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I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to history outside of China, U.S.A. and Europe. For example, I knew nothing about how India and Pakistan came about, and how much pain and suffering came with the birth of these nations. I probably would've never have known but for The Viceroy's House, which is not a documentary, but a historical fiction wrapped around a love story. All I can say is it poignantly portrays the difficulty with dividing a subcontinent and its people between two countries. Sadly, it's another case of the same people divided by religion. I give it two thumbs up (not for accuracy but human interest). It's available on Neflix for streaming. Not too long, and well paced. My eyes were glued to the screen when I'm not refilling my wine or peeing. -
Enjoyed a good meal at this new fast casual place in Mosaic a few weeks ago. The three of us each got different meats with sides (lentils, etc). The Naan was well made and buttery. I don't recall all the details, but it was hearty and reasonable. Sauces were not too spicy but flavorful and unboring. I do recall this weird automatic hand wash contraption thing in the dining room. It was awesome. -
Agreed. Indian food does, in fact, lend itself nicely to a steam-table format, but truly great Indian cooking will not be found at a lunch buffet, not at Bombay Curry Company, Saravana Palace, Haandi, Cafe Taj, Delhi Club, Bombay Bistro, Woodlands, Udupi Palce, Bombay, nor anywhere else that I can think of - I've had every single one of these as lunch buffets - sometimes they're good, but usually they're merely "safe but decent." Please don't judge the ultimate quality of any Indian restaurant by its lunchtime buffet spread. Okay, so places like Delhi Dhaba, Jaipur, or Punjab Dhaba may fail the Litmus Test of Suck based on their buffets alone, but as a general rule, some slack should be cut in this area. Cheers, Rocks.
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In the old Bistro Vivant space is a new restaurant called Masala. I haven't been yet. They do buffet for lunch, and have a pretty big dinner menu. The chef is Ram Thapa.
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The next time your always-late sister causes you to have some time to kill in the Herndon area, duck into Aditi Spice Depot on Elden Street. You'll find they have fresh curry leaves (score!) and a new idli steamer to replace your tired, post-apocalyptic stage prop that has become your old device. On the way out, ask the cashier where in Herndon is worth checking out for Indian cuisine. He'll recommend, among other places, Paradise Indian which is "just up the street" (he'll point to the left). When your sister finally arrives, and you realize the restaurant she chose is not open for lunch on Sunday, it will all be OK. You'll have a backup plan just down the street (point left). Today's expansive buffet was, at $12, a flavorful bargain. Normally not a fan of the spoon-n-go method of eating, I'd return here in a heartbeat. Exceptional flavor and freshness throughout, standouts being gobhi fry (cauliflower), goat curry, coconut chutney, lime pickle, and anything with chick peas or the exceptional house-made paneer. Numerous servers kept the buffet astutely clean and rightfully filled. Unlimited 10 ounce bottles of water seemed to be included in the price of the buffet, helpful since several dishes featured deeply spicy creations. We found the service personally attentive and friendly for a buffet. Soiled plates disappeared quickly, waters replaced rapidly, and the bag of ice I requested for the cooler in my car was met with not only a smile, but with a waterproof-wrapped version reflecting exceptional care. By the time we left around 2:00, we were the only non-Indian patrons in a very packed, very satisfied patron restaurant brimming with efficiency. From Alexandria, I'm pointing up and to the left, you should go, check it out. -
