Where: 29/5B Dr Ambedkar Sarani, Topsia (beside Vishwakarma building)
Open: 9am to midnight
On the menu: “Office cuisine”, 9am to 7pm“Indian shack food cuisine”, 7pm to midnight
Bill for two: Rs 150-plus
Bahadurda used to ring the tiffin bell at the end of the fourth period. On cue, a bunch of us would sprint, tiffin box in hand, fastest feet first — to get those ‘gold class’ seats atop a broken wall behind the playground. Silly? Maybe, but the most precious days of my life nevertheless. And the memories came rushing back in the middle of a working day at Tiffin.
The two-week-old restaurant, an Ambuja Neotia property near the Topsia crossing, has been set up to “serve you the tiffin that you usually bring from home”.
t2 enjoys a quick break here to give you the first impressions.
What’s in the tiffin box?
The restaurant serves “office cuisine” from 9am to 7pm, which means primarily small bites and popular street food like Mughlai Paratha and Fulkopir Singara. From 7pm, the menu changes to “dhaba food” with dishes such as Chicken Bharta and Paneer Tikka Masala.
You can’t miss the two-storey Tiffin building from the road, as you approach Vishwakarma building on your way to the Bypass from Bridge No. 4. An artist’s impression of workers adorns the outside wall and signage, like the ones you find at railway stations, announce you’ve arrived at Tiffin Kolkata. The work-in-progress decor motif runs along the staircase to the first floor. “We plan to come up with at least 10 Tiffin outlets across the city in the next two years,” said Nitin Kohli, senior general manager,
Ambuja Neotia Hospitality.
Colourful tiffin boxes are mounted on a wall on the first floor seating area, giving it the look and feel of a giant Candy Crush gaming interface. The ambience is casual, so don’t think twice before walking in in shorts and chappals. Yay!
For lunch, you can choose from the Niramish Thali (picture above) or the Amish Thali — both available from noon to 3.30pm. Paneer, a mixed vegetable dish, dal, rice, roti, pickle and mishti go into the veg thali; the Amish Thali is the same, with chicken curry replacing the paneer dish. Rs 78 (veg) and Rs 102 (non-veg), all inclusive.
The Chaa-Kafee-Thanda section on the menu has a wide variety of beverage options, from Lebu Chaa and Dhaba Cutting Chaa to South Indian Coffee and Fresh Lime Soda. Pair your sip with a munch of your choice; choose from French Fries, Dhokla, Chini/Makhan/Golmorich Toast, Chicken/Egg/Veg Roll... (Rs 11 to Rs 111).
The ground floor is non-AC with an open kitchen, so the food prices are much easy on the pocket (around 20 per cent less than what the air-conditioned first floor charges). Also, it’s self-service on the ground floor and table service on the first.
