Tiffin, Chicago

Around lunchtime in Mumbai, India, the streets fill with men carrying stainless-steel tiered tiffin boxes piled high on bicycles or handcarts. These men are the tiffin wallahs, and the metal containers they are carrying are lunch boxes stuffed with homemade Indian curries and chutneys. The tiffin wallahs' task is to deliver the tiffin—or lunchtime meal—to various workers around the city. The food inside the compartmentalized boxes is created by a family member of the worker that morning and delivered while it's still hot.

Chicago's Tiffin eatery attempts to re-create the experience of eating these hot homemade tiffin dishes, which range from lamb vindaloo to chicken malai kebabs marinated in yogurt and saffron. However, at the West Devon Avenue joint, tiffin can be enjoyed throughout the day, not just during lunch.