Joythi

Went here recently with my mother. Made a reservation, though one was not needed (they were doing more take-out business that night than in-house service). Person who greeted us and seated us (as well as helped out with filling water and removing plates throughout the meal) spoke no English and seemed a touch baffled about what to do (though she did what she did and did it well enough). Odd to have someone wait on you who can't interact with you and seemed kinda' shocked when you tried to talk with them. The other person, who I assume is the owner or a long-time employee, was gracious and as attentive as he could be, given that he was also moving take-out meals from the back kitchen to an almost constant stream of delivery people who lined up in the restaurant. I saw other people who seemed to work there, but they often disappeared, reappeared, and then were gone again. The only people we interacted with were the person who initially seated us and the other employee. We ordered samosas, garlic naan, Aloo Gobi, and Chicken Curry. While I was surprised that the curry was advertised as just "curry" with no variations, I found the entire meal to be well-priced, well-portioned, and nicely varied in terms of taste (as the employee asked us about our spice preferences. The mint cilantro chutney for the samosas was bright and also had a nice, though not overpowering, kick. Even if the dough-to-filling ratio was a bit off on the samosas, they were warm and filling. The naan were smaller than I was used to, and not traditional in the sense of having any char on them. I suspect that they, and the samosas, were not 'prepared' in the 'traditional' way. But they tasted fine. The curry and the gobi had nice proportions and distinct tastes (with tender chicken in the first and nicely cooked vegetables in the second), with the latter being a touch more spicy that I am used to . . . but in a nice way. They were also presented in nice bowls alongside a generous serving of basmati rice that was well cooked. This is a nice, small, restaurant in a thriving neighborhood. I wouldn't call the setting amazing. But I wouldn't say it was bad. The service was a touch slow due to interacting with the delivery people. But it wasn't too slow. And it was good service. I also think (as I noted) that they cut some corners on preparing some items. That said, I wouldn't say the corners cut push this place to three-stars. I also think that they are trying to balance the usual cost/staffing/food cost issues that all restaurants are facing right now (hence, some of the issues above). This was my first time back in DC in awhile. And I picked this place based on the reviews (at least the ones that didn't seem to be spiteful or odd or hard to figure out). Would I come again? Sure. Is this top-tier? For me, no. But it isn't bad and I thought they made the effort to serve food that was well-priced for what was offered and what (I assume) they are having to deal with currently. Bottom-line: four stars, no more or less. Your opinion might differ.

Absolutely amazing all around. Came in 45 minutes to close. Received extremely courteous service. Everything we ordered was TOP notch. Cannot decide our favorite-- tried the saag lamb, goat vindaloo, and the chili cheese naan; had to order a second round of the naan it was so good. You have definitely earned yourself a pair of regulars! Spice was perfect. Tried a level 7 out of 10; had a great kick to it without being overbearing. Note: Cajun palate here, so I tend to like fairly spicy.