Tiffin brings flavor to Langley Park

Tiffin is a tasteful Indian restaurant tucked away in one of Langley Park's numerous mini-malls. The restaurant beckons patrons inside with its soft lighting, vibrant color scheme and rich artwork. Yet what keeps diners coming back is Tiffin's collection of exotic and delectable dishes that helps give the restaurant its reputation for authentic food.

The food at Tiffin is steamy and swimming in delicious Indian spices. The ambience of the dining room is peaceful and ideal for good conversation. With first-rate service, Tiffin is just about perfect, yet its relatively low profile keeps the restaurant calm and the kitchen quick.

To start with, Tiffin has an array of appetizers, the best of which is the mouth-watering "trolley-side" samosa. Samosas are flaky, hearty pastries filled with spicy potatoes and peas. The pastry is perfectly crispy and brown, and the spices make the samosas superb and absolutely flawless.

There is a broad range of choices offered in the entrée menu, ranging from chicken dishes to meals with lamb and seafood. If you are up for lighter fare, Tiffin also offers soups, vegetarian dishes, homemade breads and rice. An excellent side dish is Poori, a whole wheat bread that puffs up in the oven. Each tear releases steam from the warm bread, which has a perfect texture that almost melts in your mouth.

Out of Tiffin's seven "poultry specialties," the best is probably the Murg Aur Palak, chicken sautéed with spices in spinach. The chicken is soft and nicely flavored, smothered in a scrumptious creamy spinach sauce. The dish itself is a colorful deep green, and poured over the complementary bowl of rice, it is fantastic. No one element is overpowering. Chicken, spinach and vast array of spices mingle together perfectly for a filling, satisfying meal.

The dining room is bright and stylish with exposed pipe work and soft, color-filtered lighting. Mirrors cover the walls, making the room seem larger than it is. The general calm and quiet of the restaurant is interrupted only by sizzling, steaming dishes parading out of the kitchen to tables full of eager diners. Service is impeccable at Tiffin. Water glasses never go unfilled, and no diner is ever left in need.

While there is very little wrong with the Tiffin dining experience, more rice with the entrées would be an improvement. Occasionally, a diner can be left with delicious food and nothing to eat it over.

A meal at Tiffin is reasonably priced. Appetizers range from $3.50 to $8.50, and entrées from $7.95 to $16.95.

Tiffin is located at 1341 University Boulevard East in Takoma/Langley Park.