Chennai Tiffins Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Clara

I really wanted to like this place, tried 2x before pandemic and the experience was really good one time and so so the 2nd. Decided to give it another try as it’s been a few years.

I went on Wednesday evening and they were offering live dosa in addition to regular menu service. Decided to try it as they offered 6 or so varieties and it was unlimited for $17.99.

The first couple of dosa came out very dark and crispy so had slight bitter aftertaste. So the next rounds instructed cooked to make it less brown and it was slightly better. I tried mysore masala, andhra masala, onion , gongura paneer, cheese dosas. You are probably thinking I am a pig and how was I able to eat this many dosas. They were mini dosas luckily otherwise no way I can try all of these varieties.

I didn’t find most of the combinations that impressive in terms of flavors unfortunately it could be due to the fact stuffing of dosa wasn’t very generous thus insufficient amount to bring out the flavor. Even the potato masala wasn’t that great as compared to other South Indian restaurants.

They gave pani puri for those who got live dosa. I didn’t find it very good and would be disappointed if I had paid for it separately. Puri was too crisp and lacked taste. Stuffing didn’t seem to be traditional potato Chana but tomato onion mixture. There may have been potato but was such a scanty amount I missed it. Pani was meh, not terrible but not great either.

The coconut chutney and sambar were delicious and the saving grace of the meal. You get serve yourself from the station set up next to live dosa. Sambar is vessel that stays warm which is awesome.

Overall not sure I will do live dosa again as I felt I overate to feel I get my $ worth lol. For 2 ppl this meal + mango lassi came out to $50 after tax and tip. This is tad pricy when food wasn’t satisfying taste wise. Those of you with less discerning taste and big appetite definitely come here.

I love the concept of live dosa. And will come back to try their breakfast buffet sometime in...

I'm sorry to say that I've had to adjust my rating from 5 stars to 1 star for this restaurant due to a significant decline in food quality since my initial visit. During my last visit for the Thursday appam buffet, the milk used was very watery, affecting the overall taste of the appams. Appams are traditionally enjoyed with coconut milk, enhancing their flavor with this classic combination. However, it seemed that only regular milk was used, without even a hint of coconut flavor.

While I understand that coconut milk is expensive and some restaurants opt to use regular milk mixed into the coconut milk to increase quantity as a cost-saving measure—which is generally acceptable—completely omitting the coconut flavor in a dish where it is expected is not.

I rarely give feedback or rate online, reserving comments for either exceptional service or notably poor experiences. On a positive note, I must compliment the person who took care of us at the front. Although I forgot his name, he wears glasses and provided excellent service.

I respectfully suggest to Suresh, the owner, that considering a slight price increase might help maintain food quality. I've heard that they've opened another restaurant at a different location, I hope for his continued success, but it is crucial to uphold quality standards at the original establishment. I look forward to seeing improvements and enjoying meals that reflect the high standards initially set by...

I am not against hole-in-the-walls. Some of the best food can be had in obscure places. Chennai Tiffins exhibits all the traits of a standard Indian hole-in-the-wall. Strip mall location, barebones furniture, stuck watching YouTube ads, the list goes on. But it would have been worth it if the food compensated for it. And, sadly, it did not for me. In an area where one can toss a pebble and hit a dozen south Indian restaurants, Chennai Tiffins, with all its regalia of Madras hanging on the walls, could not instill the nostalgia with its idli or vada. The menu, per the norm at such places, was pretty lengthy. I got the idli, vada, and pongal combo. It came out soon enough, but the idli was off in consistency (firmer than expected). The vada was fine in texture, but lacking in flavor. The pongal was passable and the best of the three. The sambar, it must be said, was excellent. That alone deserves a star (since it is used as a side dish in more than half the orders). I am always curious to see what a restaurant's specials taste like, what could they conjure up that deviates from the norm. I tried the Vijaywada Paneer dosa. I don't know what I was expecting, but I got a lot of dosa that was smeared with a spicy chutney and grated paneer. The combo did not work well. The paneer felt like an afterthought and there wasn't much of it in each mouthful to scoop up. I may have to try something else...