Rasika Penn Quarter

2011 Fall Dining Guide
By Tom Sietsema
Sunday, October 16, 2011

If there's one cuisine I could eat every day, it's Indian, and if there's one source that explains why, it's Rasika. No other Indian restaurant of my acquaintance surpasses the range and the richness offered by lead chef Vikram Sunderam. The Bombay native is justly famous for his crisp baby spinach tossed with sweet yogurt and date chutney, and his silken black cod marinated in honey, dill and, believe it or not, English cheddar cheese. But there are dozens of other items that could be his signatures, too, among them baked cabbage dumplings in a pale yellow yogurt sauce, and tender morsels of lamb draped in a red gravy of tomato, curry leaves and coconut shavings. Does roasted eggplant chutney count as a dish? The seesaw of ginger and tamarind compels me to finish the condiment. Even ordinary-sounding chicken biryani gets the star treatment, thanks to a seal of nan that's removed at the table to reveal saffron-scented rice and more, nestled in a copper pot. Desserts, meanwhile, go beyond the cliches to include a glossy golden apple fritter presented with a scoop of cardamom-spiced ice cream. Reservations can be a challenge. Happily, the dressy (and noisy) dining room in Penn Quarter is getting some backup: Owner Ashok Bajaj plans to open a second Rasika in the West End next winter.