Anil Kumar is now at Bethesda Curry Kitchen, right across the street from Grapeseed, which opened on Tuesday, February 11th. On this very cold evening, the nearly empty restaurant seemed like an eternity away from Gringos & Mariachis, just a few blocks down Cordell Avenue, and which also opened on February 11th. I have no doubt that on this evening, Gringos & Mariachis was packed. A liquor license is still a few weeks away, so for now, this restaurant is without alcohol. I started my dinner with a homemade Mango Lassi ($3.50) which reminded me that Kumar's former restaurant, Saveur India, had some of the best Kulfi I've ever tried - Bethesda Curry Kitchen also has homemade Kulfi on their dessert menu. Chef Kumar is from Hyderabad, a huge city in the South of India, and the south is very well-represented on the menu. The city of Coorg sits about 400 miles southwest of Hyderabad, nestled in the Western Ghats. When I go to India for the first time, my plan is to spend some time in Goa, but a detour to Coorg is also on the agenda. Coorgi Chicken ($15.99) isn't a dish you see very often in the DC area, but it was very well-executed here, and obviously long-cooked, containing 5-6 boneless, Halal thighs in a wonderful curry (the quality of this chicken was very high). Served with basmati rice, I also got a Mehti Paratha ($3.00) for the requisite sauce dunking. On a frigid Saturday night, there was only one other family of four dining in this somewhat stark, utilitarian restaurant. "Until you get your liquor license, weekend dinners during the winter are going to break your heart," I said to my server. I cannot think of an atmosphere that's more different from Gringos & Mariachis than Bethesda Curry Kitchen, but both restaurants are initialized in Italic in the Dining Guide which speaks volumes about the potential quality of cooking here. Also just down Cordell Avenue from Passage To India, I don't even see the two as competitors - one is a curry house; the other is fine dining. Bethesda Curry Kitchen is going to survive, not by weekend dinners, but by delivery and lunch buffets. I walked past the empty buffet - which had the signs up - and noticed that my Coorgi Chicken was on it, so you can enjoy this exact same dish for lunch, with many others to accompany it, for less money. In fact, until they get their liquor license, a lunch buffet would be the perfect way to initiate yourselves with this fine newcomer.- 6 replies
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Indigo is not cheap but it's worth it. Limited seating inside but a great patio for beautiful days like today (not sure what they'll do in cold weather "“ I guess more people will carry out). Very friendly and warm service. Family-owned and "“operated, and you can tell (in a good way). I had lunch here for the third time today and ordered the mango chicken for the second time. The first time I ordered it I didn't realize it was a special. I was disappointed that it wasn't available the second time I visited, but I ordered the butter chicken, which was also delicious. But the mango chicken is not something I often see on menus in the area (or anywhere for that matter), and I love it. Thinking back, I can't remember if the chalkboard menu described it as spicy (it may have?). What I got was definitely not spicy, and I wouldn't have minded some spice to counteract the sweetness of the mango. Nonetheless, I greatly enjoyed this dish. The chickpeas (chana masala?) served on the side, often an afterthought in other restaurants, were delicious as well with a deep flavor. My dining companion ordered dal, which I can usually take or leave, but this dal was amazing, smoky and complex. I could have eaten a big bowl of this dal with some rice and been satisfied. My dining companion is a native of Bombay/Mumbai and says this is as good as the best home cooking he had growing up. I'm not as much of a connoisseur (I ate Indian food for the first time in college), but I also love the food here! -
Who wants some insipid Indian food? Well, do I have the place for you. A lunch meeting today over Indian at Aditi was, well, just not very good. The chicken tikka masala was just plain sweet with nothing else really coming through. The daal resembled mush. The saag paneer was flavorless. And the chunks of lamb in the korma were like little pebbles. The naan wasn't terrible, I suppose. Sorry to sound so harsh, but what am I supposed to do? I suppose the useless website should have been a tip-off, especially when it brags about being "a Blue Ribbon Award Winner (from the prestigious Washingtonian Magazine), first in 1991!" Yes, but when was the most recent time. . . I'm going to Tackle Box next time, with or without my colleagues. -
yogurt, milk or chocolate yes chocolate will do it. RIP
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Raaga, in Bailey's Crossroads, is the original neo-Connaught, and you'll encounter a few familiar faces there. -
