Indique (2002-2023) - Chef KN Vinod and Co-Owner Surfy Rahman’s Trailblazing Modern Indian on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park - Closed

[EllenH]

How's about Indique (Connecticut Ave., Cleveland Park metro)? Didn't find a thread for it on this board.

Spent a really fun HH there last Friday. A couple of lovely cocktails that went down WAY too easy (sparkling wine w/ lychee juice; tamarind "martini"). They have a page of Indian small plates that are reasonably priced and tasty, and the people-watching from the bar tables at the large window is quite entertaining.

[KeithA]

I think Indique is great. I've been there several times and the only complaints from me or any of my dining companions was a dish or two was too spicy (but those comments came from those who can't handle the heat). Of the dishes I tried, my recs are samosa chaat, chicken maakhani, and chicken biryani. They also have a great lunch special with reduced priced entrees, soup or salad and dessert.

There website is great too with lots of info on the dishes as well as pictures of many dishes.

www.indique.com

[DC in DC]

Last night we were at the bar at Buck's and one of my dining companions thought she recognized the person next to us as the chef at Indique. Lo and behold it was him. He said they are opening a second location at Friendship Heights above the metro station (probably in the old Restaurant Terraza space?). Holy batman! We are so excited as there is a serious dearth of dining options up here.

[JLK]

Will the new location be called Indique or something else?

A friend and I dined at the existing Indique a few nights ago (Wednesday). It didn't break any new ground, but everything was (to me) as tasty as ever. And man, they still pack in the crowds.

[jdl]

Dined here once, and I liked the food well enough -- but not so much that I'd return without a guarantee that it wouldn't take 45 minutes between the time we placed our order and our food actually arrived. That part was not so much fun.

[smokey]

Last night we were at the bar at Buck's and one of my dining companions thought she recognized the person next to us as the chef at Indique. Lo and behold it was him. He said they are opening a second location at Friendship Heights above the metro station (probably in the old Restaurant Terraza space?). Holy batman! We are so excited as there is a serious dearth of dining options up here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is exciting! Thanks for the word, DC.

[giant shrimp]

Last night we were at the bar at Buck's and one of my dining companions thought she recognized the person next to us as the chef at Indique.  Lo and behold it was him.  He said they are opening a second location at Friendship Heights above the metro station (probably in the old Restaurant Terraza space?).  Holy batman!  We are so excited as there is a serious dearth of dining options up here.

you probably don't remember when that space was tila's, emanating from houston. we saw the robbs on the escalator heading up once. anyway, i wish tila's was coming back, although maybe my taste buds have grown up in the many years since then.

[JLK]

It has been awhile since I have dined at Indique. No particular reason other than the fact that we tend to get takeout from there rather often. Like last night.

Our spread included a lot of the frequently ordered dishes:

* Samosa

* Paneer Kadai (or Kadai Paneer - whatever!!)

* Chicken tikka makhani

* Lamb rogan josh

* Daal

* Garlic naan

Everything was really darn good. I love paneer prepared pretty much any way, and in this iteration, I loved the various flavors involved: chiles, peppers, onions, tomatoes.

We tend to order the lamb vindaloo periodically, but the +1 complains that it's too spicy for him (wimp!!). Last night, I mixed things up by ordering the tender and delicious lamb rogan josh. It was a hit, but he still hogs the daal. I rarely end up with leftovers of that side dish.

[Meaghan]

I need to go to Indique again. Thanks for the reminder!

[MeMc]

I think there's something wrong with me, but I'm not yet sold on Indique. I need more spice, more daring. I'm looking for british hot, not DC hot. I've gone between five and six times, but it's too conservative for me. Not sure how to frame that to my server, though.

Edited January 31, 2006 by MeMc

[scj32]

Anyone have any word on the "Indique Heights" to be opening by Friendship Heights metro? I saw a banner this weekend.

[qwertyy]

I had a terrific meal at Indique last night. It was late, so we ran through it pretty fast, but there were several stand-out dishes (sorry I don't remember most of the names): The quail appetizer was amazing--who knew such an itty-bitty bird could be so flavorful? The crab cake-like appetizer somehow managed to taste fully of crab and spices, while having a creamy texture; it was delicious. Of the entrees, the fish Tamilnad was a winner--very tomatoey and nicely spiced--as was the fish wrapped in banana leaf, which has a surprisingly pleasant, subtle earthy flavor. The lamb vindaloo was spectacular. I'm kind of a medium-salsa girl, so this stuff nearly made me hallucinate from the heat, but it also managed to have lots of flavorful layers and a depth that's often lost in heavy spice. And the lamb itself was very nearly the consistency of butter. Homina homina.

