian and $8.50 for meat, Tiffin strives to provide a filling, flavorful and unique opportunity to sample new and complex Indian dishes and uphold the tradition of so many households in India.  

Of course, once you begin to explore the online Tiffin menu, you will be more inclined to visit the restaurant for lunch or dinner.  Tiffin offers a casual bistro-style dining room that seats 50, with saffron colored walls and large photographs of Indian marketplaces above each dark-wood table.  The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable, giving diners a chance to unwind with their own bottle of wine and dine at their own pace. Friday and Saturday nights the dining room fills quickly with a constant buzz of conversation and plenty of activity from the kitchen. During warm months, outside seating on the sidewalk in front gives diners an open-air dining experience.  

The dine-in menu is a diverse offering with predominately Northern Indian specialties and a few Southern Indian dishes.  Balancing seasoning and spice as a rule, the complex recipes are never overwhelming with heat and use complimenting ingredients to create complex flavors that range from sweet to savory to deep and intriguing.

Chef Prem K.C. balances the influx of take-out, delivery and dine-in orders with the skill of an Olympic athlete, demanding an efficient kitchen staff of experienced cooks who share the same passion and commitment to preparing Indian cuisine. The food itself is flavorful and accessible to a variety of palates, but also cooked quickly, taking diners course by course with little wait in between.  Added pressure to be on top of their craft, the kitchen of Tiffin is open, just behind a waist-high counter, visible for all to see the complex preparations needed to achieve dishes consistently in a constantly-busy restaurant.  

Appetizers, such as the fritter-like Onion Bhaji for just $2.95, are fried to a perfect crisp, with very little oil and a smooth cake-like interior.  The onions are crisp, but steam within the batter during frying to create a multi-textural experience that is flavorful, yet not overwhelming.

The portion of four fritters is perfect for sharing and an excellent introduction to new diners. The trio of house-made chutneys accompany appetizers--the mango with a jam-like consistency and slightly sweet taste; mint with coriander, green chili and onion is smooth and spicy; and the ketchup-like tamarind's slightly sour taste is balanced perfectly with raw sugar.  Sampling each chutney yields a completely different flavor experience with each bite.

Vegetarians will rejoice over the twelve main dishes with ranging flavors. Creamy and mild Saag Paneer marries a homemade cottage cheese with spinach and fresh herbs and spicy Baingan Bharta uses smoked eggplant sauteed with tomatoes, onions and spices.  The Malai Kofta features firm cheese dumplings blended with vegetables and flour simmered in a thick and savory creamy sauce laden with cashews and fresh ginger.  Dal (lentils), cauliflower, chick peas, and seasonal vegetables play an integral part in rounding out the menu items which are served with long-grain basmati rice.  

The restaurants best sellers and recommended offerings for first-time diners and veterans alike include the popular Chicken Tikka Masala, a boneless chicken breast simmered in a fresh creamy tomato gravy, and the Tandoori Chicken which is marinated in a spiced yogurt and grilled BBQ style in the traditional clay tandoori oven.  Monthly specials offer three appetizers and four main courses that change to reflect the season and current flavors available to the chef.  

No meal is complete without bread, and Indian bread is unlike any other in the world. Tiffin prepares their own dough daily to make a variety of white flour and whole wheat naans, parathas, and rotis that are light and flavorful and provide an excellent platform to soak up rich sauces and gravies in main courses.

The Peshawari Naan is stuffed with a sweet butter of dried fruit and nuts and the Lasooni Naan has fresh crushed garlic baked into the top that compliments every main dish on the menu.  Size does matter in Indian cuisine as the majority of main dishes contain rich sauces, creamy gravies, and hearty vegetables.  Portions are fair for the prices.  An average meal for two that includes an appetizer, two main courses, two breads, and two beverages such as the smoothie-like Mango Lassi will run about $45, but the tiffin lunch or dinner option ordered online is surely the way to go for those seeking exotic cuisine on a budget.  

Tiffin is open seven days a week 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. with delivery services within a five-mile radius serving Ardmore, Wynnewood, Bala Cynwyd, Haverford and Villanova communities.