Tiffin Hut

A short menu can be a great sign, and this Bangalore-style all-day cafe in Herndon has pared its offerings down to the bare minimum: four dosa variations, four idli variations, and chai—all pitch-perfect. Benne dosas, folded in half quesadilla-style, have crusts shellacked with butter; idli act like springy sponges for ghee and vermilion roasted-chile-and-lentil “gunpowder” seasoning. This is South Indian cooking at its most deeply satisfying.