Why go: After some ups and downs, this all-vegetarian southern-Indian dining room has found its groove again with lovely breads and terrific rice dishes.
What to get: Idli, steamed rice cakes paired with stewed-vegetable sambar and chutneys; papri chat, a tangy salad of potatoes and chickpeas drizzled with tamarind and yogurt; regular or paper-style dosas, India’s version of crepes, filled with masala-style potatoes and onions and served with green-chili-stoked coconut chutney; a gram-flour crepe topped with ginger and chilies; chili-and-onion-topped uttapam, a pancakelike bread made from rice and lentils; wonderfully fragrant coconut rice; tart lemon rice.
Best for: A quick buffet lunch (watch for waiters coming around with fresh dosas); a leisurely vegetarian feast.
Insider tip: Dals, vegetable stews, and curries have lacked oomph lately.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
See all Cheap Eats 2008 restaurants
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.
