Yaal Tiffins

Excellent service. The waiters are very helpful and nice. I have tried multiple dishes here and I love all of their food. I would recommend the goat curry if you like spicy as well as the fish curry. If you come at lunch time then you should ask them for the lunch special. Be aware, you will wait for awhile at lunch time.
One bad thing is their location. It is at a corner and hard to find. Will recommend to friends and coworkers.

Yaal Tiffins is delicious!
The chicken kulambu was my absolute favorite – we fought over the last bite (it’s chicken in a coconut curry sauce). We ordered two kinds of naan – garlic and the traditional Sri Lankan kind with onions and coconut – both were very good, and if I had to choose one, it would be the garlic. Even the crisp flatbread with chutney and another sauce (green) that came out before the meal was delicious. We also ordered a noodle dish (that I can’t remember the name of), and it was OK – the kulambu was my favorite.
The service was nice and polite, and they kept us stocked with water, which is a necessity with a spicy meal.

I went on a Sunday around 2pm (an hour before close) and everything still tasted fresh and delicious. The place is small, not very well air conditioned but it doesn’t matter because everyone was kind and welcoming. The buffet offerings change weekly, they serve you (not what most Americans expect from a buffet). The banana leaf was fine. The chicken was amazing. Their spices were perfect. I’m worried about going in the evening because I wouldn’t know what to order since everything I ate during the lunch sampler/​buffet was so good! How to choose? I took a picture of the lunch buffet menu just in case.

Tasty food. I have been there both for lunch on the weekdays and weekends. On the weekdays their thalis are fantastic. Tried the srilankan thalis and reminded me of a srilankan family friend who used to make the string hoppers and sambol.
The weekend lunch was a a different experience, served on banana leaf which is think is a lot more environmentally friendly and somehow the food tastes better too.
Absolutely recommend you try it.

We’ve been following a Sri Lankan chef and his cooking online and decided to find out if Houston had a Sri Lankan restaurant — here you go!
We went on a Thursday night for dinner but the best time to go is during their Saturday seated buffet. Yes, there are no heated lamps keeping your food warm on a table sitting there. Kind people come and serve you on a banana leaf. No plates anywhere! Plus, you will notice that the majority of the diners eat with their hands. I have not yet attempted it but maybe after a few more visits, I will.
I wish I had more room for all of the food that was available. Trust me, you will not leave hungry!
I wish I was going again today…

Went for a Saturday buffet in March. The place was crowded. Lots of Indian people were present, a good sign. We waited a few minutes for a table but not long. The food was served on the banana leaf, a fun concept. The food was all good and not too spicy, which I was worried about. I’m pregnant and can’t do spicy right now. One thing was spicy to me but not really to my husband. The servings were portioned just right but they were willing to provided more if requested. I enjoyed trying the many different things. Not sure what all we tried but It was good. I recommend this place and want to go back.

So I am going to set the record straight about Yaal Tiffins restaurant. The title says «Yaal Tiffins — South Indian Restaurant». Well that’s a little misleading because majority of the food they serve is of Sri Lankan origin. If one was to do a blindfold test based solely on «taste» itself of all the South Asian cuisines, meaning Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan cuisines, Sri Lankan food will win with a record margin. For some Westerners a curry is a curry but people who have eaten «Real» Sri Lankan food knows it’s nothing like an Indian or a Pakistani curry.
First off, visiting Houston came across this restaurant while driving down Westheimer to the Galleria area. Stopped in for the Saturday Lunch buffet but got a little confused when we didn’t see the buffet bar. Greeted immediately and seated at a table the server just cleaned. That means the turnover is pretty good on a Saturday early afternoon. Both the server and the owner came and greeted us promptly, served water and laid down the Banana leafs. The server started with the description of how the buffet is operated.
I get it, Sri Lankan style buffet but at a «South Indian» restaurant. The owner who is also from the Northern part of the tropical island of Sri Lanka thinks that the «Indian» name will bring more Westerners and South Asians to the restaurant. I however think that let it be known, this is not your simple cream and tomato based Indian curries. This is pure grade A Sri Lankan street food which knocks it out the park!
So in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, in most of the restaurants that serve the locals the dining experience is usually a buffet style experience. The server lays the banana leaf, serves you rice and multiple curries with chutneys and sambols. Yaal Tiffin does exactly the same. You get the same experience at Yaal Tiffins in Houston, TX as you would during your lunch break in Colombo, Sri Lanka, thousands of miles away.
The starters and the sambals were tasty and spicy. Then came the rice and the curries. They were absolutely spot on. Spicy, mouth watering, keeps you wanting for more and more. Chicken Kulambu is one of the best curries I have had living in the United States. I wanted to try the Kothu Roti because in most of the NYC Sri Lankan joints that’s the staple. Kothu Roti is, chopped roti with sautéed vegetables, scrambled egg and a curry mixed in at the very end on the flat top grill. The concept originated in the Northeastern parts of the Island now the most popular carry out item in the country. The owner informed that they only do Kothu roti for dinner, meaning I had to come back later. Picked up 3 orders of different kothu rotis for later on the way back to Pearland, TX and just as I expected they were superb, spicy, tasty, full of flavor.
If you are a Westerner or not if you want some great curry this should be your place in Houston. If you want shiny utensils, polished glasses, servers speaking Queen’s English, bathrooms with concierge service, mild cream based curries go somewhere else.
So overall, Yaal Tiffins, which serves up some Superb Sri Lankan food, should be proud to call it a Sri Lankan restaurant.

