Indian folks living (and eating) in VA, what do you think of Curry Mantra?

Anyone try Namaste in alexandria / rose hill yet?
We've had good experiences there, but are not Indian food experts.

Cafe India on Wisconsin Ave - my 6 yr old loves the crackling spinach and eat their okra !

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing about these recommendations is that there is a difference between what Indians consider to be good food versus Americans. Unfortunately, some of these recommendations are geared to Western taste.

Also, some of the places with really good Indian food have limited decor and overall ambiance. This is probably true for most ethnic restaurants.

So if you are an American - and you are looking for good food - you may have to go to the less known places some of which are really hole in the wall type setups but you can count on some great food.

Ok, so tell us where to go!

Amma's for vegetarian food in Vienna

Charcoal Kebab in Herndon for some of the freshest and tastiest kebabs ...... this is Afghani more than Indian

Minerva Express in Arlington

Masala Express in Arlington

Woodlands in Langley Park

Passage to India in Bethesda

Kadhai in Bethesda has a great buffet

BTW, we went to Charcoal Kebab today for lunch. As good as ever though not classic Indian food. No buffet and it is served on styrofoam plates.

One more to the list:

There is an Aditi in Herndon where we buy our groceries and there is a eatery that is part of the store. Have not eaten there - I think it is vegetarian but not sure. If it is like anything like the Aditi in Kingstowne that others have recommended it is probably good and authentic. I think I noticed a sign indicating they have a lunch for under $6 served until 3pm every day. It is not a buffet. Almost all the customers are Indians. Again, there is zero ambiance - you go there for a good meal.

That is the Herndon Ammas, same name, menu and owners as the Vienna one, I believe.
Great for take out if you cannot tolerate the ambiance.

Thanks for the clarification.

I literally stopped going to all other Indian restaurants after we discovered Woodlands in Woodley Park a few years ago. Weekend buffets - about $12, all veg and AMAZING. Not much decor, in a rough area but full of Indian patrons and for good reason.

Salt and Pepper Grill is disgusting. It isn't anywhere near as good as Rasika. Yuck. And the place is a pit.

Anonymous wrote:
If you're looking in DC proper, the best Indian restaurant is Salt and Pepper Grill near Howard University. It looks like a hole in the wall (it kind of is) but the food is amazing. My husband and I are both South Asian and we salivate over the food. It's way better than Rasika.

" DC proper" aka Washington or the city.

Anonymous wrote:We liked Khoninoor Dhaba before they really expanded with the food truck, online ordering, etc. We still go occasionally but I think they have more chefs on staff now and some are better than others.

Just had Woodlands for the first time and that was the best Dosa I've had outside of India. So so good. Hmmmmm

Aroma in Arlington has fantastic Chicken Mahkani and their eggplant's exceptionally good too.

Might be my biased opinion, but Kohinoor Dhaba is flavorless, and very watery. I've heard great things, but tried it a couple of times and it was just not tasty. I think of Kohinoor as one of those stereotypical places that non-Indians love because it looks like a hole in the wall, but as an Indian (and knowing other Indians who tried them), it feels like such a ridiculous trap.

Anonymous wrote:Yes but that still doesn't answer the question. Where do you go HERE for the most authentic and delicious Indian food?

A list of several restaurants was given with their locations a few posts back.

Anonymous wrote:I like Haandi.

Another vote for Haandi. We used to live near there and it was awesome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing about these recommendations is that there is a difference between what Indians consider to be good food versus Americans. Unfortunately, some of these recommendations are geared to Western taste.

Also, some of the places with really good Indian food have limited decor and overall ambiance. This is probably true for most ethnic restaurants.

So if you are an American - and you are looking for good food - you may have to go to the less known places some of which are really hole in the wall type setups but you can count on some great food.

Ok, so tell us where to go!

Amma's for vegetarian food in Vienna

Charcoal Kebab in Herndon for some of the freshest and tastiest kebabs ...... this is Afghani more than Indian

Minerva Express in Arlington

Masala Express in Arlington

Woodlands in Langley Park

Passage to India in Bethesda

Kadhai in Bethesda has a great buffet

BTW, we went to Charcoal Kebab today for lunch. As good as ever though not classic Indian food. No buffet and it is served on styrofoam plates.