A few months ago, a few other Indian-food lovers and I saw the sign for Tandoori Nights in Clarendon lit up and were excited to try another new Indian restaurant. Alas, we were fooled, as the only thing fully operational was the bright orange sign. Now that is has opened, we decided it was time to try again (last night). I was looking for a menu online so I could get the exact names of the dishes but I was foiled. You'll just have to go off of my memory. I did, however find Eve Zibart's review of Tandoori nights in Gaithersburg from 2002 plus this article originally linked on these boards. The interior is very sleek and...orange. As we were escorted to our table, we passed a glassed-in section that seems like it would be nice for a large group - though we did remark it couldn't be very good for a private party since it was glassed-in like the snake viewing rooms at the zoo . We were seated at a table, but there are several booths with hareem like drapes over the top which looked a bit nicer than where we were sitting. We had to pull salt and pepper from a different table, but our water glasses were filled within a minute of sitting down. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the service. The papadums came out with three sauces - tamarind (which I love), an uninspired mint chutney, and what is apparently a lentil puree that looked like chinese mustard, but with a hint of (at least last night) citrus that made it excellent. My companion's salted lassi came out with not enough salt (which seems to be a common problem, or at least in my experience) but that was easily rectified. I ordered a glass of wine later, which unfortunately sat forgotten on the bar until I reminded the waiter. We skipped the starters, and ordered a lamb rogan josh, another lamb dish (i think it started with a P) and a vegetable and paneer dish which was billed as a chef's specialty. We also ordered a garlic naan and a plain naan to eat along with the dishes. The rogan josh was excellent, warm, but not as spicy as I would have liked, and I'm really regretting not knowing the name of the other lamb dish because that is one you should order. The potatoes were an afterthought, but the sauce was worth writing home about. My paneer and vegetables was just alright, which was disappointing. The garlic naan was just crusted with garlic, which i particularly like and the regular naan did the job. Overall, a good experience. Who else has gone (to either location)? -
I'm intrigued by Chicken 65, which I've never tried before. Northern Virginia Table Tennis Center is less than two miles from here, so I'll be trying this dish soon. Does anyone know of other Southern Indian restaurants that have Chicken 65? I don't recall ever seeing it on a menu.
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Been a while since I posted but I think I found another place worth reviewing. Got a fun Saturday planned? Maybe you're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, if you have enough time. If your suburban angst has you going to Target and Costco and Chantilly then you should treat yourself to a meal at Chennai Express. Recently opened, this place is tucked away in an industrial park in Chantilly in the former Talking Turkey space. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu India. A state in the southern part of the country and the menu is designed accordingly. Do not expect to find Butter Chicken or Palek Paneer, Do expect to find authentic food prepared with care. The owner is passionate about his food and it shows. We stopped in on Sunday for some carry out. I'd like to tell you what I got but I could not pronounce most of it. Regardless. It was all good. Most important is that they do Chicken 65 right. No sweet sauce for this. Just dry, crispy juicy chicken with just the right amount of kick. There isn't a menu posted yet but who cares. Check it out. Its a great addition to the Chantilly food scene. -
Up in Columbia, I have seen Chicken 65 at both Mirchi Wok and Chutney before. I don't see it on their online menu right now though, so they might have been specials or they might just not be listed online?
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I noticed a sign while driving today for Chutney Indian Restaurant supposedly coming soon to a space near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and University Boulevard in Wheaton. I don't know what used to be in the space. The only information I can find online is this skeletal Eater post. I'm wondering whether this place has any relation to the restaurant of the same name in Columbia, for which I can't find a thread despite rave reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor (I know, I know ... but still). I wouldn't mind at all having a closer option for Indian food than Ghar-E-Kabab, which I think is our closest option now. (I live near the Forest Glen metro.)