Bookmarked this on a suggestion from a friend. Finally, got to visit for their Saturday sit-​down buffet. Good crowd and typical ambience — aah! Reminded me of the good old ‘andhra mess’ times.
Straight up, honest food. Went with a couple of friends from work and the spice didn’t overwhelm them… will definitely return.

Come to Yaal Tiffins for great, authentic South Indian food! I recently discovered this hidden gem in the Westchase area while a gf and I were looking for weekend lunch places. We walked in not knowing what to expect and we left full with very happy bellies! As a precaution, don’t eat here if you are sensitive to spicy food, as South Indian food is notoriously spicy. You certainly have to be able to handle the heat here!
On the weekends, the menu for lunch is preset and you are served tableside with an endless variety of food for only $ 11.99, which is a steal! Oh and it’s BYOB! Each person is given a banana leaf, which will basically be your plate for the meal. You can choose to eat the traditional way with your fingers/​hands, but there are also utensils. They even give you silver cups for water. I had no idea what we were eating but it was all so spicy, flavorful and delicious!!! The servers were very nice and explained what dishes were being served. I think most of the dishes were vegetarian (lentil soup, 3 different rice portions, noodle mixture, potato-​bell peppers-​onion dish, a chickpea mixture, 2 different dipping sauces) and one meat dish, which was a very good chicken curry. You can get as many servings of each dish as you prefer, just let the servers know. We got a yummy creamy, coconut milk-​rice pudding with cashews to end the meal and cool down our palates! (Should you choose to eat with your fingers/​hands, they have sinks at one end of the restaurant so you can wash them afterwards).
I would recommend coming to Yaal Tiffins on the weekends to experience a truly unique dining experience filled with South Indian spicy flavor explosions! Every staff member was very accommodating and friendly during our visit. We had such a great weekend lunch there and will return with our friends and perhaps a couple of bottles of wine too!

Great food and you get a great choice on your platter.
I specially like the weekend food over here and the owner is so cool.

My brother is literally IN LOVE with this place. I have been here twice, but there’s always been one thing or another that I did not really like about my dish. The first time I got I think a Madurai Podi Masala Dosa (dosas are basically crepes), but it had like dried lentils or beans of some sort that I did not like and I think there was not very much filling inside of the dosa.
The second time I went, I got the lamb kothu roti. The roti was cut up into small pieces and mixed in with the lamb. I actually liked the concept, and even the flavors were mostly good, but unfortunately the meat smelled/​tasted a little weird. Not sure if it was actually the spices/​flavorings fault or the lambs. Perhaps I’ll try the chicken one the next time. Also another thing to note is that the food took a while to come out.
Anyways I would come again, but I haven’t been wowed by anything yet.

We came here for a quick lunch on Sunday. The staff was very friendly, but a little hard to understand. It was clean and pretty packed. There were several TV’s playing the Bollywood music videos and some with animal shows on.
It was a pre-​fix, serve at table buffet. This seems to happen on Saturday and Sunday. They bring you the traditional banana leaf and silver glass for your water. Then the servers bring you food and dish it out onto your banana leaf. My favorites were the coconut rice, dal, soup and the okra/​potato curry. There were a total of 5 dishes that were vegetarian and one chicken curry dish. The sauce for the chicken dish was spicy and good, but I did my best to avoid the chicken portion since I don’t eat meat.
Overall it was good. I will try it again at some point.

If you looking for tasty homemade food, Yaal is the place. The owner Kumar greets you well and makes sure you get more than what you pay for. I’m a complete foodie and enjoy the conversation about food and ingredients with him. I have never been disappointed with the food at Yaal, one of those few places where you don’t feel bad after a large meal, mostly because the food is like homemade and served hygienic.
Recommended items: Masala vada, appams, any Kulambu, Kothu roti, Nasi Lemak (Malaysian rice).

Great food, home style Southern Indian, with Sri-​Lankan and Indo-​Malay options had an excellent lunch with a unique menu not easily found, truly authentic cuisine.
Southern Indian is very spicy ! best Indian food have had to date in Houston.
Will say it’s a funky little no frills place but inexpensive for the quality of food, prompt and friendly service
Parking lot full of high end cars and Indian executive types from nearby office parks, clearly that could afford more expensive joints which says a lot about the quality of the food here.
Just understand it’s a cultural experience if your picky about a «perfect experience» or going to get uptight about service or how clean the bathrooms are… then go somewhere else more geared to a western audience.
some of the other reviews were unfair and not reviewing it on the merit of what it is a unique homestyle ethic restaurant with great food.

