Fans of Indian food will recognize some dishes at this surprisingly elegant Adams Morgan haunt: yogurt-marinated meats cooked in a tandoor oven, biryani-style rice, the chickpea stew known as channa. Especially worthwhile are the refreshing aloo chaat salad–a toss of chickpeas, potatoes, onions, and fried pastry–and the vegetable-stuffed samosas.
The novelty here is the Nepalese offerings, such as the excellent appetizer kukhura ko sekuwa (hunks of chicken marinated in spicy mustard oil, then grilled) and momo (circular dumpling wrappers around fillings of ground meat or vegetables, served with a spicy tomato-based sauce).The menu is long, but some dishes are different permutations of the ginger/garlic/green-pepper trifecta–it’s good to order a variety.
Don’t want to brave the Adams Morgan crowds? There’s free delivery within two miles, and you can order online.
Also good: Gobi Manchurian, corn-flour-battered, deep-fried cauliflower; garlic naan and onion kulcha breads; rice pudding.
Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner.
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.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
