171 replies to this topic

[Bob Loblaw]

I went here for the first time a couple nights ago. It was very good, but not exactly "authentic." For that I'd head to Passage to India in Bethesda.

Though Rasika does have some nice cocktails. The Cucumber Basil Rickey is my new favorite drink...

[sphere777]

My brother and I went to Rasika last Friday and ordered the six-course tasting menu (one veg, one regular per the waiter's suggestion). Frankly, we were blown away. While I cannot recall all of the dishes that we tried, some of the highlights were:

--Fried spinach chaat
--Banana-wrapped tilapia in a tasty green sauce
--Honey-marinated black cod with star anise and dill (omg omg)
--Eggplant curry

I liked all of the curries frankly. But in the end the whole meal blurred into one delicious delectable whole and the service was great. We came away with a $193 bill before tip but it was well worth the money. I'd go back there in a second for another special occasion.

rob

[goldenticket]

Getting a late start on Saturday night (9:45pm), we were able to secure two seats at the bar after just a few minutes. Even at that time, the wait for a table was nearly an hour! Not to worry though, we were well-cared for and well-fed by the very capable bartender.

We ordered quite a few items - probably too many, but we really enjoyed almost all of them. They included:
Calamari Chili Garlic - tender rings of calamari, gently cooked with a well-balanced mix of sweet and spice.
Spicy Reshmi Kebab - Great flavor, with a nice kick (as would be expected) from the green chili.
Palak Chaat - a fun dish, described many times. I'm glad we tried it, but I'll try something new next time.
Chicken Green Masala - The favorite of the night, with bright flavors of mint and coriander enrobing the tender chunks of chicken.
Mixed Grill - Salmon, Chicken Tikka, and Seekh (lamb) Kebab - the salmon was the one miss of the night, mushy and without any distinct seasoning. Seekh Kebab was another good one - the flavor of the lamb shone through the garam masala seasoning.
Dal Makhani - I really like this - a fairly thick dal with kidney beans to complement the lentils. The +1, not so much, but that just meant more for me
Vegetable Moilee - This was a lovely dish - a far cry from the mixed veg curries you often see. No frozen peas and carrots here. Rather, precisely julienned carrots, zucchini, and carefully trimmed haricots verts, along with other seasonal bites, all coated in a delicate sauce of ginger, chili, coconut milk, and other seasonings.

The Blood Orange Margarita and... a green chili mango (?) cocktail (I've forgotten the specifics, but it was good and spicy) stood up to the flavors of the food, with the fruit taking the edge off some of the hotter bites.

A nice evening out and a refreshing change from our usual haunts on the 'other' side of the river.

[silentbob]

So much for trying something different. Instead of the awesome black cod, I ordered the fish manga. For some reason, spicy and seafood don't mix well for me. Also, I normally LOVE fish with strong flavors but this was a bit too much.

Thankfully, everything else about the meal (palak chaat, dal makhani, gobhi mattar, and ragda patties) was spot-on.

[JoeHoya]

So much for trying something different. Instead of the awesome black cod, I ordered the fish manga. For some reason, spicy and seafood don't mix well for me. Also, I normally LOVE fish with strong flavors but this was a bit too much.

Thankfully, everything else about the meal (palak chaat, dal makhani, gobhi mattar, and ragda patties) was spot-on.

My first experience with both the black cod and the palak chaat were during Restaurant Week two years ago, and it made me a fan on the spot.

[DPop]

This past Saturday night, we were thinking about places to go as we drove into the city, looking for something a bit less standard than our usual rotation of mostly Comtemporary restaurants. It had been over 2 years since my wife and I had been to Rasika, a place that got lost in the shuffle as more (and better) places started popping up all over the place in the area. We remembered enjoying the food, but always found it pricey for what we deemed to be simple Indian cooking.

