Amy and I went to Heritage India for dinner again last night. We originally intended to go to Indique, but we were unable to make a reservation the same night. Of course I waited till 6:30 to try and make a reservation. I'm a procrastinator as usual. So we "settled" (LOL) for Heritage India.

Here's a little history about our experiences at Heritage India. When we first moved to DC, being lovers of Indian food, we went to every Indian restaurant within walking distance of our home even though we were pretty strapped for cash. The first time we went to Heritage India, the first thing we noticed were that the prices were more than other Indian restaurants we had been to. We had heard, however, that the food was excellent there, and that the prices were well worth it. What we had heard was pretty much right on the money. However, I think at the time, the prices compared to other India restaurants (and the $100 bill) blinded us a bit. We also noticed that the service was a bit...rough around the edges.

After our pockets deepened a bit and we did not mind so much spending $100 on dinner at an Indian restaurant, we started going back to Heritage India. Last night was the second time in two months that we stopped by, and it was as good as it has ever been. The lamb korma I had was probably the best I have ever tasted. The lamb was extremely tender and the sauce had a great combination of cashews and spices. It was also not bland like most kormas are at other restaurants.

As usual, Amy ordered the saag paneer. She found it not to her liking, but she has very specific taste when it comes to saag paneer. For those of you who do not know, saag is a spinach curry and paneer is a type of Indian cheese. Amy's complaint was that the saag was too creamy and the paneer was too soft. Like I said though, Amy's taste in this matter is very specific. :) I think Amy's exact words were, "The saag paneer I had at Haandi the other day was better." Next time, she will probably order something besides the saag. It sure isn't our last trip to Heritage India.

One of the things that makes Heritage India more expensive than other Indian restaurants is the wine list. Where other restaurant's wine prices range from $20-30, Heritage ranges from $30-50. However, they have a very good wine selection ranging from many regions of France and the US. Last night we ordered a good Cote Du Rhone that went very well with our meal. One thing to be careful of...The wine, uh, not sure what you call it, pictured below. It is basically a wine bottle holder that can make for a nice mess it you are not careful taking the bottle out (especially when you have already had a couple glasses of wine). Our previous trip, I managed to spill wine all over the table. Luckily we had drank most of it already. On the left you'll see the lamb korma I ordered and on the right, the saag paneer that Amy ordered.

Compared to the other Indian restaurants in the area, I think that Heritage excels in the northern style Indian cuisine. I find their curries to be superior to other Indian restaurants in the area. One thing that in past visits we found was that the service was a little rough. Last night, however, the service was perfect. I think that the recent opening of Indique has given Heritage a little bit of a wake up call. Indique has a more modern approach to their restaurant, with "fancy" drinks and an atypical menu that you wont find at other Indian restaurants. So I don't really think that the two restaurants can be fairly compared. Amy and I are actually planning on heading over to Cleveland Park today to have lunch there. Curry is most definitely addictive! :)

Here are some more pictures from last night. Heritage India is on two floors. On the first floor (which I have no pictures of because it was so dark), is the bar and witing area. When you are seated, the hostess will take you up the stairs to the second floor, where there is another bar, and two dining rooms, seen below.

One thing I noticed last night...Inside the menu it says that the owners have restaurants in Germany and in the Czech Republic. I found that quite interesting and odd at the same time, but I guess it is not too uncommon. Heritage also has a location in Bethesda, with a location that just opened (EDIT: thanks to Balraj Bhasin for pointing out that the Bethesda location is no longer run by Heritage India, but by Sudhir Seth, who previously was affiliated with Bombay Club) on Connecticut Ave, just south of Dupont Circle.

Heritage India, used to be dressier. You used to see people wearing sport coats and dresses there. Last night however, people were pretty casual. Amy even pointed out someone wearing a hat , t-shirt and jeans. I guess just about any clothing will work here, however, Amy and I like to dress it up a bit when we go the Heritage.

Heritage India
2400 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC
(202) 333-3120
Map

1337 Connecticut Ave
Washington, DC
(202) 331-1414
Map

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