Wednesday, December 21, 2005

TOM SIETSEMA

CURRY PLUS: At Penn Quarter's new Rasika (633 D St. NW; 202-637-1222), red-tipped crystal "curtains" separate the lounge from the dining room and gin and tonics are rethought with ginger syrup, a jazzy accent that a bartender tells me he makes himself. Not until you open the menu would you guess the place serves Indian food.

And there it is: tandoori chicken, lamb biryani and . . . fried spinach spiked with roasted cumin, drizzled with yogurt and tossed with date chutney? The salad is one of many dishes that distance the newcomer from most of the Indian competition, including Rasika's sister restaurant, downtown Washington's romantic Bombay Club (815 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-659-3727). Both venues are owned by Ashok Bajaj , whose mini-empire in the capital extends to Ardeo , Bardeo , the Oval Room and 701 .

Why would the restaurateur put two Indian dining rooms so close to one another? Bajaj sees them as two very different experiences, with the Bombay Club reminiscent of "the old colonial clubs" and Rasika representing "the future of India." Rasika is indeed up to the moment. All a diner has to do is look at the exhibition kitchen -- dominated by a tawa (griddle) and sigri (barbecue) -- and note the presence of a sommelier to see that. Bajaj hired Sebastian Zutant , a veteran of Komi and the late Nectar , to create a wine list that looks around the world for inspiration; Zutant, 28, blends in with the clientele, a lot of whom appear to be on the south side of 40. Meanwhile, Bajaj looked across the pond for a chef, Vikram Sunderam , who made a name for himself and the Bombay Brasserie in London during his 14-year run there. His aim, he says, is to showcase "traditional Indian food in a modern way." Thus he uses shanks instead of diced meat in his lamb roganjosh and the very American halibut in his fish curry.

The arrival of Rasika made us wonder: Which of his six restaurants is now the owner's favorite? Tracked down at 701, Bajaj, ever the table-hopper, replied, "Whatever restaurant I'm in" at the moment.

Lunch entrees $15-$22, dinner entrees $15-$24.