Saturday was different. This restaurant finally delivered food that took the average DC Metro Indian food experience up a notch. The Spicy Reshmi Kabob, with the exception of the Kabob Karahi at Ravi (when it's on and they do it Pakistani-style), is the best kabob I have had in the DC area. It's what Bamian's and Shamshiry and the numerous takeout places in the area are trying to execute but are not quite getting. It's spicy, but moreso on the back of the tongue, giving you a nice burn on the way down and not on your lips or the tip of your tongue, thus rendering your taste buds paralyzed for the rest of the meal. Our only disappointment was that there were only 2 on the plate, as we could have finished another one of these off without blinking. Not wanting to venture out much when we originally ordered, we went with the always-good Chicken Makhani and the Macchi Patiala, which were both very well executed and, especially the macchi, showing more signs than before of the true authentic spices I love so much. Next time I think we will be a little more daring with our choices and give some dishes like the Chicken Liver Kali Mirch and the Tandoori Trout (a dish I love when my MIL makes it). Chili Garlic Asparagus was the lone disappointment of the meal, terribly overpriced at $8 for six stalks of asparagus, but the chili garlic sauce itself was so good that we asked for a separate cup to dip our Goat Cheese Kulcha in, which also had a nice spice added to it (red curry powder?).

All in all, we got out paying less than $150 with a bottle of wine, a nice Normandy sour, and sides of naan and raita for what I think was the best Indian restaurant experience I have had in the area. If you haven't been in a while, go back and try again, I think you will be pleased.

[synaesthesia]

I went on Friday, and LOVED the palak chaat - little leaves of fried spinach with salt, yogurt, date chutney, and tamarind. A little sweet, a little creamy, a little salty. I also liked the lamb rogan josh, which was fairly spicy. I found myself nursing and enjoying the bourbon infused with applewood smoked pear and vanilla through the meal.

[youngfood]

I found myself nursing and enjoying the bourbon infused with applewood smoked pear and vanilla through the meal.

I was just there recently and was impressed that the cocktail program still seemed to be pretty strong. I didn't catch the bartender's name, but he seems to be continuing the tradition of fine craft cocktails here.

[synaesthesia]

I was just there recently and was impressed that the cocktail program still seemed to be pretty strong. I didn't catch the bartender's name, but he seems to be continuing the tradition of fine craft cocktails here.

Jason Strich. He was working with Gina when she was there.

[narainatul]

Jason Strich. He was working with Gina when she was there.

Just to set the record straight. Jason joined Rasika 2 months after Gina left and has never worked with her. Jason has a distinctive style of his own.

Atul Narain
Rasika Restaurant

[Walrus]

We took our houseguests here for their last night on the town. We had a great time and some very good food. Highlights were the goat cheese kulcha, the palak chaat (of course! But a real revelation for the two who hadn't had it before), the butternut squash, and the duck. I had the lobster dish I'd eaten before -- I just LOVE that sauce (and so did everyone else around the table). Service was excellent, as always.

[jparrott]

Can't say enough about the delicious drinks that the "Moptop from Marietta," Jason Strich, is slinging (literally and figuratively) at the bar here. Our party sampled some sort of ginger-y mai tai-type drink, a bracing chili gin fizz, a pimms highball with some sort of exotic Indan soda, and a delish bourbon smash.

Oh, and dinner was excellent too. Mostly greatest hits (palak chaat, black cod, Goan fish curry).

[ruslev]

For my first time, what do you recommend as a "must-have"?

[New Foodie]

For my first time, what do you recommend as a "must-have"?

Hands down, the palak chaat (crispy spinach) is a must-have appetizer.

[Elyssa]

Hands down, the palak chaat (crispy spinach) is a must-have appetizer.

I'm heading to Rasika tonight for the first time as well. The crispy spinach is already on my list. I also hear great things about the black cod.

Has anyone tried the duck? That dish really intrigues me because I have never had duck in an Indian restaurant.

[Walrus]

I don't remember which of my guests had the duck when we visited Rasika, but it was a hit with us all.

[csirwillis]

I'm heading to Rasika tonight for the first time as well. The crispy spinach is already on my list. I also hear great things about the black cod.

Has anyone tried the duck? That dish really intrigues me because I have never had duck in an Indian restaurant.

I had the crispy spinach -Amazing.. Then for an entree I had the Bison roast. If you go there for Dinner you have to order the Bison Roast, only if you like spicy items. My wife had the Butter chicken which is also good. If you want Indian stick to this place.

[Elyssa]

I had the crispy spinach -Amazing.. Then for an entree I had the Bison roast. If you go there for Dinner you have to order the Bison Roast, only if you like spicy items. My wife had the Butter chicken which is also good. If you want Indian stick to this place.

