A Pleasant Surprise: Tiffin The Indian Kitchen
Setting the scene: Friday night, low on groceries, and even lower on energy to cook.
The cast of characters: Erin and Scott, HTT bloggers with a desire for something different.
The mission: A new place to eat, without the pain-in-the-ass travel time to Hell On Earth, I mean, Northern Virginia or DC.
Final destination: Tiffin the Indian Kitchen, Langley Park, Md.
Background info: Scott and I have visited Woodlands (vegetarian Indian) in Langley Park and wanted to see if Tiffin might be as good. Langley Park is a swath of commercial real estate between Takoma Park and Silver Spring, Md., dotted with tons of tiendas, liquor stores, and apartment buildings primarily housing a huge immigrant community here. It ain't exactly the flashy area we'd bring out of town guests or anything, but if you're looking for ethnic food, you can't go wrong.
Erin: I knew I'd like this place when we first arrived because 1) all sorts of folks were seated to some insanely tasty-smelling food. The host seated us in front of a window where we could watch a kitchen worker skewering meat onto big metal hooks, feeding the tandoori ovens, and kneading naan and other breads. It was a perfect sight to see when you're hungry and curious ( and Scott's always hungry and curious).
We decided forgo the usual pakora or samosa appetizer for something we'd never eaten. What did you think of the appetizer? (We had Dhai Vada - lentil donuts swimming in seasoned yogurt.)
Scott: It was nice to try something different, but it was a little too cold and yogurt-y for my taste.
Erin: Yeah, the cold temperature was a total shock to my palate. It was kind of cool (no pun intended) but at the same time, a little odd. But, my entree, the Bharwaan Baigan Curry - adorable baby eggplants roasted whole and swimming in a nutty, creamy curry sauce - was fantastic. I wanted to lick the serving dish, but that would not have been exactly prudent. The lime soda was a little too sweet for my taste, but it definitely helped to cool down the temperature on the curry.
Scott: My ground lamb Palak, cooked with spinach, was heavenly. The metal skillet it was brought out on was sizzling hot and fresh. The mango lassi was nice, too - the right consistency, not too thick or thin. They definitely use fresh mango pulp.
Erin: The meal was super-affordable and we had leftovers that we just scarfed down today for lunch. I jokes that we may have to start regular visits - Tiffin Tuesdays, perhaps?
The cast of characters: Erin and Scott, HTT bloggers with a desire for something different.
The mission: A new place to eat, without the pain-in-the-ass travel time to Hell On Earth, I mean, Northern Virginia or DC.
Final destination: Tiffin the Indian Kitchen, Langley Park, Md.
Background info: Scott and I have visited Woodlands (vegetarian Indian) in Langley Park and wanted to see if Tiffin might be as good. Langley Park is a swath of commercial real estate between Takoma Park and Silver Spring, Md., dotted with tons of tiendas, liquor stores, and apartment buildings primarily housing a huge immigrant community here. It ain't exactly the flashy area we'd bring out of town guests or anything, but if you're looking for ethnic food, you can't go wrong.
Erin: I knew I'd like this place when we first arrived because 1) all sorts of folks were seated to some insanely tasty-smelling food. The host seated us in front of a window where we could watch a kitchen worker skewering meat onto big metal hooks, feeding the tandoori ovens, and kneading naan and other breads. It was a perfect sight to see when you're hungry and curious ( and Scott's always hungry and curious).
We decided forgo the usual pakora or samosa appetizer for something we'd never eaten. What did you think of the appetizer? (We had Dhai Vada - lentil donuts swimming in seasoned yogurt.)
Scott: It was nice to try something different, but it was a little too cold and yogurt-y for my taste.
Erin: Yeah, the cold temperature was a total shock to my palate. It was kind of cool (no pun intended) but at the same time, a little odd. But, my entree, the Bharwaan Baigan Curry - adorable baby eggplants roasted whole and swimming in a nutty, creamy curry sauce - was fantastic. I wanted to lick the serving dish, but that would not have been exactly prudent. The lime soda was a little too sweet for my taste, but it definitely helped to cool down the temperature on the curry.
Scott: My ground lamb Palak, cooked with spinach, was heavenly. The metal skillet it was brought out on was sizzling hot and fresh. The mango lassi was nice, too - the right consistency, not too thick or thin. They definitely use fresh mango pulp.
Erin: The meal was super-affordable and we had leftovers that we just scarfed down today for lunch. I jokes that we may have to start regular visits - Tiffin Tuesdays, perhaps?
I'd be game to try with you next time.
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