I was super excited to see a Sri Lankan restaurant in Houston because Sri Lankan cuisine is my favorite. It isn’t as good as my favorite place in NYC but it comes close. I tried a variety of dishes before I wrote this review. I’ve only had takeout. The restaurant itself seems comfortable, but nothing fancy. The service is very polite and calling ahead is recommended.
My favorite thing on the menu is probably the mutton roll. I adore mutton rolls which are basically spicy potato and mutton wrapped and breaded and then fried. They are amazing and I would take them over samosas any day. I could eat a couple of them for a meal. I would go back to Yaal Tiffins just for their mutton rolls. I also tried the veggie cutlets and they were delicious as well. It’s basically a spicy, flavorful version of potato croquettes.
Another favorite of mine was the devilled chicken. It’s basically stir fried chicken with peppers and onions, served with white rice. Again spicy. Pretty much everything I’ve had here was very spicy. If you don’t tolerate spice well, I recommend emphasizing that. I tried one of their kulambus, which is basically just curry. I don’t remember if I had goat or chicken but I do remember that it was pretty good. I did not like the eggplant kulambu. Just a personal taste. It wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t what I was expecting and I wouldn’t order it again.
They also offer Indian and Malaysian food. I doubt I’ll try the Indian because there are just too many other Indian options, but the Malaysian specials do look enticing. Overall the food is good enough to satisfy my craving for Sri Lankan until I get back to NYC.

We had never been or never heard of this amazing place before. We found it on Unilocal last weekend driving around Houston and decided to stop (Indian food is our absolute fav food). We stopped on a Saturday and were served the Sri Lankan buffet and it was absolutely delish! The food was lovely and very spicy (just the way we like it). The servers were very sweet and explained everything they were serving. There wasn’t one thing we didn’t enjoy from the buffet. We will definitely be back! We will probably go this Sunday for the Southern India buffet! Yum!

Great food. Worst service I ever had in full service restaurant. As a first timer I didn’t know what constitute a Sunday brunch here. I was served egg plant fritters with coconut chutney at first. Then everything came in some random order. Rasam was served at the last when I was done with my food. Never served pappadam/​appalam, curd rice or dessert. I have no clue what else I was not served, these are the items I saw served to others. Between each serving there was at least 5 minutes delay. It took 20 minutes into my brunch experience to get water, that too after calling out loud for attention. What an embarrassing experience!
Advice to business: If you really want to save your business, pay a visit to Maharaja Bhog to see how things are done.

I was surprised to find out it wasn’t typical Indian fare. The owner was quite nice in explaining to me the difference between North Indian, Sri Lankan, and South Indian food. The onion pakoda were crispy and fragrant. The lamb kothu roti was definitely great. Lots of texture and flavor. I was a little disappointed. I asked for extra spicy and got medium spicy. Perhaps because I’m a gringo. Who knows. Regrettably I’m from out town. I would definitely go again otherwise.
Not a fancy place, but the food was good enough to make it worth it. Pretty cheap too. Quick and friendly service.
No booze, but they allow BYOB. So plan ahead.

Came here after reading the good reviews about the food on Unilocal.I have to agree that the food is awesome. My husband literally said to me in the car that the flavors blew his mind.
We just had their Sri Lanken buffet lunch there today (Saturday). You basically get seated and the waitstaff places down a banana leaf in front of you and then they come around with different food items and place them on the banana leaf. At first, I wasn’t sure how the banana leaf would work out, but it did and nothing ever spilled off of it and it was easy enough to eat off of. I don’t know the names of what I ate, but it was all so good. After the first 4 food items i was too busy eating to take photos of the food that came out. I really liked everything but if I had to pick only a few things to eat out of all the food we tried today, I would want the chicken curry (super tender chicken), the potato cauliflower thing and the warm jackfruit dessert thing.
Not only was the food great, but the service today was really good and the staff was friendly. If I could have this type of food more often I could be a vegetarian.
FYI — Apparently this place is BYOB. There was a sign in the window that said so.

Ordered chicken thaali and goat curry thaali on a Friday during Lunch. You get an option of Naan or dosa (rice crêpe/​thosai)
The thaali consisted of onion bhajia (fritters), raita, coconut chutney, dal, sambar like preparation, cabbage, curry (with meat of your choice), rice, papad, sheera. Both goat and chicken curries were spicy, prepared in coconut. The service was a little slow; so be prepared to wait. This a simple; no frill place.
We ordered extra dosa (about $ 1.5/dosa)
May have to return for a weekend lunch special!