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Raw Silk - CLOSED
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
We pick ingredients carefully and use only the freshest and natural ones to prepare every dish, and have been trying to cook them in a healthier way to… read more »
39 reviews for Raw Silk
Review Highlights
"...samosas, chicken curry, chicken tikka, shrimp vindaloo, the..."
(in 5 reviews)
"...rice, some delicious lentil side dish, a salad, and naan."
(in 19 reviews)
"The lunch specials all come with rice and daal."
(in 3 reviews)
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39 reviews in English
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Review from Kate D.
Braintree, MA
10/1/2009
Delicious curry!
I've been here twice and was pleased both times. I've tried the samosas, chicken curry, chicken tikka, shrimp vindaloo, the lamb saag and various naan. I love the little pots the curry comes in and the big Kingfisher beer.
The service was good on both occasions.
I'll be back soon! -
Review from MinPin B.
Arlington, VA
8/27/2011
I didn't check the yelp rating on this Restuarant before coming and that was a huge mistake!! Stay away the food was awful.
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Review from annie w.
Alexandria, VA
3/28/2010
This is based solely on some naan we ordered.
We stopped in the other day for an appetizer. We saw in the window that they had several kinds of chaat, and went on in.
We were greeted warmly, and seated by the window at my request. It was really quiet in there at 5 on a Sunday.
We tried to order the chaat, and were told it wasn't available. Bummer.
So we decided on some aloo paratha, paneer naan, and Keema (lamb) naan.
Eh.
We couldn't tell the difference between the paratha and the naan, and I'm not even sure we got paneer or aloo (potato) in our naan/paratha.
The bread was served with raita, and it was definitely lacking salt. Based on our experience with the bread, we won't be going back.
Too bad, because the service we received was really very good. -
Review from Alok B.
Alexandria, VA
4/3/2010
One word: Pathetic
I'm born Indian and have lived in India (specifically Mumbai and Poona) for a long time. The food was mediocre at best. The only reason I give stars here is for service. The service was very good and the wait staff was very friendly.
However, let's get to the FOOD: the naan/parathas basket we ordered was extremely over-priced for the amount of food served. The paneer and aloo parathas were very dry and after a while I wondered what I was eating! I tasted like chewing on some dried out tortilla. I mean---really??? And then $9 or something for that whole experience? I have had 10 times better food (and actual naan and parathas) for as less as $2 and that too in some of the best Indian restaurants in the US.
Will NEVER visit this place again. -
Review from Dan R.
Washington, DC
6/14/2010
Summary: Avoid unless you have to.
I ordered delivery so I couldn't tell you what the restaurant itself was like. The phone conversation getting my delivery across was like pulling teeth and when the driver came, he refused to get out of the car and go upstairs to my apartment. I've never once had that happen with any other delivery person, and I live in a rather uncrowded area of Alexandria, so it's not like he would have had trouble (or even had to pay for parking).
The lamb vindaloo was inedible. Completely inedible. The spices were so overpoweringly hot that I couldn't eat more than a couple bites without feeling sick, and I'm the kind of person that orders 5-star spicy dishes at Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. Whats worse, they never asked how spicy I wanted the Vindaloo. It's a shame, because the lamb chunks were nice and tender, but I literally have no idea how they taste. Also, the vindaloo sauce was very very gritty.
The chicken Tandoori was OK, but far too small of a portion. I ordered a Naan bread basket AND an order of garlic naan, but never got the bread basket, even though I was charged for it. Instead, I got 4 pieces of garlic naan.
The only thing saving it from 1-star is that the naan was at least tolerable, and the lamb was cooked well (though I couldn't tell you how it tasted because of that sauce); and the chicken tandoori tasted mediocre.
Avoid this place like the plague. -
Review from Keri M.
Alexandria, VA
2/4/2009
Great food quality. Aside from the salad, everything tasted freshly made. They used fresh herbs in the soup. The sauces had a nice balance and weren't overcooked.
Hotness: I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, which always presents a risk that I have to leave a meal hungry due to overheating. To my good fortune, the waitress asked what level of hotness I wanted and I took the safe "medium." And it was what I consider medium hotness: just a little heat that doesn't hinder the pace of your eating. I could even have handled hotter - so I will order "hot" next time.
Note: the lunch special includes lentil soup. The menu gives you the option of adding $1 to the price for soup. But asking for that additional soup brings your meal soup count to 2.
My complaint is that the food delivery was slow. We waited about 20 minutes to get soup. Doesn't that just involve ladling into a bowl? And it wasn't because the restaurant was crowded - there were only one or two other tables seated. It made for a slow lunch, which is not convenient for those who have a limited lunch time. -
Review from Justin S.
