Tiffin Lunch At Ghee Indian Kitchen In Miami

The first time we went to Ghee Indian Kitchen we sat inside. I wanted to sit outside to take some pictures, so we went back in spite of the heat. I also wanted to try one of their tiffin Lunches as I have a long-standing fascination with the tiffin itself.

Tiffin Lunch Service is offered from Tuesday to Saturday and the menu changes daily. On this particular day, the offerings were: Grain Naan, Sprouted Mung Bean Soup, Roast Pork Tomato Curry and Lemon Basmati Rice.

What is a tiffin? It is a stainless steel stacked lunch box. The name of this container is derived from the Anglo-Indian word tiffin which means “luncheon.” There is a great movie you can watch involving tiffins called The Lunchbox which is one of my favorites. Tiffins are not always made with stainless steel, but most of them are.

The Grain Naan was soft and textured – they were packed with flavor and crispy-charred spots that were smoky-delicious. Very satisfying. I took some home for later and warmed them up in the toaster, and there were still excellent.

Sprouted Mung Bean Soup was an entirely new experience. The little one took one look at it and refused to taste it. Remember when back in school you had to plant beans in a cup and watch them grow? The soup smelled a little like that – it was very watery and looked deceptively unappetizing. After one spoon of this though, my tongue exploded, in a good way – the flavor was something familiar yet so foreign and intriguing that my brain is still trying to figure out what the chef put in this delicious concoction. A thought-provoking soup.

The Roast Pork Tomato Curry was something else. First of all, we did not expect the pork belly, so that was a pleasant surprise. It was well cooked, very crispy on the outside, soft and tasty on the inside. The curry itself was mild, fragrant and creamy – seasoned just right. This tomato curry blew my mind; it was distinctly different yet recognizable if only I knew what secret ingredient made it so special. The basmati rice that came with it was fluffy and lemony and complimented the pork curry nicely.

We also had a Mango Lassi and Masala Chai, neither of them included in the Tiffin Lunch Service. The lassi was another spice bombshell, and the chai was like drinking warm and genuine love – vanilla and cardamon wafted up to my nostrils while the steam gently gave me a face sauna. It was so delicious that I could swim in it if it were not so hot outside.

The little chicken finally decided that she is not a fan of Indian food while I cannot wait to dig deeper. I already make curries at home that I think are pretty good but they lack the subtlety of their true Indian origins. The flavors here do not hit you in the head with a hammer – they gently involve your whole body in a dream-like multi-sensory foodgasm.

The service was not the best though. The waiter we got was somewhat ornery. He could of at least faked that he was happy to bring the food to the table. There was another waiter who dropped by us once in a while to assist, and he was very charming and flamboyant.

Ghee Indian Kitchen serves food that makes you think and feel good things. They offer alfresco and indoor dining, prices are not too outrageous, and the produce in the dishes are super-fresh straight from their farm in Homestead. Worth a visit for sure as long as you do not get the same waiter we did!