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I am the world's worst writer when it comes to descriptions of food (I need to take Monica Bhide's class!), but tonight we went to what we thought was Star of India formerly India City Grill in Fairfax City and apparently it has been sold again! They have retained the same chef Surendar Kumar (formerly of Connaught Place) plus added someone else who has added southern Indian food to the menu as well. Like I said I am awful at describing but I am great at eating. They have added Indian street food to the menu which I had never seen before. A puffed rice, slightly spiced cold appetizer that was unlike anything I have ever had before at an Indian restaurant. It is something I will definately have again. They also had a wrap called a Kati Roll which had chicken tikka, onions, green peppers and other assorted vegetables which made for a delicious combination. We weren't adventurous ordering so we had butter chicken, chicken vindaloo, and a vegetable korma but all were out of this world. The shopping center where this is located is ugly as sin, but the new owner has done a wonderful job of redecorating the inside. Fairfax City does not have many restaurants which you would go twice to, much less write about. This one deserves to stay... Anyone else want to check it out and give their opinion? -
I'm going to the Bombay Club for the first time tonight for dinner and I want to know what dishes I should make sure not to miss. I'm surprised that there is not already a thread for this restaurant. Does that mean that it is not worth my time? It seems to get good, solid reviews, but there is an absence of fervor about it. Any idea why? I really, really want to like it. -
As Logan Circle/Shaw/Bloomingdale gain steam as go-to areas of the city to live in, I wanted to give a shout-out to this small, independently owned kabob restaurant that my wife and I frequent fairly regularly. This is not a destination restaurant by any means; to be fair the menu is a little scattered and they would be smart to focus on their strengths (kabobs and Indian/Pakistani fare) but the owner is a great guy and I respect him taking a chance and opening a restaurant in an area where you generally only see white carton chinese, liquor stores, and gas stations. It can be a bit inconsistent, but I find that is well worth the very reasonable prices, especially if you are dining in or carrying out. I don't recommend the delivery, which generally takes an inordinate amount of time due to the owner walking your order himself to your house (Taw-style). Pretty much everything we have had is good, but my favorites are the Beef Samosa, Kofta Kabob, and Chicken Curry. Check it out, this is a business worth supporting. Website -
I had dinner here two nights ago. They'd only been open for three days at the time, and though the service sometimes showed some inexperience (it took a while for the food to come out), the food most certainly did not. I don't know if I was in a particularly good mood, or if the restaurant was somehow perfectly suited to my taste, but I thought the food, from entrees to dessert, was excellent. The menu was unusual for an Indian restaurant, no familiar chicken korma or chicken tikka masala that I saw, so we just ordered using the descriptions. Nothing disappointed. Someone in the kitchen seems to really care about flavors and texture, and it showed. And even the dessert, which I usually find uninspiring at Indian restaurants, was absolutely delicious. The bread pudding was amazing. I really hope this place stays around. If you're around Tenleytown, be sure to check it out. It's at 4441 Wisconsin Ave. -
I first heard about this vegetarian Indian restaurant back in April but never had an opportunity to check out the place until today. This place is located in Herndon off of Fairfax County Parkway. If you are on the toll road you can take the exit for Fairfax County Parkway. There was a steady stream of customers during lunch time. I decided to go with the masala dosas and channa bhatura. The dosa was spot on. Probably one of the better dosas I have had in the DMV. I was not that impressed by the Channa Bhatura. I think the version at Punjabi by Nature is better. If you are vegetarian or looking for something besides the usual kabob joints, I would give this place a look. Tim Carman of the Washington Post recently did a write up on the place. 1. Masala Dosa 2. Channa Bhatura
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Bawarchi was similar but not quite as good as Karaikudi. With that said, the buffet was usually excellent. Unfortunately when we went last week we were informed that they discontinued the weekday lunch buffet. I imagine I will be writing another epitaph soon.
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Care to share? I haven't tried to make it in a while...
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Hey - anyone with experience making naan? On skillet or baked? Anyone try grilling? Having a little dinner party and wanted to see if I can make at home rather than buying it. -S
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I myself have never been a big fan of paneer. I do not like seeing it in palaak.
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Asad opened a new place in Sterling called 1947. It has been open a few months but I think he might close it down due to lack of diners. My issue with Asad is that he is always in expansion mode. He should be focusing on ensuring that his restaurants are financially stable before deciding to expand.
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