From January 2006 100 Very Best Restaurants
THE SCENE. Lovers of complex Indian cooking gather at this elegant second-floor aerie with its burnt-orange walls, vivid textiles, carved wood benches, and a photo gallery of bygone Indian princes for some of the best Indian food in the city.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE. Dishes that warm the palate rather than singe it–though when appropriate, as in the fiery vindaloo, the kitchen isn't spice-shy. Stylish touches–shiny copper bowls and a ceramic mini-tandoor brought to the table–make you feel like a Raj.
WHAT YOU WON'T. A waitstaff whose mantra often seems to be: The customer is seldom right.
BEST DISHES. Beautifully fried vegetable fritters; smoky, juicy tandoori chicken and quail; dum ka murgh, a curry of chicken marinated in sesame and poppy seeds; creamy spinach and corn; lacha paratha, a layered bread glossy with butter; and kurkuri bhindi, crisp rounds of okra tossed with onions and mango powder.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