I never ended up reporting back after our meal a couple of months ago. But we really liked it. (Although it was very noisy when we were there and that was a little off-putting. Perhaps it was because we were sitting in the center of the restaurant).

We ended up getting the crispy spinach. That is fall out of your seat delicious. I think we actually ordered a 2nd order of it since my bf loved it so much. We got the mango shrimp--very nice and the tandori salmon--delicious! They split is for us in the kitchen since we were sharing. I believe we also ended up getting the duck--although I can't remember much about it. We might have gotten 1 other side dish as well (we ordered A LOT! This was a big blow out celebratory meal for us.) For dessert we got the chocolate samosa. It was very rich and didn't really feel Indian to us. But it was nice nonetheless. While I have heard a lot about their wine list, I thought it was a bit of a rip off. I found very few affordable wines by the glass (we got cocktails earlier in our meal and only wanted 1 glass of wine). The drinks alone (2 glasses of wine and 2 cocktails) were around $40-$50. We probably could have done without the wine.

[The Doctor]

After coming away empty handed on several visits, I finally found their sauces for sale at the P Street Whole Foods. It's fun to make the stuff at home, but probably not worth it economically. After buying the jar ($7.69) plus a pound of chicken or whatever, you're just a couple bucks shy of what you'd pay at the restaurant. (And the final product won't probably be as delicious.)

However, I will admit it's nice to be able to come home from a long day at work and pour yourself a nice glass of makhani sauce.

[narainatul]

Dear "Doctor"
The sauces should be available at $6.50 per jar at Wholefoods. We have already taken the necessary steps at our end to ensure that this happens at the earliest. Meanwhile the sauces are also available at Rasika as well as our sister restaurant Bombay Club(815 Connecticut Avenue,NW)at $6.50 per jar.
We hope that you enjoy the Chef's creation.
Thank you.

After coming away empty handed on several visits, I finally found their sauces for sale at the P Street Whole Foods. It's fun to make the stuff at home, but probably not worth it economically. After buying the jar ($7.69) plus a pound of chicken or whatever, you're just a couple bucks shy of what you'd pay at the restaurant. (And the final product won't probably be as delicious.)

However, I will admit it's nice to be able to come home from a long day at work and pour yourself a nice glass of makhani sauce.

[The Doctor]

Dear "Doctor"
The sauces should be available at $6.50 per jar at Wholefoods. We have already taken the necessary steps at our end to ensure that this happens at the earliest. Meanwhile the sauces are also available at Rasika as well as our sister restaurant Bombay Club(815 Connecticut Avenue,NW)at $6.50 per jar.
We hope that you enjoy the Chef's creation.
Thank you.

Thanks for the information. I have also purchased at Rasika, so I am a repeat customer. I can certainly say that the makhani sauce (the only one I've tried) is the finest I've ever tasted outside a restaurant.

[KMango]

Stiff.

That was my impression from a recent lunchtime visit to Rasika.

I wish I meant “stiff” via a healthy pour from the smoked pear and vanilla-infused vodka jar taunting me from the center shelf at the bar. Sampling that beckoning concoction would have been a real treat if not for afternoon work obligations.

But instead, stiff in this sense started at the entrance. I arrived early in the lunch shift, few tables had been seated. The hostess looked confused when I approached the host stand. It might have been because I was still carrying my umbrella, having missed the umbrella stand just inside the doorway. Either way, rather than a welcoming smile or other greeting, her immediate and rapidly-fired inquiry of “Do you have a reservation?” seemed a stiff and harsh way to begin the Rasika experience. I noted that I would seat myself at the bar, at which point she walked away with a quick "OK".

When I returned to the host stand a few minutes later to check my coat, three host staff were in animated and concerned conversation. They did not acknowledge my standing there for several minutes. A nearby gentleman in a chef's hat wound up taking my coat. It was wonderful teamwork for him to step in, but the situation left me feeling like an odd intruder.

Once seated at the bar, the bartender’s friendly demeanor and attentive service began softening the impact of my arrival experience. The special beverage of the day, a freshly pressed apple juice with ginger, could not have been more delicious. Not too chilled, meticulously filtered, and served in a flared-lip white wine glass, I had to stop myself at two servings lest I float out the door. Why don’t more restaurants take such care to offer interesting, non-alcoholic, and in this case, digestion-promoting drinkables?