Updated - 10/9/2009
I've been back to Raw Silk about a half dozen times now, mostly for lunch (as it's right near my office). Last night, I finally made it in for dinner to see first hand whether or not the obvious fake reviews claiming dinner was worth it and the lounge was really cool had any merit.
The dinner menu is very small. There's very little to choose from, and literally nothing unique on the menu. I've now tried nearly all the curries, and they've all got a few running issues.
1.) The cooking seems to be done with minimal skill: I've been learning to cook my favorite curries at home. One of the most important lessons I've learned so far is that not every spice can be added at the same time. Turmeric can be added at the beginning, it can stew for a long while. Cumin needs to be added late, as its flavor dissipates quickly. There's rules like this for most of the spices, and that's why trying to make curry with a pre-mixed spice pack never comes out quite as good as at a restaurant. ...unless that restaurant is Raw Silk. It seems like the curries here are being prepared by a total novice. Last night my curry was flat tasting and dull. The spices utterly failed to impress. Worse, there were bitter chunks of foul-tasting poorly ground dried spices. Sour notes of undercooked cooked spices were everywhere.
2.) The meat quality: My lamb was okay... I've certainly had worse, but not at a restaurant that is this expensive. It's flavor was good, but my lamb was tough and poorly cooked. It seemed as though it was added to the Vindaloo shortly before serving, rather than cooked with it. The meat was hard to cut, even with a knife, AND I SHOULDN'T NEED TO USE MY KNIFE TO EAT CURRY. ...I'm just saying, if you can't cut it with you're fork, someone screwed up.
3.) The menu itself: The curries on the menu are as basic as you can get. There are only staples to choose from. Worse, they're very middle-of-the road staples... it almost seems like they used http://allrecipes.com to find the most average, uninspired recipe possible (you can actually do that: just search for something 3-4 stars and sift through the most popular results). The food is boring. Hopelessly boring.
4.) Cost. Raw Silk is wildly expensive at dinner time. My check for 2 curries, naan, and some hot sauce (which btw was so dull as to keep even me, Mr. hot sauce addict himself, from bothering to eat it) ran up to $44 before tip. That's INSANE, considering that the local competition in this price range is so much better that a direct comparison would be like comparing 5 Guys to Ray's Hellburger. Raw Silk can barely compete with low end Indian takeout carts, but they're hawking their meals as if they're Indique.
5.) Atmosphere and staff: As much as I hate to complain about a whole staff, I've consistently had poor service every time I come here. The servers are friendly and probably trying, but drinks are slow, timing is wrong, people disappear when you need them, and items are forgotten. The atmosphere is certainly better than the hospital-like feel that existed when the restaurant opened, but the chairs are uncomfortable, the space is plain, and the "lounge" is utterly unusable... it's not dark, sexy, quaint, conducive to conversations, flirtations, or -anything- that I could imagine using a lounge for.
Raw Silk's a private business and I really dislike hating on something that someone has likely put a lot of work into. I have to watch out for the masses though. If this was a person's only impression of curry, they might come away thinking that they don't like Indian food. That would be really sad. Indian curries are wonderful things that everyone should enjoy. Worse, people are wasting there money here! Nothing about Raw Silk justifies the cost of a meal here. It's my civic duty as a curry lover to warn people that this stuff will offend both wallet and stomach. Pick any other Indian restaurant, any one at all... they're all better. I'm done here. I don't care that it's right outside my office. I'm not coming back. This place is beyond hope.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/14/2009
My 1st trip to raw silk was pretty good. The staff was friendly, the food was decent, and the meal… Read more »
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Review from Jory J.
San Diego, CA
2/17/2009
Come for the curry sauce, leave for the chewy chicken meat.
I got a lunch chicken curry to go.
Chicken meat- chewy. REAL chewy. No bueno.
Sauce said chewy meat was in- good.
Naan- normal.
Salad- no dressing. Huh? Boring and pointless. Shredded iceberg begging to be thrown out.
I asked the girl working there if they could throw in some veggies in the curry. Response: No.
Mediocre. I wouldn't go back. -
Review from Robert S.
Washington, DC
7/23/2010
Yipes.
My roommate took me out to dinner one evening. We wound up on King Street, and wandered our little indecisive selves around a bit while we figured out what we wanted to eat to add liposuction to our to-do list.
Of course, I just had to have Indian, as always. We just happened to ran into Raw Silk. I looked over the menu outside, and decided it seemed like an okay place. It seemed decent enough from the outside, and it was busy.
