Heritage India

[Monica Bhide]

Finally last friday my hubby and I made it out to Heritage India in DC. I have to say that the meal was outstanding. One of the best that I have ever eaten. The Chef is originally from a 5 star chain in India, and the food reflects the style of the Indian five stars. This is a meal that would be served to you at a good restaurant in any fivestar in India.

We started with a tikka platter. The chicken and fish tikka melted in my mouth. The chicken drumstick with a chutney like marinade was delightful.

For dinner we had the goan fish curry, the fried okra and the butter chicken..along with several types of bread. Each dish was cooked to perfection. The restaurant does not boast new cuisine, or fusion or secrets foods from different parts of India -- they serve standard Indian fare straight up and do a good job of it. The dishes were not watered down and actually tasted Indian!!!

We met the chef and he is quite charming! I will certainly return for more

I know that quite a lot has been written about the terrible service here, personally I thought the service was okay but could have been better.

I would love to plan an egullet outing at this place if folks are interested

Thanks

Monica

Heritage India

2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20007

202-333-3120

[bilrus]

Thanks for this post. My wife and I were going to tryu to go last weekend but weren't sure we wanted to drive into the city from Ashburn for Indian, which has seemed pretty similar (tired) at everyplace we have tried here in DC.

This has encouraged me to give it a shot next weekend.

[Monica Bhide]

Glad you will be trying it. I hope you will like it. I got a few messages after this post asking me more on service and consistency.. since I have eaten there only once I cannot comment on consistency. The service was okay. It is not that expensive that I would have stormed out or anything.. a full meal with enough leftovers for the next day (including a beer and a soda) was $78.

[BBhasin]

Right on Monica,

This is a very good restaurant and the food is excellent. The Chef Sudhir Seth worked at the Bukhara in New York, from there he moved to the Bombay Club, which is very highly acclaimed by the food critics ( though I personally choose to reserve my comments). Heritage India is a joint venture with another person who operates Indian restaurants in Europe. The cooks I believe are mostly proffessionals on company transfer visas and not the 'made in America in a few months, chefs' you find in a lot of Indian operations. I am glad that you mentioned the cost of the meal, as per general Indian restaurant standards its expensive. Would you be surprised if I told you that they do not have a charcoal fired Tandoor and use a gas one. What does a purist like Suvir think of that? It has been a while since I ate there but at that time they used dark meat in their chicken tikka and butter chicken, which was contrary to the white meat craze. Do you remember what you got this time? Sudhir is a personal friend, very learned in his craft and one of the most hard working and dedicated people I know. Food produced in any kitchen he commands is certain to recieve rave reviews. I wish him and Heritage the very best. Your review, Monica, was excellent and a testimony to your good taste.

You can sign me on for an egullet meeting here!

Bhasin

[Monica Bhide]

BBhasin, I have an article coming out shortly that will show you how much of a "purist" I am!!

I am not a fan of white meat so that is a mute point for me

Gas or Tandoor... their food was excellent. The tikkas were moist and tender and had just the right amounts of marinade.

[Monica Bhide]

Thanks for this post.  My wife and I were going to tryu to go last weekend but weren't sure we wanted to drive into the city from Ashburn for Indian, which has seemed pretty similar (tired) at everyplace we have tried here in DC.

This has encouraged me to give it a shot next weekend.

How did it go?

[Busboy]

Local DC-ers should know that Heritage delivers, as well. A dammed expensive little phone call it can be, especially compared to Dominos, but deliciously convenient if you don't feel like forcing the kids to put on decent clothes.

The food is extraordinary. One caveat -- at one point the floor staff had a deserved reputation for pushiness, running up the tab with extra rice and bread, encouraging appetizers that weren't needed and so on. I've noticed this less, recently, but new diners might want to be prepared to be a little firm if they feel the oversell coming on.

Well worth the possibility for a minor hassle, though.

[Monica Bhide]

Busboy -- what are your favorites there?

