Mehak, Dive Indian North of Verizon Center on 7th Street, Both Branches Now Closed

[JLK]

Does Heritage Dupont deliver? I know I have spoken out against that location in favor of Heritage Glover Park location, but now that I have moved out of the GP delivery zone, I'm desperate.

I generally agree with Waitman who said that

The good thing about Indian food is that it's one of those cusines where even mediocre restaurants can churn out rather tasty stuff.

 
Tonight, though, I ordered from Mehak and while it wasn't bad, I couldn't help but compare it unfavorably to Heritage GP. The delivery menu is, I find, somewhat limited. No small order sizes of daal of any kind, a pretty basic range of appetizers (and no seekh kebab!). The samosas I resorted to arrived in their own paper bag which was quickly covered with large greasy patches. They tasted pretty good in spite of being rather oily. Whereas I really wanted paneer, I wanted to test Mehak's kitchen with chicken tikka masala, that classic Indian British dish. Specifically, if I ordered white mean only, would it arrive that way? It did.

I finished my dish, but out of hunger not enthusiasm. The gravy was dark orange, headed toward brown, and tasted of a smokey curry blend that I did not care for. Chunks of white meat chicken dotted the sauce along with slices of onion and bell pepper. There was a lot of sauce, but a paltry amount of chicken (with Heritage's dinner portions, I can easily have two full meals). Garlic naan was doughy and stuffed with raw garlic instead of roasted--it tasted good, but STRONG.

Will I order again? Yeah, in a pinch I might. The alternative at this point is to change my commute to make a stop in GP on the way home.

[brettashley01]

Does Heritage Dupont deliver? I know I have spoken out against that location in favor of Heritage Glover Park location, but now that I have moved out of the GP delivery zone, I'm desperate.

 
I am pretty sure that they do, but I don't know if that extends to our neck of the woods.

Tonight, though, I ordered from Mehak and while it wasn't bad, I couldn't help but compare it unfavorably to Heritage GP. The delivery menu is, I find, somewhat limited. No small order sizes of daal of any kind, a pretty basic range of appetizers (and no seekh kebab!). The samosas I resorted to arrived in their own paper bag which was quickly covered with large greasy patches.

 
I can't speak to the taste of their food, but I've called Mehak before ordering for delivery to inquire about their kitchen and the oils they use (food allergy concerns). I was told they use vegetable oil; when pressed for clarification they told me it was in fact soybean oil. Now- and this is my opinion, and just my opinion only- while soybean oil may be trans-fat free or whatever, it is the cheapest of all oils, and I tend to be wary of kitchens who choose to only use that. To me it not only raises the allergy alarm, but reflects potentially poor quality.

All that is to say there is probably better Indian food to be had and delivered downtown, from restaurants that are a little more discriminating in their choice of ingredients.

[DonRocks]

"Mehak Indian Cuisine (817 7th St NW) Now Closed" on pqliving.com

The Falls Church branch closed in 2006 (it's now a Taco Baja), so this former mini-chain is now out of business.