Rasika stands very tall as one of the handsomest restaurants in the burgeoning Washington D.C. neighborhood known as Penn Quarter, just north of the Mall. Elegant and yet intimate, the Indian cuisine it offers is refined and exciting. We stopped there for lunch, and were surrounded by people who were having such a good time they seemed to be in no hurry to get back to their offices. And despite having no office to call us, we had a great time, too, people-watching, admiring the decor, agonizing over the menu, and enjoying a cocktail.
And do pay attention to the cocktails. The head bartender, Gina Chersevani, has won awards for her creations, although all we knew at the time was that the cocktail menu had lured us in, something that almost never happens, especially at one in the afternoon. We tried a Spicy Queen martini, vodka and mango (although the fruit component varies from season to season) and kashmiri chilies, as well as a Ananas Oasis, pineapple and rum.
We ended up nibbling our way through several appetizers, breads and side dishes rather than having to settle on two entrees, which confined us to the breaking point–and we happily broke. Bread, of course, is one of the pleasures of the Indian table; our goat cheese nan was hot, tender, and creamy inside. From the tawa, or griddle section of the menu came squid with chili (shown above), tender, buttery, and mild-to-moderately spicy, an elegant little dish.
Sev batata puri, shown above, turned out to be brought out small pappadums, those crisp cracker-like breads often seen at the start of an Indian meal in St. Louis. The kitchen at Rasika tops the crisp wafers with diced potatoes, tart green mangoes, tiny crunchy noodles, a spiced yogurt sauce and a drizzle of tart chutney. The combination was astounding, bouncing around in the mouth like a tap dancer.
Bhindi, or okra, arrived with amchoor, the tart mango powder, seasoning the slices, tender, not slippery, carefully cooked. And a kebab of paneer, the soft Indian cheese, seasoned with a dusting of fenugreek and other, less identifiable spices, along with slices of onion and green pepper, plus a drizzle of a green cilantro chutney, was tastier than we’d thought possible, the paneer surprisingly rich, a little crisp on the edges.
And then it was time for dessert, with new wonders to experience. Several of the sweets were riffs on traditional Indian dishes like gulab jamun, the doughnut-like pastry. But it was the frozen desserts that lured us. We got a sampler: Ice creams of cardamom, fig and walnut, and a wondrous chocolate and pistachio where the chocolate was so intense it was almost smoky, and amazingly flavorful sorbets of sugarcane seasoned with ginger and pineapple with coconut.
Fabulous service, and a wine list chosen to complement the cuisine. Run, don’t walk.
Rasika
633 D. St., NW
Washington, DC
202-637-1222
Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner Mon.-Sat.
Credit cards: All major
Wheelchair access: Fair
Entrees: $16-$30
Smoking: No