Tandoori salmon followed. Masterfully timed, piping hot, but not the slightest bit overcooked, the fish offered rich texture and an ideal portion size for lunch. The accompanying mesclun salad dressed simply and appropriately with a slight hint of vinaigrette.

Spinach malai palak offered the anticipated mellow seasoning and smooth texture. But stiff hit once again when I bit into the halved, cherry tomato garnish. It was clearly under ripe and literally difficult to chew. Granted, it’s “just a garnish”, but meant to be edible. A roasted rendition would have worked marvelously to both complement the dish and mask the lack of vine time.

After the softening service experience at the bar, the departure experience threw me back into a negative impression. As I left, I was carrying a highly visible, heavy briefcase, an umbrella, and a raincoat draped over my free arm. Yet another host darted in a perpendicular path directly in front of me in a hurried rush to talk with a colleague. That abrupt action forced me to stop on my path to the door, rather than the host offering to open the door for me. Not my definition of hospitality, more like being stiffed (hey, a metaphorical stretch, but I am trying to stick with a theme here).

So the savory food left a bad taste in my mouth. This is not the Rasika I know, and assume it was merely a bad day blooper on an otherwise welcoming program for the front of the house.

[bettyjoan]

After we went to see the Capital Steps on Friday night at the Reagan building, I presented hubs with a couple of choices for a late-night dinner: Jaleo, The Source, or Rasika. He chose the latter, and we ended up having a really lovely meal. I ordered a chili-infused gin cocktail, and it was really interesting--it started off spicy, but then kind of ended up refreshing itself. We started with the malai chicken tikka, which was really tender and had a lovely herbacious sauce. The palak chaat was even better than I remembered it (and I remembered it pretty darn fondly)--yes, I know everyone talks about it, but there is just so much flavor and texture packed into that dish, and it's truly like nothing else.

For entrees, my husband ordered the chicken green masala, and it was absolutely delicious. It's pretty spicy, but the mint does a good job of keeping the dish from full-on assaulting your mouth. My goan fish curry, on the other hand, was a full-on assault (but a good one). It was VERY spicy, but somehow it managed not to completely numb me, and I was able to really taste the flavors of the sauce. The fish (mahi mahi) was cooked absolutely beautifully. We didn't need the garlic naan, since both of our dishes came with rice, but it was a tasty treat nonetheless.

My only complaint was that service was a bit stiff (to steal a descriptor from the previous poster). We sat at the bar, which we love to do because we enjoy interacting with the staff, but the bartender wasn't terribly friendly or talkative (nor was he terribly busy, in which case it wouldn't have bothered me). Rather, he just kind of stood there and hovered without really engaging us much at all. It was somewhat awkward. Nonetheless, we really enjoyed our dinner, and we lamented that there is nothing even remotely similar to Rasika in Atlanta.

[Sthitch]

Needing to get out of the office and away from an otherwise wasted day, I joined a coworker for lunch at Rasika today. The meal started off with a glass of freshly brewed iced tea that had been slightly spiced with what tasted like cinnamon and cloves, one of the best iced teas I have had in a great while (Southerners beware this is unsweetened – which is a plus for me).

Our first food course was the Karwari Crab Cakes, two small well spiced cakes made with backfin meat that were served with a slightly spicy coconut chutney. I know that most people prefer crab cakes with lump, but I generally find that those sort of cakes lack the crab kick that comes from backfin, plus I find that the smaller pieces of meat are generally more spiced than the large lumps. The Palak Chaat was better than I remember it being on my last visit though I wish they would hold off on putting flavorless tomatoes into the dish as they bring no flavor, and a less than desirable texture.

Because this was lunch and we both knew that only monotony awaited us back at the office, we went light on our entrees. We split a Mixed Grill Platter and an order of Paneer Tawa Masala. The mixed grill was a combination of seekh kabob, tikka kaliya, and tandori salmon. The seekh kabob was a rather bland ground lamb version of the venerable shish kabob, this was by far the most disappointing part of the entire lunch, the mind sauce that accompanied the platter brought a little life back to the lamb. The Tikka Kaliya were two morsels of chicken breast that had been marinated in lightly seasoned yogurt that imparted a wonderful tanginess to the meat. What really surprised me was the taste and texture of the salmon, a fish that I find is often mistreated by cooks and comes to the table dry and rather unpleasantly flaky, but not this example. This salmon was moist and beautifully spiced. The paneer tawa masala had to be one of the hottest dishes I have had in quite some time, the fattiness of the cheese provided a little shelter from the heat of the curry in which it bathed, but to no avail, it was still a butt burner of a dish – which I would happily order again, just with something to help cut the heat.