[Busboy]

I like the aloo tak (potatoes, tamarind and mint yogurt) as an appetizer -- I think I'm a potential tamarind junkie. Also the Murgh Makani (grilled chicken in a tomatoe cream sauce and the tandoori jinhga (spiced prawns). Also, if I'm carrying out, pappadums for the ride home.

My wife swears by the mulligatawny and my son demands extra palak makai so he can bring the corn/spinach stew to school for lunch the next day.

I have to say, though, it's one of those places where I always try and force myself to try something new, as I am am almost never disappointed.

[irrelevant anecdote] I was picking up from Heritage one night and, while refreshing myself with a martini at the bar I notice that you could see the entrance to Good Guys, which locals will recognize as one of DC's most notorious strip clubs, out the window. I made some comment to the bartender and he said with a wink that, when people called for directions, he told them "I know you've never been there, but we're right across the street from Good Guys," and they always knew exactly where he was talking about.

[bilrus]

I made it this weekend and it was outstanding.

I ordered the Nawabi Khazana which started with a plate of three tandoori dishes - Machii Tikka a lightly marinated fish, Chicken Tikka which was incredibly moist, unlike many TIkkas and a something similar to a Kobeeda which tasted like and had the consistency of a well seasoned Indian meatloaf.

I then had four small curry dishes - Palak Makai, Murgh Makhani, a lamb curry and a dal. The Lamb was the highlight - the spices popped in my mouth and the meat was incredibly tender. The other three curries were all very good, but the chicken and spinach each had quite a bit of cream. I hadn't realized that Indian food could be quite that rich. That was the only drawback of the meal - I was very full when I was done. (Although ordering the largest meal on the menu had something to do with that.)

Dessert was a rice pudding which I am not very fond of in general, so this didn't do much for me.

My wife had the Samosas to start - very good with distinct vegetables instead of the mush that many Somasas hold. And the Tomato Chutney that was served with the tamarind and mint sauces was very good. She had the Tandoori Shrimp for her entree which consisted of the four largest shrimp I have ever seen. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the shell were still on so my first bite was a little crunchy. Fortunately the second bite made up for it. She ended with Gulab Jamoon which is a favorite of mine and this one was particularly good with an almost gelatenous consistency.

We also had Naan and Onion Kulcha - the Kulcha being the better of the two in my eyes (but it is my favorite anyway).

I liked the decor of the place, a little less formal than some lesser places - it almost had the feel of being someone's home dining room (in a good way).

The service was fine, if not entirely freindly. We didn't wait for anything, our beverages were replaced when we asked, etc. I did have one question though about the service style in Indian Restaurants. I have noticed that all questions are directed to me as opposed to my wife. I assume this is a tradition of some sort, but do other women find it offensive? My wife is somethines annoyed by this practice.

All in all, very good. I am not as experienced in Indian restaurants as many of you on here, but this was one of my two best experiences along with a place called Breads of India in Berklely, CA. So thanks, Monica for the recommendation.

Edited June 2, 2003 by bilrus (log)

[Monica Bhide]

Bilrus, I am so glad you enjoyed your experience there. I am headed there again next week! I wish they did deliver out to where I lived, I would have loved it!

Not sure about the waiters directing questions at you.. not cultural.. at least not as far as I know

A few other friends dined there last week and came back raving positively about the food!

[Tweaked]

It appears Heritage India is opening a new location in Dupont Circle in the space that formerly housed Acropolis (on Connecticut Ave just south of the circle, next to the Big Hunt). They have a big sign up advertising for waitstaff etc. and claiming they will be opening soon.

[bbq4meanytime]

tweaked that's good news beacause Dupont needs good indian food. Taj Mahal doesn't do it.

[Tweaked]

Yeah, Taj is pretty mediocre...when I want a Indian/Middle Eastern fix I go over to House of Kebab on M Street between 18th and 19th, they do a take out buffet for $6.99 (I think) that is generally decent (at least for take out buffet).

