Tiffin Asha Makes the Leap from Food Cart to Brick and Mortar!

Tiffin Asha Makes the Leap from Food Cart to Brick and Mortar!

Tonight – Thursday December 5th, 2017 at 5 PM Tiffin Asha the restaurant will open their doors to the public. Tiffin Asha is located at 1670 NE Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97211.

Tiffin Asha serves cuisine inspired by South India with ‘influences spanning from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.”

I first wrote about Tiffin Asha back in 2013 for Portland Food Cart Adventures. I was lucky enough to be able to visit them on their very first day of business. I still remember that day and the amazing, new to me food that I devoured.

It was that afternoon that I discovered that the majority of Indian food I had previously enjoyed at Indian restaurants often featured the cuisine of Northern India. Tiffin Asha introduced me to many wonderful South India dishes that I have come to love.

Tiffin Asha opened to much well deserved acclaim. Michael Russell named Tiffin Asha one of his Top Ten Food Cart for 2013 –www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2013/08/portlands_top_10_new_food_cart.html and Karen Brooks featured them in this article – www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2013/6/12/southern-indian-snacks-at-tiffin-asha-june-2013.

In 2014 Tiffin Asha was a chapter in my first book – Portland Food Cart Stories and it has been a joy to follow Elizabeth and Sheila’s journey. I am so proud of them. The goal from the very beginning of Tiffin Asha was to build a brand and a fan base so that they could open up as a restaurant and they have done it!

If you have not yet been to to Tiffin Asha, I encourage you to do so!

Last night I enjoyed an amazing meal at Tiffin Asha with 3 of my friends. We had these five dishes:

Vada Holes – savory dal donut holes, coconut-chili fleur de sel, served with sambar & chutney.

When you go to Tiffin Asha make sure that you get an order of the Vada Holes, they are delightful with a light coconut flavor and I suggest that you choose the coconut chutney.

Lamb Kabab -pomegranate-sesame glazed lamb, resham patti.

I enjoyed the lamb Kabab, but it was very spicy.

Pork Kabab – pork meatballs, cashew butter, candied kumquat.

Wow! This was likely my favorite dish of the evening. It just worked and the candied kumquats were an excellent component.

Hot Chick Dosa – chicken pakora, black cardamom infused honey, pickled kale, creamy yogurt cheese, served with chutney.

This dish is terrific! The Hot Chick was the flagship item when Tiffin Asha was a food cart and I suspect that it will be just as popular at Tiffin Asha the restaurant.