Rasika

Tonight we continued our Restaurant Week adventures and dined at Rasika. Located on D street in Penn Quarter, Rasika is an upscale Indian restaurant known for its bold flavors. B and I both ordered from the Restaurant Week menu and were very impressed with both the food and the service. Our waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and made good recommendations for food and drink.

To Drink

I had a pomegranate pisco sour that was very tasty and pretty to look at but a $12 drink in a small glass shouldn't be half-filled with ice. B had a glass of Spanish red wine (Tempranillo) that the waitress thought would pair well with his main course (lamb).

To Eat

To start, I had the Palak Chaat which was the star of the entire meal. It was flash-fried spinach, a sweet yogurt/date chutney sauce, finished with chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. I really, really dislike cilantro but this dish was fantastic. The contrast in texture between the crispy spinach and cool yogurt was unique, and the flavors were bold but not overwhelming. B had calamari with a red chili sauce. The sauce was spicy without being "in your face" and the calamari rings were cooked perfectly so that they did not resemble rubberbands.

For the main course I had mahi mahi in a coconut milk curry sauce. It was served over jasmine rice with a side of naan. You can put just about anything in coconut milk and I'll like it, but the mahi mahi was especially tender and tasty. B had lamb curry served over brown rice. The curry's spice developed as you ate each bite resulting in a complex flavor.

Dessert was coconut rice pudding (J) and guava green tea sorbet (B). My rice pudding was served very hot and was more like a soup in consistency. It was definitely different than any dessert I've tried.

To Return?

Definitely. We had a very nice meal at Rasika and felt they chose a Restaurant Week menu that really highlighted the best of what they have to offer. The service was attentive yet efficient. I'd make a trip back just for the spinach appetizer.

Second Thoughts from B
Palak Chaat was one of the best single dishes I've had in DC. Period. I have nothing left to say.