After a great lunch it is now back to the doldroms.

[leleboo]

So after a bit of a wild goose chase around town, I ended up at the bar at Rasika tonight.

Jason crafted some really fantastic drinks to ease the pain, I will say. To the detriment of the internet writer, the drinks aren't on the website (or if they are, Safari refuses to show them to me), so I can't list them in detail; all I can say is that the Cucumber Vesper is really and truly a Vesper, and any die-hard James Bond fan needs to get this drink. It's wonderful.

That said, the Campari and dill (yes, dill) drink went much better with the skate appetizer. Presented in a banana leaf, the fish was spiced well -- not too delicately nor too aggressively. The beet side didn't really work with the fish, unfortunately, and the fish itself, a small portion, was very good but not mind-blowingly great.

The lamb shank with saffron, black cardamom, and rum, was definitely a more generous portion -- a more than shareable entree. It was meltingly tender, but then, an Indian lamb shank should be; this should be long-cooked food, falling off the bone, completely infused with its spices. That last part, however ... I think that was the main issue; nothing tasted as though it had been simmered or braised for hours, despite texturally reflecting that. It's not to say the flavors weren't spot-on, because at least in my opinion they were; it was that there was a depth of flavor that was missing, and in Indian cuisine it should be there, particularly at a restaurant as highly lauded as Rasika.

(For contrast, see GennaroE's write-up of the tandoori wings at Spice Xing. I've had these; yes, they're chicken wings, but they are ridiculously good, and it's the layering of flavor that makes them so spectacular.)

I really enjoyed the food; it just wasn't as life-alteringly fantastic as I'd been led to believe it would be. At the risk of Don getting upset at me bringing another restaurant into this thread, I'd say that Sietsema's review of Againn today penalizes that restaurant to the same degree that his opinion gives preference to this one; I'd honestly put them both more at the three-star level, instead of bumping one up to four and one down to two based on vagaries of type of cuisine and possibly irrelevant (or if not, why aren't they listed?) minor quibbles.

(Putting myself out there for the slings and arrows now...)

[leleboo]

Are you basing that on a single dish?

Two dishes and a bread, so admittedly not at all a wide sampling. A much wider sample at Againn, though, in contrast.

However, I've had better Indian -- or more complex; whether that's better or not might depend on your taste -- in the area, so the raves about Rasika seem to need more substance. (The drinks kicked ass, fwiw.) I'm not saying it's not good; it was very good, but I didn't find it four-stars good, particularly if, by comparison, TS ranked Againn at only two. Does that make sense?

And I'm not trying to turn this thread into a shill for another restaurant; it's just the easiest example at my fingertips right now.

[Sthitch]

but I didn't find it four-stars good, particularly if, by comparison, TS ranked Againn at only two. Does that make sense?

Well I agree I don't place Rasika in the same lofty position that TS does, but also my meals at Againn have not been nearly as pleasing as others on the board (four meals ranging from blah to meh if that makes sense - maybe I have just ordered the wrong things).

[leleboo]

Well I agree I don't place Rasika in the same lofty position that TS does, but also my meals at Againn have not been nearly as pleasing as others on the board (four meals ranging from blah to meh if that makes sense - maybe I have just ordered the wrong things).

And I think that's all I was going for. The food I've had at Againn has been anywhere from very good to incredible, and while his review today read like a three-star write-up, the star allotment was only two. Rasika gets -- four? Three-and-a-half? from him, but of what I ate tonight, nothing knocked my socks off, except maybe the drinks. If you had me taste the two restaurants side-by-side I'd probably rate them about the same on quality, presentation, chef skill, flavor, and so forth, so it just seemed that the rave reviews I've heard about Rasika since it opened were a bit hyperbolic. Perhaps it's because we see "ethnic" (hate that moniker for its lack of specificity, but oh well) fine dining establishments more rarely than their more mainstream family-spot-and-takeout counterparts, and so when one does crop up it's got an automatic bump ... I don't know. My point was just that I didn't quite get the extreme hype about Rasika from what I ate this evening. (But I probably shouldn't have brought another restaurant into the conversation to make my point.)

