College Town restaurant features casual, homemade food
Many restaurants are closing these days, but there are still chefs and entrepreneurs who believe they have a winning formula, and they are willing to give their dreams a chance to succeed.
One of those is Anesh Bodasing, founder of the new casual Indian eatery, Tiffin Box, which had its grand opening at 799 W. Gaines St. in Tallahassee’s College Town, on Aug. 15. The timing is smart, coinciding with the beginning of fall classes.
Anesh Bodasing, owner of the new restaurant, Tiffin Box, in College Town. Photo / Tallahassee Table
Launching a new restaurant is certainly a risky business but Anesh is a man who dreams big.
“You have to have a huge belief in what you have. You have to have that,” Anesh said. “You need a bit of luck. And you need a thick skin. My mantra to my staff: Never give anyone a reason to complain.”
Tiffin Box is named after Indian lunch boxes, seen on the bikes in the shop. Photo / Tallahassee Table
My husband and I had no complaints when we visited Tiffin Box for the first time last Saturday. College Town was buzzing, with students – a bunch with parents and siblings in tow. We rarely go to the area when it’s this crowded but we decided to give it a try. After all, there are a lot of worthy dining spots in College Town.
Finding street parking when students are in town isn’t easy but we found a space in the parking garage.
Tiffin is located in the former I Heart Mac and Cheese spot, next door to Bagels & Co.
Create your own bowl with your main item such as seasoned chicken, butter chicken, jackfruit, ground lamb or grilled vegetables, with sides. Photo / Tiffin Box
Tiffin Box offers recipes handed down by Anesh’s mother and others he has created himself. You order at the counter. Choices are bowls and wraps ($9.95 each) and naan roll-ups ($8.95) that you can customize. Proteins include seasoned chicken, jackfruit, ground lamb, butter chicken and grilled vegetables. Basmati rice or seasoned cauliflower rice are options – along with a mixed version.
We ordered both the seasoned chicken and the butter chicken. Both were perfectly cooked, tender, flavorful and aromatic, seasoned with a bevy of spices such as cardamom, turmeric, gram marsala and mustard seed.
You can add sides, a lineup that includes seasoned chickpeas, lentils, pickled red onions, tangy carrots, roasted potatoes and cucumber yogurt.
We also like the samosas, a baked pastry crust filled with potatoes with either a vegetable or chicken version. Samosas are generally plump squares but Tiffin Box serves its samosas shaped like egg rolls. I could eat a bunch.
For dessert, try the homemade Sweet Wheat Square.Photo / Tiffin Box
For dessert, there’s a made-from-scratch Sweet Wheat Square, made with cream of wheat, ground cardamom and sliced almonds. It’s like biting into a whiff of perfume but not overdone.You’ll want to grab one or two.
You can also get dinners for two or four to six.
Tiffin Box is a bright, contemporary space in bold yellow hues, with accents that reflect Anesh’s Indian heritage. There’s a wall mural of a woman’s hands – it’s his wife, Claudia, though you don’t see her face – graced with a Henna pattern and several bracelets.
The restaurant is named after Tiffin boxes, basically “an Indian lunch box,” said Anesh, a father of two sons. Two of the Tiffin boxes are attached to colorful bikes by the window.
African elephants, with their dramatic, large, fan-shaped ears are displayed on the logo on the wall and on tables. The Indian elephant has smaller, rounder ears. But Anesh does have a connection to the African elephant. While he was born and raised in the town of North York, a district of Toronto, his parents were born in South Africa and his family “just celebrated our 150th anniversary in South Africa,” he said.
Anesh remembers when he first decided he wanted to get into the hospitality world.
“I remember the exact moment,” said Anesh, who had been working for a car dealership at the time “I was 22 years old and living in Cape Town. I wanted to try something different. I was walking by this huge billboard and it was a couple of Elvis impersonators.
The billboard advertised Hard Rock Cafe and they were looking for new employees. “I decided I’m going to do that and I got hired.”
“I told them I’m a people person,” Anesh said. “Just give me a shot. Fire me if I’m not one of your best servers in 30 days.”
Anesh made it way beyond 30 days, moving up the ranks at the Hard Rock. His later restaurant experience included Duffy’s Sports Grill in West Palm Beach and a fine dining restaurant in London.
Anesh opened Tiffin Box in West Palm Beach in 2019, just before the pandemic hit.
“I stayed open the whole time,” he said. “It was tough. The restaurant industry was evolving by the minute.”
Tiffin Box benefited from being a fast, casual restaurant with a small staff using delivery services.
“We were lucky to survive,” Anesh said.
Anesh not only survived the pandemic. He built a popular business.
In December 2022, Tiffin Box was named one of Yelp’s top 100 restaurants in Florida, one of just eight establishments to make the list in Palm Beach County, according to The Palm Beach Post.
But Anesh decided it would be helpful to move to grow his business. During his years in West Palm, he worked on streamlining his operation, finding the best portions, and the right explanation of dishes.
Pack a naan rollup with a bunch of ingredients. Photo / Tiffin Box
Anesh then decided to take his business to college towns, starting with Tallahassee. He’s opening another branch in Gainesville in September.
“I’d love to have these two stores get off to a great start,” he said. “Then I’d love to see Tiffin Boxes all over the country.”
Anesh sees a growing interest in Indian food. He will tell you — whether you’re new to the cuisine or is of Indian heritage you’ll find authentic, aromatic meals.
IF YOU GO
What: Tiffin Box
Where: 799 W Gaines St #113
When: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
