Why go: The welcome can be surly and the service grudging at this paint-freshened dining room in a shabby White Oak strip mall. But a few spoonfuls into the complex, subtly spiced curries and it probably won’t matter. When it’s on, this is some of the area’s best Indian cooking.
What to get: Superb chicken tikka masala; malai kofta, vegetable dumplings in almond cream sauce; scorching lamb vindaloo; three veggie curries—baingan bharta (eggplant), saag paneer (spinach), and aloo gobhi (cauliflower and potato); Kashmiri naan with chopped maraschino cherries and almonds.
Best for: If ever a restaurant were made for takeout, this one’s it.
Insider tip: Did we mention the service? Even if you phone in your order, you may have to wait when you arrive for pickup.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here
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.
