Rasika Rasika

Rasika Awards

Classic Indian cooking in a contemporary setting.
Openings: Lunch Sun.-Fri., Dinner nightly

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Rasika, Washington, DC


Rasika Restaurant Review:


Contemporary yet skillfully ancient, this very “today” Indian restaurant is as chic as any place downtown, yet offers patrons the sense of an older, more regal India. Made-to-order artwork brightens the space, which is divided into several dining areas and a central bar-lounge. Some of the dishes may sound familiar, but the preparation and presentation are beyond ordinary. The chapli kebab starter comes as two patties of well-seasoned minced lamb that sit on a pool of green chili-cilantro chutney. The malai chicken tikka sounds everyday, but this version comes with goat cheese. As for entrées, these include the chicken makhni and lamb roganjosh that most Indian restaurants offer, but here the chef adds a lamb badami korma, or a lamb curry that is gentled by yogurt and a nut-paste base. If you like it hot, sample the dum ka duck, served with caramelized onions and chili. Bread comes with the meal, but you might want a side of garlic naan, or maybe the unexpected goat cheese kulcha. And for dessert, the gulab jamun, dumplings made from thickened whole milk, are lapped by a rose-scented sugar syrup.