I decided to venture out to Cleveland Park on a particularly dull night to see if I could uncover a tasty establishment to lift my spirits. Although I arrived close to 10, the restaurant was still packed with hungry customers and with more coming through the door.  Seeing the guests pile in was what sold me to try Indique.

Cost – $$

Service – B
The service was very basic; order, deliver, and fill the glass. It did take them some time to come get my order and they never asked if I wanted a second drink from the bar.

Food – C
The appetizers were quite delicious. The mini dosa were adorably rolled out along with a display of chutneys to accompany it. The aloo tikki, although wasn’t pan fried enough for my taste, was still wonderfully flavorful and served with deliciously stewed chick peas.

The entrees were disappointing in comparison to the appetizers. The kebab Indique had a gingery taste that did not work well with the combination of the lamb and chicken. It was definitely my least favorite of the entrees. The chicken tikka makhani, although the meat was succulent, was too sweet for my palette. The naan was not light and fluffy and it seemed as though it was pre made and reheated. The chicken biryani was not the flavorful rice dish I was hoping for. It lacked the spiciness of traditional biryanis and had little to no raisins, which is my favorite part of biryanis.

Looking at the dessert menu I was upset to see that my beloved gulab jamun was soaked in an orange syrup, as well as most of the desserts. Completely turned off, I decided on a mango kulfi and the kheer. Thankfully I was wise enough to get the “orange syrup” on the side for the kulfi or else it would have ruined this creamy frozen dessert. The kulfi was just the right amount of sweetness and you could see the mango pieces sticking out of the icy dessert. The kheer was probably the best one I’ve had to date. The rice pudding was sweeter than what I’m use to but made the dish surprisingly delectable compared to the entrees. The condensed milk added to it gave the pudding a rich and velvety texture, and the rice was not at all hard or grainy.

Decor – B
Indique’s simplicity of its exterior makes it an easy miss when walking through Cleveland Park. Upon walking through the doors can you only notice the spaciousness of this dual-floored restaurant. The stark white walls and railings with the ceiling fans is reminiscent of British colonial India. The surprising minimalism of its décor makes the restaurant seem unpretentious compared to other Indian establishments, making you feel like a guest in a home.

Feel – B
Because you feel like you are in someone’s home, conversation is easily made and in turn, Indique draws in groups of people at a time. Bottles of wine, wine glasses, and lowball glassware litter across tables around the restaurant contributing to the relaxed environment. In depth and intense conversations are scattered through out the restaurant. Although the environment is a great place to sit and reminisce with old friends, the substandard entrees are what will keep me from coming back.

Indique is located at 3512 -14 Connecticut Ave. NW.  They can be reached at (202) 244-6600.

What’s the Buzz:

December 2, 2007 – Indique (DC Eats) – Indique is a really nice little restaurant, the decor is upscale and gives you the feel of fine dining. The employees are nice. I was a little perturbed because they didn’t have any really spicy curry. I love my curry spicy and was expecting tha they would have some. Unfortunately to my dismay they didn’t have any.  Full Article…

tan