Swathi Tiffins Indian Restaurant in Sunnyvale, California - a Review

A coworker of mine has been introducing me to Indian food. Because of the tech industry in the Silicon Valley, there are many Indian restaurants near my apartment and near my workplace. My favorite Indian restaurant so far is Swathi Tiffins in Sunnyvale, California. Swathi Tiffins specializes in South Indian vegetarian food (as opposed to North Indian food). Although I am by no means an expert on the subtleties of Indian food in general, or of South Indian cuisine in particular, I have been very impressed with the food at Swathi Tiffins, and I have already found several items that I count among my favorite foods in general.

Swathi Tiffins is located at 1202 Apollo Way in Sunnyvale, CA. For those unfamiliar with the area, this is near the corner of Lawrence Expressway and Central Expressway. Swathi Tiffins is located next to an Indian grocery store and wares shop. Swathi Tiffins is small Indian restaurant at the end of a small strip mall, which means it can be a little difficult to find. But the directions from Mapquest or Google Maps should get you to Swathi Tiffins without any trouble.

Swathit Tiffins is more like a small Indian deli or cafe than a restaurant. At Swathi Tiffins you place your order at a window, and the food is handed to you though the same window when it is prepared. There are around 12 or so tables in Swathi Tiffins, and there are two flat-screen televisions showing an Indian television station most of the time. While the small space and the informal atmosphere are nothing impressive, the food at Swathi Tiffins is impressive to a non-native Indian food lover such as myself.

I have discovered several South Indian dishes at Swathi Tiffins that have become some of my favorite food items in general. My absolute favorite item at Swathi Tiffins is the Pongal. Pongal is a rice-based South Indian breakfast dish, analogous to oatmeal or grits in American culture. However, Pongal is spicier and more flavorful than American breakfast pouridges, due mainly to the Indian seasonings and peppercorns in Pongal. Although Pongal is a breakfast item, I find Pongal to be instantly recognizable as a comfort food for any time of day. Although I have never had Pongal at any place other than Swathi Tiffins, I find the Pongal at Swathi Tiffins to be absolutely delicious.

Another of my favorite items at Swathi Tiffins is the Thali, which you can think of as a type of South Indian sampler plate with various sauces in which you can dip a flatbread such as Dosa. While I am not well-versed enough in Indian food to individually name the items included in the Thali dish at Swathi Tiffins, each item is delicious despite the fact that I do not really know what is supposed to go with what. Thali at Swathi Tiffins is good for luncg or dinner, and its variety and dipping-style presentation makes it perfect for a social lunch or family-style dinner.

Although the South Indian food at Swathi Tiffins is delicious, it is also surprisingly affordable. A combo dish is under six dollars, and evey dish at Swathi Tiffins has generous portions that can be divided into multiple meals. I can ususally obtain enough food for two full meals for well under ten dollars at Swathi Tiffins, which is a far better deal than you get at most American fast food restaurants. Although I have to drive about 15 minutes to get to Swathi Tiffins from my home in Campbell, the drive is worthwhile both for te quality of the food and the generous portions.

The little research I have done into Indian food in the San Jose area indicates that North Indian food is more common than South Indian food. Given that South Indian food is relatively rare compared to North Indian food in the Bay Area, Swathi Tiffins is a gem of an Indian restaurant in a sea of Indian restaurants and cafes from which it can be hard to find the best places to find South Indian food such as the food offered at Swathi Tiffins. As an American of Swedish and German descent who is making a first foray into Indian food, I am very impressed with the South Indian food at Swathi Tiffins, and I find myself regularly craving a bowl of Pongal or a Thali plate for lunch. Swathi Tiffins can be a little hard to locate, since it is a proverbial hole-in-the-wall, but Swathi Tiffins is worth the effort to seek out, enjoy the Indian television, enjoy the friendly service, and enjoy the many selections of vegetarian South Indian food with generoud portions.