I love chana masala, but Raw Silk managed me to make me second guess that.
Additionally, the service was spotty. On top of that, we basically had to hunt down our server to bring us more drinks and the naan we ordered. Also, we had two different servers. It just seemed like a bunch of chaos and standing around at the same time. -
Review from Matthew T.
Bradenton, FL
9/20/2009
I was in DC/Alexandria this last week for a meeting and I walked down King street from my hotel. There were more restaurants than you could shake a stick at. So many Tapas places that you couldn't throw a rock without hitting one. But I only saw one Indian place. I wiped out my iphone and check on yelp and I hesitated. A large bunch of mixed reviews for this place. But it seemed like there was a lot of 3 star places on King street and I was really hungry for most of the other things I saw here.
So I rolled the dice and gave Raw Silk a try.
Most of the other reviews here complained about the service. I can report that I actually had good service while I was there, so maybe they fixed that. But there are other problems.
I had an order of samosas. I prefer the kind with a thin crispy skin, these had a thick almost egg roll like skin. They were a good size but the ratio of pea to potato was off, so they were almost all potato, which is fine, just not like what I perfer.
I had the Rogan Joss which was pretty good. Nice and spicey, the lamb was tender and flavorful, so points for that. And They took me at my word when I said I wanted it spicy. But the rice had peas in it, which might have been good if they were fresh. They weren't and had that strange freezer taste, which then underlined everything they touched. I did get some Nan, which was fairly chewy, again, not what many prefer, but not bad but not great either.
The other major problem was their price structure, it feels like they want to nickel and dime you, An extra $2 for a chutney! Which seems crazy when you consider the amount of chutney a typical non-south asian might want, just enough to taste or spice something up, but I seriously doubt $2 worth. Simialr activity on rice, nan and other typical sides. What they should do is adjust their prices a bit to cover a simple serving of chutney or a single piece of nan and only if you want extra do they charge. They need to watch some of the Hell's kitchens for pricing strategies.
I would have given them 3 stars, but the frozen peas where just two much and I can only give them 2. Some potential, but they need to figure things out fast. -
Review from Kevin L.
Washington, DC
6/11/2009
My wife and I stopped off at Raw Silk on a whim after shopping in Old Town. We ordered the chicken tandori and enjoyed it, but it definately wasn't the best we've had. Although, the dipping sauces where especially good.
But, the service was probably the worst I've ever experienced - except for a waiter at Austin Grill who stole our credit card. We waited forever for our food to arrive, but that's the least of the problems. After sitting with no water for fifteen minutes, I finally got the waiters attention and asked for water. Ten minutes later - still without water - I tried again. This time the waiter came and filled my cup with water, but never filled my wife's - which was near empty. Then came the wait for the check. I'm writing this review on my iPhone as we wait, it's going on fifteen minutes. I just got up and asked for the check and the server acted like we were bothering her. Still no check. We've asked twice now.
I would definately avoid this place. There are plenty of other options for good Indian food. -
Review from Rob A.
Alexandria, VA
1/27/2009
I've written restaurant reviews for actual magazines and newspapers... even have a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.
But now that I've found http://Yelp.com, I think it's time to put my j-school hat back on.
This place is "ok." I ate there last night and the main thing they really need to focus on is service.
The servers need to ask "Have you ever been here before and would you like assistance with the menu?" or something to that effect.
The hostess wore tennis shoes and jeans and stared at me throughout the meal. I don't know why, but it freaked me out a bit.
I'll give the food quality a thumbs up.
The hanging beads in front of the one-at-a-time bathrooms get a thumbs down.
And the hostess, though petit and sweet, pushed me over the edge by staring at me.
I'll go back, for sure, but it'll be for lunch to see how they do :-) -
Review from Stuart S.
Durham, NC
11/12/2009
Mediocre Indian food is bad enough, but the prices here border on insulting considering the unimpressive food. I think we were drawn in because the restaurant looks nice from the outside and, while they are steep considering the poor quality of the food, the prices are on the lower end of the range for King Street.
Raw Silk is just lacking. The menu is unimaginative. There are no standouts, but you will find most of the usual suspects on their menu, which is to say, it's small and standard. Portions are small, and the food isn't done well, at all. I have done better cooking from Suvir Saran's excellent Indian cookbook. Calling the flavors mild would be, well, treating them mildly.
Service skews towards poor, and the restaurant is small. I won't be returning. -
Review from Garry C.
