|
|
 |
1041 N. Highland St., Arlington, Va.
(703) 528-2511
Hours of Operation and Prices
Lunch: M-Sat 11:30-2:30; Entrees: $5.25-$7
Dinner: Daily 5-10; Entrees: $7-$14
Brunch: Sun 11:30-2:30, $9 buffet
Other Information
• All major credit cards
• Dress: casual
• Reservations recommended on weekends
• Street parking
• Nearest Metro: Clarendon
• Handicapped accessible
|
At Cafe New Delhi, you can dine under a sky of pink clouds and streaks of red, even if you're indoors. Surrounded by faux columns and photos of India's monuments, you can sip a Pimm's Cup and imagine yourself on the other side of the world.
This is a friendly, casual little restaurant, with reasonable prices. But Indian restaurants are in stiff competition with each other these days, and this one has an inconsistent kitchen.
The samosas are greaseless, and chick peas with potatoes have a lovely tart-hot coriander sauce. So why is the chicken tikka dry and crumbly, the spinach pakora dull and starchy? Butter chicken is mushy, with a vague sauce and strips of acidic peppers and some onions. Spinach dumplings are heavy, coated with a thick yellow, soggy sauce. Yet the breads are fine, and the dal - whole brown lentils with red beans, fairly spicy - is the most interesting version I've found.
So goes a meal, with highlights and dashed expectations. Cafe New Delhi is a restaurant where neighbors probably get to know its best dishes, but newcomers have to learn the hard way.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
Back to the top |
