The flavors are so layered and complex, truly the best I’ve had. Must order the palak chaat. You could eat an entire bowl just yourself, it’s that delicious. Chicken tikka masala was so flavorful, unlike you’ve ever had!! The cardamom ice cream was the perfect finish.
Wow! What a gem. Incredible Indian food in a beautifully designed restaurant that transforms you to a secret place full of delicious spices and perfect service. You’ll have to start with their famous Palak Chaat crispy spinach covered in goodness. The smoked eggplant vegetable side was to die for - smooth babaganoosh with a touch of Indian spice and peas. The truffle dosa was a great starter for two people - and very generous slices of truffle stuffed inside! The chicken dish we had was also perfectly spiced and perfectly cooked and came with a small side of rice that was plenty!
I never visit DC without a trip to Rasika. The food is exquisite, the ambiance inviting, and the service impeccable. Palak Chaat is a must! Ask for Amanda.
She's amazing, and makes great recommendations. Top tier experience!
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Rasika is a high end Indian restaurant in the heart of NW Washington DC. It is also popular with the movers and shakers of country and boasts an impressive “whos who” among its clientele.
The restaurant has patio seating for when the weather is warm. Inside there is a bar where you order drinks and also eat if you so desire. The ambience of the restaurant inside is subdued and sober. A sharp contrast to the typical chatter in restaurants. Maybe too many secrets being shared! But the environment rubbed on us and we found ourselves talking in hushed conspiratorial tones about our commute!
Their Palaka chat was awesome. Deep fried spinach leaves smothered in yogurt, tamarind chutney and a sprinkle of diced tomatoes. I loved it!
We ordered their paneer musallam, something of a speciality. It’s paneer (cottage cheese) stuffed with nuts (I think cashew, walnuts) smothered is tomato, yogurt, cream gravy. Very rich and heavy. A little bland for my palate but I guess they have adapted it to suit the western tastes. The paneer comes with a piece of edible silver foil, which is not uncommon in India (especially for sweets) but not common in America. Our waiter reminded us a couple of times that it is silver and safe to eat. I am guessing they had guests scrapping it away as aluminum foil. These things tend to be expensive.
We also ordered their baigan bharta. A innocuous looking dish that is actually not easy to make. The eggplants are first roasted over charcoal braziers till they are slightly charred and imbibe a smoky aroma. They are then peeled, mashed and cooked in a assortment of spices. The result is a delectable blend of tastes and aromas best eaten with Naan (which is what we did). Enjoyed the dish tremendously!
The prices are not for the faint hearted but worth the experience!
The food was phenomenal! We enjoyed everything:
1) Palak chaat is perfectly lightly deep fried spinach like a greasy healthy snack? I could eat that from a bag all day!
2) Fish chili garlic is so unbelievably tender. You don’t taste the spiciness until the bite is over, subtle and fragrant.
3) Lamb chops are lamb chops! You can’t go wrong.
4) Duck makhani is AMAZING. Perfectly confit’d tandoori duck legs smothered in a rich lightly sweet creamy sauce that’s simply heaven in a bite.
5) Desserts (warm black rice pudding and choc samosas) are delectable on a sweeter side.
Visiting DC and been here twice just 7 days apart. Extraordinary experience both times. Their lamb chops are to die for, better than what I had in London. Amazing fish dishes and lovely sweet potato samosas. Service was fantastic.
Great atmosphere and the service was impeccable! The person waiting on us was extremely nice and gave us complimentary dessert of gulab jamun and cardamom ice cream. The palak chaat does live up to the hype, the goat cheese kulcha is also phenomenal. Besides that the food is alright but I don’t think it’s particularly revolutionary.
We had a very lovely experience at Rasika West End. The Palak Chaat was absolutely delicious along with the lobster tawa.
Our server was very patient and kind.
I would do the tasting menu to try other items.
Love Rasika. Exceptional service, delicious food and an all around great experience. Best cocktail...the Sania!
Rasika was great. All the dishes were pretty different in their own way, but it also felt authentic and down to earth. The truffle dosa was a great appetizer that mixed a traditional south asian dish with a more contemporary flavor, and it worked! The lamb biryani was so good and flavorful. The spice was balanced out by the yogurt that came with it. And the lamb was so soft. The mango pudding was a nice refresher and was light. 8.6/10
Really phenomenal dinner. It ended up being pretty windy outside so we were offered seats in the bar area instead. I appreciated the gesture and we had a cozy corner - it was a little noisier than the main dining room and the tables were small, but the servers did a great job making it work. Our server was lovely, attentive and made some fantastic recommendations. I ended up trying the tasting menu and adding a black cod dish which was honestly the standout. Looking back, all of the fish dishes ended up being our favorites. The only downside was the desserts which were just overwhelmingly sweet to the point where we couldn't eat them. Otherwise an absolutely fantastic time and we look forward to going back.
Had dinner and the appetizer and the entrees were excellent. Kebabs were well made .
Halibut kerala curry was terrific
One of the best if not the best Indian restaurant in North America.
Also the chef is a James Beard Award winner and it shows in the dishes
Service was excellent and friendly
The dining experience at Rasika is top notch. The servers care about giving you a good experience, and the proactivity in ensuring they take away plates/replenish silverware, etc is great. The food was superb. Our favorites were palak chat and duck makhani. The chocolate sample is the must-try dessert. The chicken tikka masala was good, but nothing out of the usual from other Indian restaurants, so I would suggest trying other things on the menu. We were celebrating a birthday of my friend and I, and at the end they brought us a special dessert. Thank you!!
Tried a tasting course menu with wine pairing for dinner
The food was on point. Every dish had unique taste profile which made the entire course very adventurous and new.
The wine pairing was phenomenal recommendations. None of the wine were too flavorful which I enjoyed since I was able to balance the flavors with more flavorful dishes like curry.
I highly recommend trying the tasting menu as you get to try a various flavor profile within one sitting!
Palak chat was also amazing. Must try imo.
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This was recommended by several family members and some of their friends. We made a reservation for indoor seating and were put on the covered patio which we were told would be warm. I was not warm even with several heaters and kept my winter coat on the entire evening. The patio chairs are so extremely uncomfortable. The table behind us was LOUD and their child was obxious with a VERY loud ipad in his lap and his chair pushed out so far from the table that servers were bumping into my back all night with no apology. One almost tripped trying to avoid the heater, him and I.
I ordered a cocktail and my husband had the punch- both were good but not something we would order again. We decided to order the tasting menu and were overall very satisfied- I requested no chicken due to a intolerance and was given a lamb dish as well as a "shrimp" curry. I put quotations around shrimp bc I received one, single shrimp in my bowl. I wouldn't have minded terribly except it was overcooked and not edible with the intestinal tract still attached. My husband and I felt the first 3 dishes were outstanding (sweet potato samosa, some type of pea/potato cracker, and palak chaat). I enjoyed the majority of my entree which was served biriyani style but again wasn't overall impressed with the shrimp (as stated) or lentil dishes. Dessert was wonderful and I enjoyed sampling the 4 items on the plate. I was surprised that our main server didn't ask if we wanted coffee or tea with dessert and never asked if we wanted any additional drinks throughout the evening. The other service staff was prompt, cheerful, and a joy. We would go back but would order off the menu, skip cocktails for wine, and only accept a table indoors.
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