Terrific food. I'm very much looking forward to eating my leftovers for lunch and getting back for more soon!

**FYI, just noticed that Washington Post has a new Indique listing: Indique Heights: From the owners of Cleveland Park's Indique, this upscale Indian restaurant opens Wednesday, April 5. Address and phone number are listed in the City Guide.

[Monica Bhide]

Indique Heights is opening tonite so we are headed there for dinner. Anyone else going tonite? Stop by and say hello if you will be there!!

[Audrey2025]

They serve really good bellinis at the CP Indique. I mean, not that I know. Because surely I only had ONE, if that. I think I remember the food being good, too.

Hic!

[JLK]

Eve's take on Indique Heights.

Like Eve, I really enjoyed the lamb shanks bhuna and chicken chettinad.

[Kanishka]

I tried to go to Indique with a group of five this Saturday at seven PM, and I have never had such impolite service. We never ended up seated -- the host informed us that a table for five would be impossible without a reservation, unless we wanted to sit outside. With the ominous clouds, we declined. But we left a restaurant that was about half full -- seats everywhere!!

I acknowledge the fact that five or six tops without reservations are annoying. But the way the host reacted to us (dismissive, impolite, almost as if we were not worthy of eating at the restaurant) made me very angry. Particularly unfortunate because I really like Indique and when these last minute plans came together, I picked that restaurant right away.

We ended up having mediocre pan-Asian food at Spices, after trying Dino and being told it would be difficult to be seated. The difference -- the good folks at Dino were polite and kind when telling us that it would be hard to be seated, and Dino was packed. No hard feelings with them, I understand.

Indique? That's another matter. Here's a hint: when saying "no, I'm sorry, that's not possible" ... don't be a dick.

K

[Pool Boy]

Went last night and thought it was good but nothing to rave about. Mussels were very good, the samosa very nice. Even the chicken chettinad was very good (thought the formed shapes of rice seemed odd). But it was nothing that made me swoon or to get overly excited about. Service was good, too. While I would not go out of my way to dine here again, if I was in the mood and in the area, it would not be a bad choice at all.

[KeithA]

Last night got some chicken biryani and paratha bread for carryout from the original Indique. The biryani was great, a huge portion of not overly spiced rice and big chunks of flavorful chicken that clearly benefited from cooking on the bone (the meat is served deboned). This is the second time in recent months I've had the biryani to go. Last time was the lamb version which was also good, maybe even better (but that could be because I LOVE lamb). The disappointment was the paratha which was rather tasteless and very greasy. However it came with Indique always good mint, tamarind, and spicy/sour lemon chutneys. Next time, I'll stick with the naan which is usually pretty good. Although based on lots of trips to Indique in the past the bread are not their strong point. Also since no one else seems to write about Indique much, I will say they have a great dal makhani, which comes with most of the entrees when you eat in the restaurant.

[dcandohio]

I will say they have a great dal makhani, which comes with most of the entrees when you eat in the restaurant.

I second the recommendation on the dal. It is delicious. In general, I think Indique can deliver a nice hit of heat when requested in the curries, too. I often pass this place and say "I should go there more often."

[MarkS]

I have a reservation tonight, is it worth going. They still have Rest. Week special.

[chickenlover]

I have a reservation tonight, is it worth going. They still have Rest. Week special.

Indique is not bad, but their normal prices are low enough that I'd hardly consider restaurant week a deal.

[chickenlover]

Any recent reports?

I live down the street from Indique and get take out once or twice a month. I also dine in occasionally. They do a better job with meat than vegetables. Their curries are decent. Their bread is sub par. Overall, it's not a place that I would go out of my way for.

[synaesthesia]

I stopped by last night and had the lamb vindaloo. It was spicy though not heathead spicy. It did however cause my stomach a small bit of bubbly burny anguish. I enjoyed it a lot though, and it satisfied my jones for Indian. But then we tried the vegetarian dosa for an app. It was a severe disappointment - the dosa itself was not crisp and awesome the way it is at Woodlands, and the chutneys were a bit lacking. And damn it, now I want to go to Woodlands. This was the CP location, btw.

