Enjoyed this very much, Vignesh. And now am super hungry!
In my Google Maps review of Rasika West End, an upscale restaurant in DC, I wrote the following, in part...
>>> You may come across the occasional Indian friend who is not a fan of places like Rasika. Their attitude is that such restaurants are overrated, too fancy and not authentic enough compared to the no-frills places I mentioned in the opening para. Of course, you can get as good or even better meals at some of those more earthy places. But what I’d tell these folks (I call them reverse Indian food snobs) is that every cuisine has this dichotomy: authentic, cheap eateries and fancy expensive ones. They have to be considered and rated separately.<<<
Thanks for reading and sharing your Rasika review, Sree! I now really want to eat there next time in D.C. I appreciate your framing of reverse Indian food snobs and that we can have and celebrate a spectrum of Indian cuisine.
For too long in America, "Indian Restaurant" has meant a very particular set of foods at a very accessible price point. It's great to see that Indian food can be "fancy," especially as new restaurants put the spotlight on more regional cuisine.
More cultures, more price points, more flavors and more innovation. What's not to love?
Definitely! It's so refreshing to have a range of options. I didn't even mention the amazing crop of food trucks across the U.S. that have sub-specialties of Indian food. There is a new chai and chaat food truck in the Bay Area I've been meaning to try, where they're building community with seating in the parking lot.
Enjoyed this very much, Vignesh. And now am super hungry!
In my Google Maps review of Rasika West End, an upscale restaurant in DC, I wrote the following, in part...
>>> You may come across the occasional Indian friend who is not a fan of places like Rasika. Their attitude is that such restaurants are overrated, too fancy and not authentic enough compared to the no-frills places I mentioned in the opening para. Of course, you can get as good or even better meals at some of those more earthy places. But what I’d tell these folks (I call them reverse Indian food snobs) is that every cuisine has this dichotomy: authentic, cheap eateries and fancy expensive ones. They have to be considered and rated separately.<<<
The rest is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jVp2CQ9ACWPmV8JH6
Thanks for reading and sharing your Rasika review, Sree! I now really want to eat there next time in D.C. I appreciate your framing of reverse Indian food snobs and that we can have and celebrate a spectrum of Indian cuisine.
For too long in America, "Indian Restaurant" has meant a very particular set of foods at a very accessible price point. It's great to see that Indian food can be "fancy," especially as new restaurants put the spotlight on more regional cuisine.
More cultures, more price points, more flavors and more innovation. What's not to love?
Definitely! It's so refreshing to have a range of options. I didn't even mention the amazing crop of food trucks across the U.S. that have sub-specialties of Indian food. There is a new chai and chaat food truck in the Bay Area I've been meaning to try, where they're building community with seating in the parking lot.