Indian restaurant Rasika has been chosen as one of the top 20 eateries in the US for the year 2006 in a listing by leading men's magazine Esquire.
The new Indian restaurant in Washington DC made it to the list that spans cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco within a year of starting business by staying with the traditional but also putting new and varied tastes.
The focus is also on its chef from Mumbai, Vikram Sunderam, who came about a year ago packed with his culinary skills.
"When Sunderam began his chef duties at Rasika in December 2005, he was hoping for success -- in terms of happy customers enjoying excellent food. He wasn't expecting an accolade from a national magazine. But he got one anyway," says a write up in The Washington Business Journal.
"It's an honour to be among the top 20. We're a modern restaurant, a young restaurant. People come here to have fun. The restaurant is buzzing," Sunderam told The Journal.
From 'crispy spinach' to 'black cod' to 'apple jalebi', Rasika is all about refined flavours.
"This place is out to show Americans that Indian cuisine is as diverse as the subcontinent it comes from. It will change your mind about Indian cuisine forever," Esquire said about Rasika.
Rasika is among the latest showing of entrepreneur Ashok Bajaj, whose other restaurants in the capital city includes The Bombay Club which is walking distance from the White House.
It was among the two restaurants chosen to the top 20 list from Washington DC, the other being Acadiana.