[loveeverythingfree]

Any recent reports?

I went about a month ago to Indique Heights. The portions are huge, and very tasty. However their water is disgusting. Undrinkable. I had wine, but needed water to wash down the spicy vindalo, and when I asked for a fresh glass, the water still tasted very bad. I'm never picky about DC tap water, and I think Friendship Heights is considered Maryland, so I'm not sure what the story was.

[DonRocks]

I went about a month ago to Indique Heights. The portions are huge, and very tasty. However their water is disgusting. Undrinkable. I had wine, but needed water to wash down the spicy vindalo, and when I asked for a fresh glass, the water still tasted very bad. I'm never picky about DC tap water, and I think Friendship Heights is considered Maryland, so I'm not sure what the story was.

You made the same mistake I did trying to wash down a Vindaloo with water ... click.

--

Separate topic, which has kept me up at night: Are Indique and Indique Heights separate restaurants (i.e., do they each get their own thread), or do they constitute a chain?

Before you lash into me, I've honestly thought about this (and other related examples) for many, many tortured hours, and I haven't come up with a good answer.

[aaronsinger]

You made the same mistake I did trying to wash down a Vindaloo with water ... click.

--

Separate topic, which has kept me up at night: Are Indique and Indique Heights separate restaurants (i.e., do they each get their own thread), or do they constitute a chain?

Before you lash into me, I've honestly thought about this (and other related examples) for many, many tortured hours, and I haven't come up with a good answer.

Their menus are slightly different, no? My sister used to live in DC and has always preferred Indique Heights. I've been to each of them a couple times, both are equally good to me.

And Indique Heights is, just barely, in Maryland. Western Avenue is the dividing line, it's on the north side of the street.

[DonRocks]

As much as I raved about my recent banquet at Passage To India, if I had one Indian dish to have a second time this week, I'd take the magnificent platter of Chicken Chettinad ($17.00) I had last night at Indique. This is one of Chef Vinod's specialties (this may, in fact, be his signature dish), and was one of the greatest entrees I've had at any restaurant in recent memory. This spicy dish needs (repeat ten times - needs) an order of Indique's outstanding Raita ($4.00), and was made into a perfect meal with an order of Pudina Paratha ($3.00). Everything on the platter was excellent, including the vegetables and various grains, and shame on me for not having been to this (currently) underrated restaurant in so long. Do yourself a favor and replicate this exact same meal at Indique - you'll thank me for it, I promise.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[jayandstacey]

As much as I raved about my recent banquet at Passage To India, if I had one Indian dish to have a second time this week, I'd take the magnificent platter of Chicken Chettinad ($17.00) I had last night at Indique. This is one of Chef Vinod's specialties (this may, in fact, be his signature dish), and was one of the greatest entrees I've had at any restaurant in recent memory. This spicy dish needs (repeat ten times - needs) an order of Indique's outstanding Raita ($4.00), and was made into a perfect meal with an order of Pudina Paratha ($3.00). Everything on the platter was excellent, including the vegetables and various grains, and shame on me for not having been to this (currently) underrated restaurant in so long. Do yourself a favor and replicate this exact same meal at Indique - you'll thank me for it, I promise.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Sir Rocks,

Thank you for the sugestion - took it and very much enjoyed it!

Oddly, I've never thought of myself as liking spicy dishes - but this may be the result of being tricked too many times in college and thus associating "spicy" with tears, pain and repercussions. In this case, I figured that I didn't know Indian cuisine, so why not try it? If I'm going to enjoy Indian food, I can't hide from spice, so I dove it.

Loved it. The spice is hot, but more from the sum of the spice than from pure heat. It reminded me of eating heavily JO spiced MD crabs - have some beer ready and your mouth 'dances' for an hour or two following the last crab. Same here - that nice 'dancing' of my taste buds still enjoying the dish.

We split a mini-dosa for an appetizer, it was really nice - a chicken filling with a bit of spice, acting as a nice base to a selection of dips (chutneys?) set around the plate, 5 or 6 very different ways of highlighting the dosa. They included a coconut based paste and a spicy hot cranberry choice. Very nice and quite a little adventure.

