Michelin Guide · Modern Indian · Penn Quarter and West End
By Monty Khas, Anonymous Critic. Pays every bill.
Every city has the restaurant that changed the conversation, and in Washington it's Rasika. Long before modern Indian dining was a trend, Ashok Bajaj's Penn Quarter dining room was proving that Indian cooking could carry a power lunch, a birthday dinner and a Tuesday night at the bar, all in the same week. Years later, it still fills up like it has something to prove.
The people
Bajaj founded Knightsbridge Restaurant Group in 1988 and has been one of the city's defining restaurateurs ever since. The kitchen belongs to Vikram Sunderam, the group's executive chef, who has been with Rasika since before it opened. After several turns as a finalist, he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2014.
The room
Rasika Penn Quarter is loud, lively and good-looking, the kind of place where the energy hits you at the door. There's a bar and lounge for cocktails and small plates, a patio for warmer nights and a dining room that works as well for a client dinner as a date. The West End location on New Hampshire Avenue is a little calmer and just as polished.
What to eat
Start with the palak chaat, the dish that made Rasika famous. Baby spinach leaves are flash-fried until they shatter, then topped with sweet yogurt, tamarind and date chutney. Hot and cool, crunchy and creamy, sweet and sour all land in a single bite, and the plate disappears faster than seems possible.
The black cod is the other legend, finished with honey, star anise, fresh dill and red wine vinegar until it's silky and lightly caramelized. Tandoori lamb chops, marinated with mace, cardamom, cashew and ginger, are a dependable splurge, and the lobster dishes make sense for a big night.
The kebabs come well spiced, the curries taste freshly made and the dal makhani is rich enough to justify a second basket of naan. Order more bread than you think you need. If you're grazing at the bar instead, the sev batata puri and the Kolkata lamb roll make easy, snackable starters with a cocktail.
Before you go
Book ahead on Resy, especially for weekend dinners. The dress code is smart casual, there's evening valet and the Penn Quarter dining room is an easy walk from the Metro. Children under eight aren't seated. Rasika also serves lunch on weekdays and Sundays, which makes a midday visit one of the easier ways to try the classics without a long wait for a prime dinner slot.
Why it matters
Washington now has Michelin-starred Indian cooking, but Rasika built the audience that made it possible. It's still where locals take visitors when they want to show off the city's Indian food, and the palak chaat alone is reason enough to come back.
The Quick Fix
What to order: Palak chaat; black cod; tandoori lamb chops; a kebab or two; dal makhani; plenty of naan
Pricing: Upscale. Worth it for a celebration, a date or a client dinner.
Best for: Date nights, celebrations, client dinners, out-of-town guests and pre-theater meals in Penn Quarter
How it compares: Washington's most famous Indian restaurant; more classic and more fun than Rania, the city's Michelin-starred Indian splurge; the palak chaat is still the city's must-order Indian dish
Rasika is part of our city guide: The Best Indian Restaurants in Washington D.C.
The food was always this good. We're just paying attention.