[Joe H]

And I think that's all I was going for. The food I've had at Againn has been anywhere from very good to incredible, and while his review today read like a three-star write-up, the star allotment was only two. Rasika gets -- four? Three-and-a-half? from him, but of what I ate tonight, nothing knocked my socks off, except maybe the drinks. If you had me taste the two restaurants side-by-side I'd probably rate them about the same on quality, presentation, chef skill, flavor, and so forth, so it just seemed that the rave reviews I've heard about Rasika since it opened were a bit hyperbolic. Perhaps it's because we see "ethnic" (hate that moniker for its lack of specificity, but oh well) fine dining establishments more rarely than their more mainstream family-spot-and-takeout counterparts, and so when one does crop up it's got an automatic bump ... I don't know. My point was just that I didn't quite get the extreme hype about Rasika from what I ate this evening. (But I probably shouldn't have brought another restaurant into the conversation to make my point.)

I am not as big of a fan of Rasika as a number of others. About six months ago I had three dinners in four nights at Akbar's in Manchester, UK tasting perhaps 15 or more dishes with several "Balti" dishes repeated each night. Akbar's blows away Rasika. Of course Akbar's blows away most of the Manchester and U.K. restaurants, too. I've been fortunate over the years to eat a lot of Indian in the U. K. (Steve, I believe you've been to the two Michelin star Vineet Bhatia in London? How would you compare this to Rasika?) If I'd never been to Manchester's EastzEast, the former Zaika, Vineet Bhatia and several others I would like Rasika a lot more. But I have. For me the best of Rasika is a level or two below the best of the others. By D. C. standards, perhaps by American standards, it is very good. But I would and will build a business trip around returning to Akbar's (or Vineet Bhatia). I would not say the same about Rasika. http://www.akbars.co...urant.php?id=19 is Akbar's website. This is a remarkable 150 seat restaurant that must do 400-500 or more covers a night. No, it's not Citronelle nor Komi. But for what it is it sets a benchmark. Actually, considering that the Manchester Akbar's is one of seven or eight restaurants and they are about to open one with 300 seats it is almost embarassing to like it as much as I do.

[Sthitch]

(Steve, I believe you've been to the two Michelin star Vineet Bhatia in London? How would you compare this to Rasika?)

I have been to Rasoi Vineet Bhatia several times*, but I am not sure that it is a fair comparison to Rasika, yes they are both Indian, but that is about where the similarities end – in my mind it would be like comparing Againn to Fat Duck as they are both English, but in both cases you have two completely different styles of restaurants that are targeting different audiences.

*the meal I had there in October ranks in my top 3 ever.

[New Foodie]

I had been to Rasika 3-4 years ago but finally made it back last night with a first-timer friend. The experience didn't live up to the aura of the Post's 4-star review, but it was obviously still very good. We actually enjoyed all of our food a lot, but the service wasn't quite what we thought it should be. No major snafus, but we sat with empty drinks for a while and after being re-offered the wine list had to wait another while before ordering our second drinks. My white wine was a bit warm as well. I don't think either of us would have really noted this as being a big deal if not for the high expectations.

We of course started with the Palak Chaat ($9 Crispy baby spinach / sweet yogurt/tamarind / date chutney) which was as good as I remembered it and as amazing as everyone describes. I don't think I could ever eat at Rasika and not order it. It's hard to describe (like cotton candy spinach?) but it has such a great and unique texture and flavor. For entrees we split the highly touted Black Cod ($26 Fresh dill / honey / star anise / red wine vinegar) and Lamb Kolhapuri ($18 Red chilies / coriander / cinnamon / cloves) which was described as "the hottest dish on the menu." I don't think I'd ever ordered fish at an Indian restaurant before but we both thought the cod was excellent. So well-cooked and the sauce was very unique tasting with just the right amount of sweetness. It was nice that the portion was also split in two for us. I don't love lamb, but did like this dish. It certainly had the advertised spice, so we didn't do as much dipping into it as the meal went on. The side of Navratan Korma ($7 Seasonal vegetables / cashew nuts / pineapple / cardamom) was good for cutting the heat with cream, but wasn't special enough that I would rush to order it again. We rounded out the meal with a Bread basket ($8 Naan / Onion and Sage / Mint Paratha) but asked for garlic naan in place of regular. It came out with regular so our waiter had to bring us garlic afterwards, but it was worth doing the switch. The garlic was much more flavorful. We were both surprised how much we liked the mint too.