I ordered the Chicked Chettinad with Raita and Naan bread. It was as Don described above, the chicken was perfectly cooked, tender yet firm enough to stand out (in texture) against the two grains when eaten together. My wife got the Shrimp in coconut milk - the presentation was very similar, with two grains and other sides. My two kids (8 and 5) split chicken biryani that the kitchen despiced, but sadly they weren't convinced. They stuck with Naan and pined for mac and cheese. (The biryani seemed good to me - we've jest been gastro-coddling them too much)

As mentioned, I don't know Indian cooking; this is only the second time I've ordered it and the last time was 6 years ago. So for me, this is the start of an exploration that will continue. And while you might say "well, if you go right to one of the best dishes, any later experiences will be disappointing", I disagree. This meal makes me look forward to learning and exploring more Indian dishes. Some might be not be as good but that won't discourage me - as I've had the pleasure of an excellent meal at Indique Heights to set me on a good path.

[Pool Boy]

As much as I raved about my recent banquet at Passage To India, if I had one Indian dish to have a second time this week, I'd take the magnificent platter of Chicken Chettinad ($17.00) I had last night at Indique. This is one of Chef Vinod's specialties (this may, in fact, be his signature dish), and was one of the greatest entrees I've had at any restaurant in recent memory. This spicy dish needs (repeat ten times - needs) an order of Indique's outstanding Raita ($4.00), and was made into a perfect meal with an order of Pudina Paratha ($3.00). Everything on the platter was excellent, including the vegetables and various grains, and shame on me for not having been to this (currently) underrated restaurant in so long. Do yourself a favor and replicate this exact same meal at Indique - you'll thank me for it, I promise.

Cheers,

Rocks.

My experiences at Indique have been....hmm, meh? Not bad, not great, just in the middle somewhere. Granted, I have only been there twice I think. But this gives me a reason to think about going back. Thanks for the tip.

[DannyNoonan]

Nice dinner with my wife at Indique on Sat. night. Maybe it was the three Manhattans I had at Bardeo before we went in but I thought the meal was fantastic. We didn't order anything fancy - started with aloo tikki, which was a nice slighly spicy was to start. My wife asked if they could make saag aloo, though it wasnt on the menu, and they gladly obliged. I ordered alu chole and we split some naan. Washed down with a Frog's Leap sauvignon blanc. Naan was perfect crisp/chewy combination, chickpeas spicy without blowing my head off, and the spinach in my wife's dish was actually quite flavorful instead of insipid, bland variety that often characterizes this dish at other places. Service was attentive and courteous. Overall, a fine meal. We'll be back.

[Waitman]

Had a strangely underwhelming experience experience at Indique Heights last night, in sharp contrast to the wonderful DR.com meal a few weeks ago, and it wasn't just not having banana leaves to eat off of and not being able to use your fingers. It felt as though the chef feels comfortable about pulling the trigger when official food lovers are around, but holds back on regular nights lest the white bread Upper Northwest crowd (I know, many people in Chevy Chase are quite as adventurous as I; I'm going to take the shot anyway) have their digestion marred by too much spice.

Here's a link to the menu so I don't have to that painful thing of describing each dish in detail.

On the Street Snacks menu I could live off the Papri Chat for days at a time. It's basically a yogurt treat, with crispy flour taco things broken up ("crispy flour" on the menu) thrown in for crunch and tamarind to make it perfect. Paneer Shashlick was, I am told, was fine, as well.

From the tanddor, the Tandoor King Shrimp -- a single big-ass shrimp -- was quite good and the kulcha and naan met mixed reviews. I loved them, but they were very crisp, which annoyed Mrs. B.

So far, so good.

And then...

It's claimed that the Calamari Ullarthiyathe has hot peppers, but you couldn't tell it by me. Not that I'm a heat junkie but I did need a little kiss of heat. And if the spicing was a little flabby, so might the texture of the little rings been as well.

The daal was meh. And my main course, the Chicken Vella Korma, missed. Not that I expected heat, but I was looking for warmth or depth or something -- the ingredients look great: anise, fennel seeds, curry leaves and so on -- but they never seemed to come together. It was like Indian Chicken 'n' gravy.

The Chicken Chetinaad was the star of the evening, some of you may recall it from the dinner. Appropriately, it went to the birthday girl who also had a fine bowl of Saag Makai, mostly taken home so it could be taken to school for lunch today.