[bbq4meanytime]

Yeah, Taj is pretty mediocre...when I want a Indian/Middle Eastern fix I go over to House of Kebab on M Street between 18th and 19th, they do a take out buffet for $6.99 (I think) that is generally decent (at least for take out buffet).

yup, been there too for the same reason. Good eats for a cheap buffet.

[JennyUptown]

Heritage in Glover used to have awesome lamb samosas. I wonder why they removed them from the menu.

But to be honest, ever since Indique opened, I go there nine times out of ten over Heritage India. Recognizing that it's not an apples to apples comparison, I like the atmosphere, service, cocktails, presentations - all of it - better at Indique. Heritage India's food is great, but I could do without the unfriendly service and hardcore sales pitch.

[bbq4meanytime]

Heritage in Dupont this week opened and we did lunch. On one side of the menu they offer "traditional cuisine" and on the other, sort of a "tapas" and self-described modern approach. They also offer a handful of daily specials.

The food is fantastic. I ordered butter chicken, and it came with a side of fresh roasted vegs, a side of lentils, a side of mushrooms and peas and naan. Each dish tasted superb. My lunch friend (another eager Indian food lover) concurred on the quality of the food.

Of all the Indian restaurants I've eaten at in the DC/VA, the food at Heritage ranked in the top 2, along with Minerva.

Lunch was very slow, we saw only a couple of tables. But service was attentive (I heard this was a problem at the other DC location), but then again it wasn't busy.

Edited April 6, 2004 by bbq4meanytime (log)

[JennyUptown]

Yo Rocks - wanna fix that subject line so we don't have newcomers out looking for "Hertiage"?

I was downtown Friday night and saw Heritage's huge green neon sign and though "good lord..." but I'm glad to hear the food is good. If only they delivered.

[BBhasin]

Of all the Indian restaurants I've eaten at in the DC/VA, the food at Heritage ranked in the top 2, along with Minerva.

IMHO it should be a sin to even mention these two restaurants together.

[iamthestretch]

I hope they kept the same beer list. Sam Smith's IPA goes oh-so-well with the lamb vindaloo. Dammit, why did I already eat lunch?

[JennyUptown]

Of all the Indian restaurants I've eaten at in the DC/VA, the food at Heritage ranked in the top 2, along with Minerva.

IMHO it should be a sin to even mention these two restaurants together.

For those of us who have missed one or the other, why?

Minerva is vegetarian only, right?

[bbq4meanytime]

Of all the Indian restaurants I've eaten at in the DC/VA, the food at Heritage ranked in the top 2, along with Minerva.

IMHO it should be a sin to even mention these two restaurants together.

For those of us who have missed one or the other, why?

Minerva is vegetarian only, right?

Jenny I dunno either, I just eat at these places, pay my bill and give my 2 cents.

Minerva in Herndon is not veg-only, other locations might be.

[hannnah]

Minerva is neither vegetarian-only nor, in my experience, all that good, although I've only been to the Herndon location. Around Herndon/Sterling/Ashburn, I'd go to either Supper Club of India, in Worldgate, or Banjara in Ashburn.

Oh, and while we're fixing titles/subtitles, can we spell "experience" correctly as well?

[JennyUptown]

How did I miss that? I consider myself to be a stickler for spelling!

I think I confused Minerva with the new DC Indian place that IS vegetarian only (thus my lack of interest).

[dcfoodie]

Sure but Monica, what do we think about Heritage India vis-a-vis Indique? About Bombay Polo Club? About Woodands or Udupi Palace as comparred to these more-global places?

The southern Indian places stand alone on a tangent, I think, but that still doesn't reconcile Heritage vs. Indique, not that there needs to be a "contest." Personally, I'd prefer to have narrative descriptions of each without the need to assign stars or point scores.

That's more natural and consistent with reality, no?

.