Located in the Penn Quarter, Raskia was named one of the Washingtonian’s Top 20 Best Restaurants in 2009. After my dining experience here, I can easily see why! The menu boasts an incredible array of choices, ranging from traditional tandoori dishes (chicken, lamb, salmon) to compelling entrees (fish curry, ginger lobster, bison roast) and a great assortment of vegetarian option (okra, spinach, lentils, cauliflower, etc). Restaurant itself is gorgeous – great architecture, really cool lighting inside, mixture of tables & booths, awesome location downtown, and an open kitchen!

Our party started with three incredible appetizers (and a wide assortment of drinks, of coures!) – Red Kidney Bean Tikki (bean patties), Palak Chaat (crispy spinach), Gobhi Mattar (cauliflower & green peas). Red Kidney Bean Tikki comprised of two patties that had the consistency and appearance of Jewish latkes (one of my childhood favorites a la grandma!) The patties tasted so different than expected – lightly fried but not overly so, and were even a bit sweet, which was nicely balanced with the onion garnish it was served with. Really interesting and smoky flavors, and a great introduction to Rasika’s eclectic and awesome menu!

I’m generally not a cauliflower fan but I thought the Gobhi Mattar was absolutely delicious. Cauliflower was cooked to my liking, a little crunchy and well seasoned, and the peas were great! Fried food, especially fried vegetables, is not usually my style, but our waiter said the crispy spinach was the most popular item on the menu, so we followed his (great!) suggestion. It barely tasted like spinach – great textures and light garlicky flavors, a nice crispy kick to balance out the spice.

Entrees and na’an were fantastic – I opted for the Achari Shrimp, served in an incredibly spicy onion-tomato sauce. Dish had 6-7 jumbo shrimp swimming (ha!) in the sauce, served with a good portion of rice on the side. It was really incredible, and I ended up getting a to-go box just for the sauce!! Garlic na’an bread was some of the best I’ve had – served warm and tasted incredibly fresh, great garlic and spice flavoring, excellent accompaniment to the meal! And be sure to get an order of the always-soothing cucumber raita to balance out all the spice…yum!

Extremely attentive and knowledgeable wait staff – our waiter saw my party giving my mother her birthday presents and unprompted brought her a dessert on the house! The only downside is the noise level, as it is incredibly lively/crowded regardless of day of time or day of the week. All part of the experience, but would not be a recommendation for those looking for a more intimate, quieter meal.

Didn’t do desserts since we had birthday cake at home (sometimes those Safeway/Giant cakes are just unbeatable!)…but some really tempting options included chocolate samosas and an apple beignet. Great wine, champagne, and mixed drink menu, and a vibrant and really cool-looking bar for those looking for a lighter meal/awesome drinks!

Easily accessible by metro, which is your best bet as parking in the Penn Quarter can be quite pricey (Archives/Navy & Gallery Place metro stops are the closest). Valet parking runs you about $7…not bad for DC! Excellent location, as the Verizon Center and the 7th Street Corridor are just around the corner.

Rasika is part of a family of restaurants in DC that includes Ardeo & Bardeo in Cleveland Park and 701 Restaurant downtown…all are wonderful! Absolutely fantastic Indian food – great for a nice dinner out, date, or group of friends! Enjoy, and let me know when you go :)