One more to the list:

There is an Aditi in Herndon where we buy our groceries and there is a eatery that is part of the store. Have not eaten there - I think it is vegetarian but not sure. If it is like anything like the Aditi in Kingstowne that others have recommended it is probably good and authentic. I think I noticed a sign indicating they have a lunch for under $6 served until 3pm every day. It is not a buffet. Almost all the customers are Indians. Again, there is zero ambiance - you go there for a good meal.

That is the Herndon Ammas, same name, menu and owners as the Vienna one, I believe.
Great for take out if you cannot tolerate the ambiance.

We liked Khoninoor Dhaba before they really expanded with the food truck, online ordering, etc. We still go occasionally but I think they have more chefs on staff now and some are better than others.

Just had Woodlands for the first time and that was the best Dosa I've had outside of India. So so good. Hmmmmm

Aroma in Arlington has fantastic Chicken Mahkani and their eggplant's exceptionally good too.

Anonymous wrote:Yes but that still doesn't answer the question. Where do you go HERE for the most authentic and delicious Indian food?

Ha, ha. I can give recommendation for dishes only.

For spinach Chaat and chicken and lamb kebab - Rasika

Bhel - Bombay club

Kali Dal, Kadhi, Bhindi - Bombay Tandoor

South Indian - Amma, Tiffin, Madras cafe

Parantha, Daal Maakhani - Haandi

Indo-chinese and butter chicken - Curry Palace

Desserts - Indique heights

Biryani and samosa chaat - Eastern Kebab

Veg Thali - Heritage India (pretty decent)


Most places do a good job of Non-veg food. They do not do as good a job of veg food (according to Indians).

I think most of the times I find only a few good dishes in every restaurant. Not everything is great everywhere - even in the best Indian restaurants. However, I have found most Americans like vegetarian curries at the restaurants more than Indian do - because we make MUCH MUCH MUCH better vegetarian food at home. I have yet to eat a well made Paalak Paneer in any restaurant. Infact even the Raitas are messed up for some strange reason - why? I do not know.

Also, in most places there is not much variation in the spices and recipes to make it worthwhile for my family to order vegetarian food.

I have also never eaten a well made goat curry here. Not once. If I want well made goat curry or fish curry - I have to make it at home.

Yes but that still doesn't answer the question. Where do you go HERE for the most authentic and delicious Indian food?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing about these recommendations is that there is a difference between what Indians consider to be good food versus Americans. Unfortunately, some of these recommendations are geared to Western taste.

Also, some of the places with really good Indian food have limited decor and overall ambiance. This is probably true for most ethnic restaurants.

So if you are an American - and you are looking for good food - you may have to go to the less known places some of which are really hole in the wall type setups but you can count on some great food.

Ok, so tell us where to go!

More about good Indian food and ambiance.

Some of best Indian food you get in India is in places called "dhabas" which would serve very tasty food at rock bottom prices because they used to cater to truckers and others of modest means. Some of the best food I have eaten was in such places but the downside is that they are less than hygienic to put it mildly. Dhabas are associated with Punjabi food but there are similar places in other parts of India that goes by local names in line with the vernacular of those regions. Before I moved to the West, my digestive system was capable of dealing with the less than hygienic conditions but over the years my immune system has become less able to withstand such places and so when I visit India - which is just about every year - I avoid these places though I look at them longingly!

If you have been to Malaysia or Singapore and in Bangkok there are places that serve street food - again the hygienic conditions are sometimes questionable but the food is very tasty.

Despite the questionable hygiene, even the more affluent people in India go to some of these places occasionally because the food is so tasty.

All of the above is meant in the way of explanation of why some of the better Indian food in the US is not found in the places that would appeal to the average American in terms of decor and ambiance. The best food is found in pretty ordinary places that focus on really good food without worrying too much about atmosphere. But one gets the best of both worlds in that because of local laws and health inspectors, etc these places do maintain at least a minimum level of hygiene and food safety standards.

But the focus of most Indians who live in the US if they are going to eat Indian food outside, is on getting tasty, authentic food. They typically would not go to some of the Indian restaurants that adapt their cuisine to suit the American palate.

A little more about dhabas on this Wikipedia link ..... but note what the article says about some Indian restaurants in the West calling themselves "Dhaba". They are trying to capture the appeal of what those places represent but it does not mean that the cuisine is what one would find in a dhaba in India. If you google "dhaba in india" you will find images of what these places look like ranging from very basic to a couple of shades better than basic!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhaba