East Indian street food restaurant Mowgli’s Tiffin debuts in the EDGE District
/Mowgli’s Tiffin, serving Indian street food, has quietly opened at 165 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Street North in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete | St Pete Rising
In a quiet corner of downtown St. Pete in the former Chi-town Beefs and Dogs space, a new Indian restaurant introduces Bengali street food to the Sunshine City.
First-time restaurateur and founder Amita Mukherjee quietly opened Mowgli's Tiffin earlier this week at 165 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Street North, bringing kati rolls and other dishes from the streets of Kolkata to the EDGE District.
“Mowgli's Tiffin celebrates the rich tapestry of Bengali culture,” Mukherjee said to St. Pete Rising. “The street food we are making is akin to the delicious bites you’d find on the streets of India.”
The quaint, 540-square-foot restaurant is named after the wild, curious, and adventurous boy named Mowgli from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Additionally, the Indian word tiffin means lunchbox and, in certain parts of India, a light meal or snack eaten anytime between lunch and dinner.
Mukherjee's parents immigrated to the United States from India over 50 years ago. She was raised in St. Pete and says she hasn’t found many restaurants in town serving the Indian dishes she misses from her homeland. In particular, street food holds a special place in her heart, so Mowgli's will serve dishes that remind her of West Bengal in eastern India.
“The real test is if people from east India come here, and they’re like, ‘God, this reminds me of the streets of Kolkata [the capital of West Bengal],’” said Mukherjee.
The Chicken Tikka Kati Roll at Mowgli’s Tiffin is a flakey, buttery flatbread, or roti, stuffed with chargrilled chicken that has been marinated in a spiced yogurt sauce and crisp veggies | St Pete Rising
Mowgli's menu is compact, focused first and foremost on kati rolls as they’re called in India, which is basically a flaky, buttery flatbread called roti stuffed with fillings.
There are four varieties, including three vegetarian selections.
Customers can choose between chargrilled paneer, which is a mild cheese from India similar to mozzarella; aloo masala, which contains potatoes cooked in earthy Indian spices; plant-based shish kebab, which is made with spiced ground Impossible meat; and chargrilled chicken tikka, which has been marinated in a spiced yogurt sauce.
If a kati roll isn’t quite your thing, the menu also includes Pop Goes the PURI, which consists of crispy puffs, called puri, stuffed with a savory filling and drenched with Mowgli's signature tamarind and cilantro waters.
Another menu item, Let's Papri CHAAT About It, is a vibrant medley of diced potato, tomato, sweet onion and chickpea atop crunchy papri wafers, drizzled with creamy yogurt, cilantro-mint and tamarind chutneys, and then topped with crispy sev ribbons and fresh pomegranate jewels.
One of the monthly specials at Mowgli’s Tiffin, the Butter Chicken Salad | St Pete Rising
Mowgli’s will also have rotating monthly specials. January’s specials are a butter chicken rice bowl and a butter chicken salad.
Sides include roti served with a curry sauce; potato bhaji, which are house-made potato chips with Indian spices; potato or chicken tikka kebab skewers; and lightly fried paneer curds.
To drink, Mowgli’s offers a house-made mango lassi, a creamy blend of mango and yogurt with a hint of mint and cardamom, along with three flavors of sparking lemonade, or nimbu pani, from Indianapolois-based Bollygood. Those in need of an afternoon jolt can grab a Delhi-style cold coffee, masala chai, or hot teapot. An assortment of sodas, beer, and wine are also available.
The debut of Mowgli’s Tiffin has been a years-long journey for Mukherjee, who purchased the building in 2018. Despite some setbacks, she's excited to introduce her creative spin on the traditional Indian street food to St. Pete.
Mukherjee said the goal is to thoughtfully introduce newcomers to the flavors of India without an overbearing menu.
The Mango Lassi, a creamy blend of mango and yogurt with a hint of mint and cardamom, at Mowgli’s Tiffin | St Pete Rising
In the future, Mukherjee expects to introduce a “Bollywood Brunch” service that will be available once a month, featuring omelets, egg kati rolls, and other sweet and savory dishes.
While this is the first culinary endeavor for Mukherjee, she plans to open a second fast-casual restaurant concept in the Pinellas County area by the end of the year.
Check out Mowgli’s Tiffin’s website for the full menu and hours of operation and be sure to follow on Instagram for the latest offerings.