I'm certainly looking forward to going back, and I think it is one of the best, if not the best, Indian in DC, but just didn't live up to the 4-star promise.

[qwertyy]

There's no excuse for me to have taken so long to eat at Rasika. I'd been a couple of times for drinks, but frankly the stories about the noise put me off and always knocked it out of the top spot for options.

Dumbass.

I've eaten Indian food in a lot of places (including Thailand, east Africa, and, well, India) but never have I tasted flavors so perfectly realized and proteins so perfectly cooked. Both the chicken tikka and chicken makhani were revalations in flavor--"So THAT'S what that is supposed to taste like!"--and texture--"How the heck do they DO that??" Along with the chili scallops and black cod, these dishes showed a mind-blowing level of technical expertise a Jedi-like feeling for when something is just RIGHT. The scallops managed to simultaneously have a beautiful crust and a butter-like interior that you could cut with a spoon. When I asked how they cooked it, our waiter just said, "With love." No kidding.

Service, incidentally, was also exceptional. And the noise that I'd been so put off by? It wasn't that bad! Plus, I think the "liveliness" (for lack of a better word) actually contributes to the restaurant's overall feeling.

Beyond all that, I'm also very happy to see a top tier restaurant expanding to a cuisine beyond the European/American glass ceiling.

[lindzjax]

Ok, headed here tnight for an anniversary celebration. What's not to be missed? Anyone think we should consider the tasting menu so we can try as much as possible - or can we get more bang for less buck just ordering off the menu?

[lion]

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Rasika, but it's a crowd favorite as they say.
I liked the side dishes, however the main's leave a little to be desired for me.

I would order many small dishes, kind of like visiting it's neighborhood sister restaurant, Oyamel.

A few definite things to get:

Palak Chaat. Order two orders at least.
Definitely plan to try the mixed drinks, pretty damn good.
Also, the fresh bread basket, is pretty tasty.
Eggplant and lamb kebabs, too.

Happy Anniversary!

[kturkey88]

My "not to be missed" entree suggestion would be the Black Cod.
For what it's worth, I'm a total novice when it comes to Indian food and don't tend to like curries, etc...so this dish may be considered mild - but either way, it's delicious. Simple, moist fish with beautiful and unique flavors - it's my go-to.

[Sthitch]

I would order many small dishes, kind of like visiting it's neighborhood sister restaurant, Oyamel.

The two restaurants may be neighbors but they are not related.

[Ericandblueboy]

Anyone think we should consider the tasting menu so we can try as much as possible - or can we get more bang for less buck just ordering off the menu?

I would get the tasting menu (assuming there are only 2 of you celebrating).

[qwertyy]

My "not to be missed" entree suggestion would be the Black Cod.

I must respectfully dissent from the crowd on this one. I found the black cod to be lovely, but it was so incredibly rich that I could barely eat half. It was very subtly flavored, which was a nice change in the meal, but it was just too, too filling, and somewhat monolithic tasting, and did not keep me interested enough coming back for more.

On the other hand, I could eat my weight in the palak chaat, sausage, chicken tikka, and chicken makhani--damn the discomfort.

[lindzjax]

Thanks all - will let you know what we end up with!

[lion]

The two restaurants may be neighbors but they are not related.

Yes, in my haste to reply perhaps created confusion they were connected in some business way. I wanted to communicate the idea of a small plate Indian restaurant like Oyamel would be a better dining experience. Actually I think a high volume place with lower prices like my suggestion would be a great new take on Indian restaurants and something that has not happened here in DC yet.

As for the seafood at Rasika, I don't remember being too impressed. Most Indian restaurants have a hard time with seafood because the spices either are too bland or over power the fish. Goa-style seafood takes a bit of time to make correctly with the coconut/tamarind sauces can be fairly complex and layered, however to make it to order would difficult.

