• Food Quality
• Value
• Price

Rasika

633 D Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

202.637.1222

Hours:

Lunch:
Monday – Friday 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner:
Monday – Thursday 5:30pm – 10:30pm
Friday 5:30pm – 11pm
Saturday 5pm – 11pm

There are few places in the city that really stir my excitement; places I’ve read about, heard testimonials about, but never actually been. Rasika, up until this Tuesday, was one of these places.  A culinary Shangri-La due to the challenge of getting reservations, Rasika embraces the range and richness that characterize the spices and complex, layered gravies of Indian cuisine while always straddling the expectations of its upscale Western audience.

Owned by Ashok Bajaj, who also owns Ardeo Bardeo, Rasika is made famous by the talents of Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam.  As a student in Mumbai, Sunderam applied for admission to medical college, law school, and more, only to accept a place at a catering college because it was the first of the bunch to offer him admission.  After college, he worked for the Taj Hotels in India before being asked to head the award-winning Bombay Brasserie in London; he would spend 14 years there before coming to Washington, D.C. to run Rasika.

Rasika is a direct reflection of Chef Vikram Sunderam.  His time with Taj Hotels enabled him to travel all parts of India, which is reflected in his all-encompassing dishes.  Moreover, the intentional lack of focus on one specific region in India is supplemented by an ingrained ability – as the result of his work at Bombay Brasserie – to cater every dish to a Western audience without ever coming across as forced.

If there is one dish you must try at Rasika it is the Palat Chaat, consisting of crispy baby spinach tossed with sweet yoghurt, tamarind, and date chutney.  Lightly fried with just the right amount of oiliness, the crispy spinach takes on a texture very reminiscent of fried watercress.  The sweet yoghurt coupled with date chutney adds an elegant silky sweet note that is elevated by the low-end spice of the tamarind.  It is a dish that illustrates the careful balancing act of shock and familiarity.  Moreover, as an appetizer it is ideal, introducing a new element of flavor with every bite.

The Keema Pao, with its minced lamb, onions and green chiles sandwiched between a light brown pastry bun, was surprisingly hearty.  The gaminess of the lamb was matched by its tenderness and the pastry bun added a nice minimal crunch.  The green chiles were on the milder side but added an understated tanginess.

Even the naan bread was slightly different.  In the Goat Cheese Kulcha, you have a naan topped with melted Goat cheese and herbs.  Unbelievably good, the Kulcha provides the classic juxtaposition of hard and soft, with the naan providing a thin crispy base off which the aromatic cheese takes flight.

Moving on to the entrees, the Chicken Pepper Masala was perhaps the weakest.  A nice blend of spices and a sharp hint of the curry leave created a silky curry that hit the palette with a curated heat while fading into remission soon thereafter.  By itself, the chicken was good but I found that as a protein it was lost in the complex curry.

The other entrée, the Dhaba Gosht – lamb, garlic, ginger, and garam masala – did not disappoint.  The addition of ginger worked well with the pungent intensity of the garam masala.  The spices, though more intense than those found in the Chicken Pepper Masala, were also more refined; the garlic’s hot profile with a background sweetness added to the smokiness of the lamb.

Rounding out the experience were two desserts: (1) lemon grass and ginger Ice Cream and (2) gulab jamun with cardamom ice cream.  Both desserts are made in house.  After the heaviness of the previous dishes, the cooling nature of the lemon grass and ginger was welcome.  Creamy to an extent, the ice cream was simple and not too sweet.

On the other hand, the gulab jamun was a bit more on the decadent side.  Gulab jamun, which are deep fried balls consisting mainly of milk solids and flour, and the cardamom ice cream were rich.  Sweeter than the elegant lemon grass and ginger ice cream; the cardamom had a floral trait, while the gulab was a sweet, chewy, and textural experience.  Both were amazing and a perfect end to a long-anticipated meal.

–Amendment202

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