2005 Fall Dining Guide
By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Magazine
Sunday, October 16, 2005

From the street, it looks like just another restaurant in a neighborhood full of choices. Step inside, though, and you'll find a dash of style with your samosas: pretty green tables, decorative scarves on the walls and Indian music to lend a sense of the faraway. Starters average just over $4 apiece but show care and attention. Chicken wings are meaty and succulent, garnished with fresh herbs and zippy from their bold marinade. Spinach, potato and onion find their way into light and spiky fritters, and if you think all crab cakes come from the same mold, the chili- and ginger-ignited version here will change your mind. The long and tempting menu has something for every appetite. Carnivores should gravitate toward anything made with lamb. Vegetarians should head in the direction of bhuna bharta, a smoky mush of eggplant, tomatoes and fragrant spices. Both camps can come together for the tandoor-baked breads, which are stuffed with cottage cheese, scattered with mint or topped with garlic and butter -- and simply wonderful.