As always, maybe it's me. But the experience on the whole fell flat. The understated dishes came off well, if not always exceptionally so. But the assertive dishes came out...understated.

[vinod]

Folks, Happy New Year !

Restaurant week 2010 is about to begin. (January 11 - 17 ) and the Menus are on our website - www.Indique.com and www.indiqueheights.com. To welcome the new year we have included a glass of wine in the price of $ 35.10 for a three course Menu.

WHEN - JAN 11- 17 , 2010

WHERE - INDIQUE AND INDIQUE HEIGHTS

PRICE - $ 35.10 - THREE COURSE MENU

WITH A GLASS OF WINE

( ON US)

[lindzjax]

Stopped by on Saturday night. Actually, took advantage of the lovely weather and walked from Dupont up to Cleveland Hts (burn some calories before indulging!). We were seated on the little second floor balcony which was super cute,though tiny. Service was spotty - either TOO much or missing in action. The food was v tasty - we mis-ordered on the app and what we got (Chaat Papri) was not what we expected but very much enjoyed it. Light and fresh. I had chicken biryani, balanced and not too spicy. It was a first trip and we'd definitely be inclined to stop back by.

[KeithA]

How is their lunch buffet?

It is pretty good, but only offered in Friendship Heights at Indique Heights. At Indique in CP, they used to (and may still) have a multi-course lunch deal. The buffet usually has 4-5 different hot dishes - a mix of meat, veggie, and sometimes fish, along with salad, various chutneys, 1-2 little bready items, dessert - usually rice pudding and fruit, and each table gets 1 fresh order of naan. It is worth a try. Also, LivingSocial has been recently having instant deals for Indique Heights - $10 for $15 food (so a slight deal on the buffet with a drink).

[MC Horoscope]

As much as I raved about my recent banquet at Passage To India, if I had one Indian dish to have a second time this week, I'd take the magnificent platter of Chicken Chettinad ($17.00) I had last night at Indique. This is one of Chef Vinod's specialties (this may, in fact, be his signature dish), and was one of the greatest entrees I've had at any restaurant in recent memory. This spicy dish needs (repeat ten times - needs) an order of Indique's outstanding Raita ($4.00), and was made into a perfect meal with an order of Pudina Paratha ($3.00). Everything on the platter was excellent, including the vegetables and various grains, and shame on me for not having been to this (currently) underrated restaurant in so long. Do yourself a favor and replicate this exact same meal at Indique - you'll thank me for it, I promise.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Indeed this is still a good tip! Thanks! I tried this last night (our first visit) and really enjoyed it. The chicken is so soaked with sauce it comes out brown. You may not even recognize it as chicken. There's also a dish on the Chicken Chettinad platter that the waitress explained to me was something like cream of wheat with spices and herbs, and it was very comforting.

[smithhemb]

Our neighborhood listserv says Indique Heights is closing temporarily on July 19th with no reopening date set (yet?).  Ominously (well, to me, at least) the info came via Groupon.  Any word on what's up and how likely they are to return?  My husband will find it hard to imagine a world where Chettinad Chicken isn't a short walk away.

[Kev29]

Our neighborhood listserv says Indique Heights is closing temporarily on July 19th with no reopening date set (yet?).  Ominously (well, to me, at least) the info came via Groupon.  Any word on what's up and how likely they are to return?  My husband will find it hard to imagine a world where Chettinad Chicken isn't a short walk away.

Tim Carman has the info...

Starting July 19, the owners will close the Indian restaurant to allow crews to gut the space and carve out smaller properties. Rahman said the work will take at least four months. The final plans remain up in the air, Rahman said, save for the bar, which will move to the front of the space. The renovated Indique Heights will be at least 2,400 square feet, but could swell to more than 3,000 square feet if architects incorporate some of the outdoor terrace into the final design, the owner said.

"It's going to be less traditional than what Indique Heights was," Rahman says. "It's going to be a little more contemporary."

[smithhemb]

Starting July 19, the owners will close the Indian restaurant to allow crews to gut the space and carve out smaller properties. Rahman said the work will take at least four months. The final plans remain up in the air, Rahman said, save for the bar, which will move to the front of the space. The renovated Indique Heights will be at least 2,400 square feet, but could swell to more than 3,000 square feet if architects incorporate some of the outdoor terrace into the final design, the owner said.