[lindzjax]

We went with the Tasting Menu - in large part bc we were being indecisive. We did one Veg, one Non-Veg. It was a mistake in that it was WAY too much food. However, everything was lovely. The Palat Chaak was spectaular. The highlight for sure. It was followed by a scallap (for the non-veg) and an eggplant/potato dish (for the Veg). Both were good, but not out of this world. By the time the main courses came, I was already full and had to force myself to try everything. Great variety of veg and chicken and lamb bw the two. Loved the Mikani. Enjoying dessert was impossible as my stomach was stretched the max - and I am not a dessert lover but regardless the tastes I did have, all the dishes seemed overly sweet, but that might just be me.

If we are to return I would NOT do the tasting and focus on a few specific dishes. Overall we loved the place!

[lindzjax]

Something I forgot to note in my previous post: In addition to the server being quite charming in general, he willingly - and proactively- packed up every morsel of food we had left (yes, there was that much even though it was a "tasting" menu). So, we had a re-do with left over's last night and it was still pretty fantastic. While I know I shouldn't be blown away by a server's willingness to pack up food I've already paid for, given it was 7 separate small dishes, we were very appreciative. Two meals for the price of one!

[Banco]

I've had jury duty for the past two weeks and have eaten here at the bar almost every day for lunch. Jason, the bartender, has concocted some excellent drinks that have the added virtue of going very well with Rasika's Indian cuisine--something I think that's not all that easy to do. I'm thinking especially of the cherry gin and tonic and a type of gin and apple martini garnished with a thin wafer of fresh apple and topped with fennel powder. These and other drinks I've had here have all been extremely well thought out and well balanced. As for food I've stuck mostly to the chicken curries. The Tikka, Biranyi, and Masala are all excellent in their own way. I particularly like the Chicken Makhani, which uses broiled thigh meat instead of breast and comes in a velvety tomato-based sauce with fenugreek. For appetizers, the Avocado-Banana Chaat is a delightful blend of savory and sweet, with roasted banana slices that contrast wonderfully with the spicy creaminess of big chunks of chutney-infused avocado. The only wrong note has been the Dum Ka Lobster, which was little more than rubbery chunks of overdone lobster in a rather bland and thin sauce.

Rasika makes jury duty not only easier to endure, but a real pleasure I look forward to.

[Genevieve]

Earlier this year I was eating at Rasika, and asked if I could order some of their soft foods to bring to an ill friend who had loved eating there. The waiter was very kind and helpful, going over the different sides with me and discussing which were purees and which would have some solid pieces, and brought it all at the end of the meal without me needing to remind him. I appreciated his thoughtfulness so much.
And the sight of the Rasika bag in her hospital room made her smile.

[goodeats]

My only complaint is that they charged $6 for 2 pieces of naan <snip>. Seems a little steep.

I, for one, am glad to see some complaints stay the same and from a few years back. I think my jaw dropped upon seeing $3 charged for 1 piece of pita-bread-sized naan at yesterday's lunch. Meep!

Otherwise, nothing else to add to what people have already praised above.

[bbhasin]

the idea of a small plate Indian restaurant like Oyamel would be a better dining experience. Actually I think a high volume place with lower prices like my suggestion would be a great new take on Indian restaurants and something that has not happened here in DC yet.

Indique Heights in DC has some street snacks and small plates.

[lion]

Indique Heights in DC has some street snacks and small plates.

Yes, they are great and Indique Heights is probably my favorite Indian restaurant in the DC Metro area at the moment.

By the way, nice video of how to make curry chicken.

[sandynva]

I had a nice experience at rasika about two weeks ago. though it was wednesday night, it was not too loud for conversation, a pleasant surprise.

service was lovely, attentive but not intrusive.

i had the plantain kofta, and enjoyed it. it was very much like a standard kadhi pakora, though the kofta didn't really taste of plantain, they were soft, not at all greasy, and tasted pleasantly of roasted cumin, and the buttermilk/chickpea sauce was nice and soothing. overall, it was a pleasant homey dish that i'll keep in mind the next time i'm missing my mom's cooking.

my companion had the chicken biryani, which came in a haandi properly sealed with a dough lid. i didn't try it, but it looked good and they seemed to enjoy it.

[ad.mich]

...and here comes Rasika Part Two

[Joe H]

...and here comes Rasika Part Two

"A bigger kitchen will allow us to experiment" more in the West End."

Vineet Bhatia as an inspiration? http://www.rasoi-uk.com/ Note the "gourmand menu."