Silver Spring, MD
2/24/2009
Wow. A vast improvement from the previous and slightly icky Taj Palace that used to be in this location. The interior is now far more elegant and they have put in a cute little lounge in the back.
We went for lunch on a Saturday with my parents who had been raving about the change. Luckily they were offering lunch specials even though it was the weekend. The specials came with a good sized entree, rice, some delicious lentil side dish, a salad, and naan. For $8.95, it was a great deal. I got the chicken curry and found the chicken to be very tender. My boyf got chicken tikki masala which was good too but kinda short on chicken.
My only real complaints are that the waitstaff seemed kinda clueless and they did not have any lamb. No lamb in an Indian restaurant? It was weird and disappointing. -
Review from Jenny H.
Alexandria, VA
2/17/2010
Husband and I stopped by here at 5:30 on Valentine's Day for an impromptu dinner after a day out and about in the city, and we were really disappointed by our experience.
When we walked in there was one table seated. That's it; one. And yet the host gave us a snotty look and tone when we told him we did not have reservations. It was REALLY funny; I was expecting to be asked since they need to clear their reservations as diners arrive, and I know that, but the attitude was just hysterical given how empty it was. Service in general was pretty poor; we didn't get any water refills during our meal, which kind of sucks at an Indian place. Fortunately the food didn't actually taste like Indian food, so the water wasn't needed as much as it usually would be.
I had chicken tikka masala; the meat was ok but it tasted like spaghetti sauce. All meal long my taste buds were freaking out, totally confused about the ethnicity of this supposed "masala". Seriously, I've had it in dozens of places and it has never tasted like this. The serving of rice was way too small, especially considering the inferior meat. Usually when the meat is gross in a curry or similar dish I just enjoy the sauce over rice. Not possible here because the rice serving size is ridiculously tiny. The naan is also just one piece - too expensive for the amount you get. "Too expensive for the amount you get" pretty much sums up everything on the menu here. My husband ordered what he dubbed "the least spicy curry he had ever eaten", which makes it all the more surprising that he was in the bathroom for at least an hour when we got home. HOW ROMANTIC!
All in all, I'm glad we tried this place because we pass it all the time and were wondering if it would be our go to place while in King Street. The answer: definitely no. -
Review from Jeff P.
Alexandria, VA
Updated - 1/9/2011
This place is now closed.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/13/2009
I stopped by Raw Silk for lunch. I haven't experienced a similar buffet option at an Indian… Read more »
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Review from Marivic L.
Alexandria, VA
9/29/2009
I wanted Indian for lunch today. Since I work close to Old Town, I went to Raw Silk.
The host was very nice and tended to me right away. He brought me way back to the bar area to place my take out order and offered me water while I waited. I thought, great, this is a good start.
What I ordered:
Veggie Jalfrezi which was supposed to have broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes.
What I got (too bad I opened it at my desk):
2 pieces of broccoli, 1 little piece of cauliflower, and LOTS of green peppers and onions
I was so confused that I looked into the bag to see if my jalfrezi was in another container. The only upside to the dish was that the sauce was good.
The lunch specials all come with rice and daal. The rice was fine and the daal was not the best. I didn't eat more than a spoon of it. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't eat a spoonful of ANYTHING. I used it to dunk my bread.
Speaking of which, I got the roti and naan. Yes, I wanted to try both. The host had to ask me if I meant to have BOTH. Uh huh. Both were just OK. I think a 2.5 on a scale o' 5, but it was bread - and I like bread.
So, there you go. Again, YELPers have proven themselves to be WAY more accurate than Urban Spooners who gave this place a 93% positive rating. Puh-lease.
Old Town Alexandria - One bad Indian place replaced with another. Sigh. -
Review from JJ M.
Alexandria, VA
7/28/2010
All around bad experience.
Went for a birthday dinner, most of our party was Muslim so they didn't order alcohol, which pissed the server off immediately. They kept trying to push alcohol during the initial order, then the server was no where to be found.
The food was dry and flavorless.
The only good thing about the place is the atmosphere, we had a great time just talking. -
Review from Steve A.
Alexandria, VA
11/29/2010
Not sure why so many people are giving Raw silk such a raw review. The restaurant is elegantly decorated. The staff is helpful. The food is well presented and looks great. It tastes even better. So why so many bad reviews?
I like spicy food, and Raw Silk always makes it just the way I like it, but they tell me they can make their food not spicy. -
Review from Venu N.