"It's going to be less traditional than what Indique Heights was," Rahman says. "It's going to be a little more contemporary."

Thanks!  Better news than I anticipated.

[cheezepowder]

Our neighborhood listserv says Indique Heights is closing temporarily on July 19th with no reopening date set (yet?).  Ominously (well, to me, at least) the info came via Groupon.  Any word on what's up and how likely they are to return?  My husband will find it hard to imagine a world where Chettinad Chicken isn't a short walk away.

Washington Post reports that Indique Heights is not reopening in the same location but "[t]hey plan to resurrect the restaurant, but perhaps not in the same neighborhood. 'It's too early to say where,' Rahman says."

[DonRocks]

On 9/24/2014 at 9:19 PM, cheezepowder said:

Washington Post reports that Indique Heights is not reopening in the same location but "[t]hey plan to resurrect the restaurant, but perhaps not in the same neighborhood. 'It's too early to say where,' Rahman says."

cheezepowder, just to make sure we've got this straight: Cleveland Park is open, but Friendship Heights is closed, right?

So in other words, Indique remains open, but Indique Heights is closed?

If this is the case, there is *so much* I could say, sociologically, economically, culinarily, etc., and not much of it is good.

And, if this is the case, do not expect Indique Heights to reopen anywhere near its previous location.

---

Edit - Guess what? As long as we're on the topic, Indique just instantly moved into the #2 slot (behind Ripple) in Cleveland Park in the Dining Guide (and yes, I can see why people want the highlights in the Multiple Locations guide split up).

Vinod, could you contact me and give me the 411?

[Simul Parikh]

Indique is doing a renovation and menu relaunch, and new menu starts tomorrow. Tonight is a friends/family party! I've tasted some of their new items, very cool... Update to follow!

 

[Tweaked]

I hope they keep the samosa chat and paneer kadai...our go to order! 

[lion]

I've also been there for private friends/families parties and the food has been good. Definitely one of the better Indian restaurants in the area. 

[ozgirl]

We stopped by Indique over the weekend to check out the new menu.  The renovation of the space was minimal - new wall colours, maybe?  Nothing jumped out at me, but the new menu was obvious, covering both new cocktails as well as food.  Among the four of us, we each tried a different cocktail:  the Mumbai Mule, Rickshaw Ride, District Martini, and the House of Cardamom.  All were delicious.  The Rickshaw mule really packs a punch and their version of a Mule, including fresh curry leaves, made for a distinctive and refreshing twist.

We tried hard not to rely on our favourite staple dishes (saag paneer, aloo gobhi -- gone are the salmon sliders from the new menu).  

We had:

• sweet potato chaat
• trio of chutneys
• cauliflower chili fry
• paneer pasanda
• saag makai
• masala grilled cod
• morel vegetable stew

Everything was delicious and the cooking was better than ever.  It seems that the kitchen is reinvigorated by the new menu.

Standout dishes were the morel stew, the masala grilled cod, and the cauliflower chili fry.  

The only weak dish (and it was still tasty) was the sweet potato chaat.  It arrives in 3 small scoops (each in a different color of sweet potato: white, orange, and purple) on a decorative banana leaf.  It looks like each scoop should be a schmear of some kind and you kind of don't know what to do with it, since there isn't an accompaniment to it.  It felt like it needed a papadum or naan to put it on.  But, we happily ate it as is, and it was good.

Excited to try more of the menu next time.  Hopefully, we're on a roll.

ps.  the samosa chaat is still there.

 

[DanielK]

16 hours ago, ozgirl said:

The only weak dish (and it was still tasty) was the sweet potato chaat.  It arrives in 3 small scoops (each in a different color of sweet potato: white, orange, and purple) on a decorative banana leaf.  It looks like each scoop should be a schmear of some kind and you kind of don't know what to do with it, since there isn't an accompaniment to it.  It felt like it needed a papadum or naan to put it on.  But, we happily ate it as is, and it was good.

I wonder if this was meant to be an "eat with your hands" food?

We did a DR.com dinner at Indique Heights years ago; it was a "eat with your hands" dinner, and everything was served on banana leaves. And there were lots of stew/puree things that you wanted something to scoop it with. Nope, we were told, just grab a bit of rice, mash your hands into it, and pop it in your mouth.

[Tweaked]

While Bindaas has been getting all the buzz lately, Indique is still putting out delicious food a couple blocks up Connecticut.  The Malabar Fish Curry was excellent Saturday, flaky chunks of cod in a deep rich sauce of coconut and curry leaves.  The veggie samosa chat was also excellent, as usual.  Cleveland Park is lucky to have two very good Indian restaurants.   

[KeithA]

On ‎9‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 11:41 AM, Tweaked said:

While Bindaas has been getting all the buzz lately, Indique is still putting out delicious food a couple blocks up Connecticut.  The Malabar Fish Curry was excellent Saturday, flaky chunks of cod in a deep rich sauce of coconut and curry leaves.  The veggie samosa chat was also excellent, as usual.  Cleveland Park is lucky to have two very good Indian restaurants.   

Totally agree. I recently ate food from both and was doubly impressed. Indique samosa chat - a crushed open samosa with spicy chickpea curry has always been wonderful.  The chicken tikka makhani was good too but especially impressed with the Onion Kulcha bread like a mini naan pizza studded with sweet bits of onion. If you are like me and believe the more onions the better, get this bread now.  (I also had a really nice first time at Bindaas that I'll write up separately).

My only current gripe with Indique is that they recently refused to do carryout during lunch on a weekend saying their brunch service kept them too busy. This is a shame as I don't always have time for a long brunch but would love some carryout during the day - weekend or any day.

[Tweaked]

My gripe is that they basically have a seperate, reduced item menu for carry out.  Sure some items aren't going to transport well, but if you are going to offer a fish curry for take out then a shrimp curry is going to travel just as well.  They have a lot of items on the dinner menu that would be fine boxed to go that aren't on the take out menu.

[Tweaked]

Like many Cleveland Park restaurants, Indique already did a good amount of take out pre-corona, so it's no surprise that they would do take out well during-corona. Plus stewy Indian dishes tend to travel well.

We had:

Samosa chat: One samosa on a bed of chole with chutneys. Always delicious.

Paneer Makhani: Paneer in a rich creamy tomato-y sauce. Also always delicious. But could use more paneer!

Chole: Very good. Thick stewy tomato-y sauce with plenty of chickpeas and chunks of potato. 

Dal: From the side dishes, a very nice simple dal. I would order again.

Bread: Perhaps Indique's weak spot. I prefer a naan with a crisper texture. But the butter naan and garlic naan went well with our dishes.

A big pile of Indian food on a rainy night hit the spot, with leftovers for lunch. 

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Indique was very good last night.  Good flavors, a nice tingle of heat, plenty of leftovers.

We went with: tandoori salmon, samosa chaat, paneer makhani, Punjabi chole, garlic naan and paratha.

I'm more of a fan of their paratha, buttery, nicely charred in spots.  It's become my go to bread order.  

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Closed per their website.

I've eaten a lot of Indique over the years and they were one of our favorite to-go orders during the pandemic.  The menu never really changed, but their food was always delicious.  

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According to the Cleveland Park listserve, a new owner is rebranding Indique as Dakshin and retaining much of the staff and menu...so call it TBD.  

 

[DonRocks]

On 1/3/2024 at 8:52 AM, Tweaked said:

I've eaten a lot of Indique over the years and they were one of our favorite to-go orders during the pandemic.

Same. I got carryout from Indique probably a half-dozen times during the pandemic.

What a great run for this restaurant - it sounds like KN and Surfy left it in good hands with Deepu Mohan [Dakshin will have its own thread].

Still the best Chicken Chettinad I’ve ever had. I’m a big fan of Karma’s, but Chef Vinod owned this dish.

[KeithA]

On 1/4/2024 at 9:54 AM, Tweaked said:

According to the Cleveland Park listserve, a new owner is rebranding Indique as Dakshin and retaining much of the staff and menu...so call it TBD.

Yeah, it is not closed - really only change in ownership and name. This weekend, I got carry-out from them through the Indique site which is still in use while the new website is being setup. They have signs on the windows that it is currently open 5-9pm. The food was as good as ever - I had their mango lassi, onion kulcha bread, chicken biryani, and bindhi/okra masala. I especially enjoyed the okra. We'll see if the menu changes over time but for now it is the same.