1/14/2009
The Raw Silk Indian Restaurant and Lounge is a step up from the former Indian restaurant that once stood in the same building. The restaurant has a rather extensive menu; we sampled the Lamb Korma and Lamb Vindaloo lunches. I thought the korma was a bit heavy on the coconut creating an overly chunky texture that could be avoided by using a fine grater (or possibly even coconut milk). The lamb vindaloo was excellently spicy with a surprising hint of sugar creating an excellent concoction. Both dishes used tender lumps of lamb that were not necessarily aeshetically pleasing but were still palatable. The presentation of the food was in humble white bowls and each lunch entree came with naan (a fluffy white Indian bread) and a spicy tomato lentil soup. I ordered some aloo paratha (a thin South Indian bread stuffed with potato) to accompany the meal, and I thought it was decent. The atmosphere could use some work, but I refrain from including that into my star rating for the review given that they are still in the soft opening stage. They have a lounge in the back, but it is odd because you have to go through a long hall of quiet diners in a mostly white walled building to get there. One has to wonder whether the dichotomy between the eating and drinking crowd could co-exist here. I guess we'll find out with time. The service here is excellent and our hosts were extraordinarily friendly. They even gave my co-worker a set of bindis (the forehead decoration that Indian women occasionally wear) so if you've ever wanted some of those, I would suggest coming to this restaurant soon. Overall, I think that this restaurant could survive in Old Town, but it is doubtful that it will supplant Bombay Curry Company as the best Indian restaurant in Alexandria.
(Side note: the mattar paneer is tasty as well. I ordered that the last time I came here, but with all dishes I've ordered, my stomach has felt uncomfortable after the meal. It hasn't happened with any of my friends, but I've clearly had some kind of uncomfortable reaction to the food. Thus, my rating might be slightly lower as a result)Listed in: Old Town Lunch Scene
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Review from Rae N.
Alexandria, VA
1/24/2009
We ended up at Raw Silk by accident. We were going to try the Light Horse Tavern next door but they were not open for lunch. I noticed that the old Indian restaurant had been remodeled and under new management. The owner noticed us looking at the menu and beckoned us inside. The interior was nice and bright unlike the very dark finishes of their predecessor.
Even though it was a Saturday, they offered their lunch special (which on the menu said only M-F). In any case, Most of the dishes were only $8.95 and a couple were $10.95. For that price we got a huge portion of food including the entree, Daal (a nice somewhat spicy lentil & bean stew), naan (wonderful, fragrant flat bread) and a huge mound of basmati rice.
Not being a Indian food aficionado, I won't comment on the authenticity of the food but I thought it tasted great and a big improvement over the quality of the prior restaurant. In fact the three of us agreed that it was on par with our current favorite Indian restaurant; the Bombay Curry Co. in Del Rey. The regular dinner menu prices are more in the $$$ category but for the money, their lunch specials are hard to beat! -
Review from Chris P.
Oakland, CA
7/16/2010
I love Indian cuisine so much that I eat it all the time. It's comfort food. It always hits the spot. It's a go-to food. Well, today I had lunch at Raw Silk and for the first time ever didn't finish the majority of what I ordered. I'll start with the food, move to the decor, and then talk about the service.
Food: The basmati rice was old rice from at least a day ago that they clearly warmed up for today's lunch. It was inedible to say the least. The pakoras appeared to have been cooked/reheated/whatever more than five times. They were flavorless, old, and repulsive. The samosas were flavorless. The onion bhaji was moist and mushy. I made it through one, but couldn't finish the others. Thank goodness we played it safe by ordering chicken tikka masala. It was acceptable and turned out to be the only thing that we ordered that we could eat, in addition to the mediocre naan bread.
Decor: The decor here is simple and nice. It's not too crowded or too kitschy.
Service: Our server was very nice, attentive, and competent. It's too bad he doesn't work at a better restaurant.
Overall Thought: I would eat at McDonald's before eating here again, and that's saying a lot. I don't mean to be ugly about it, but this place serves old, awful fare that they attempt to pass off as Indian. This is not Indian food. -
Review from Nicole E.
6/18/2009
We stopped in here because we hadn't had Indian in a while and while the food was pretty good, it wasn't anything to write home about. We went in for a lunch and the restaurant was empty except for us and we still had trouble getting service. For the price I probably could have gotten a much better experience back home.
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Review from Erica O.
Arlington, VA
9/19/2009
Full disclosure: I did not order dinner here when I went with my friends, but I am certainly glad that I didn't.
When I showed up (and I was a few minutes late meeting my group) they had some menus, but not enough for the whole table. 10 to 15 minutes passed before anyone came to get our drink order. Another 10 to 15 minutes passed before anyone got water, but the waitress didn't bring water for everyone and I was one of the unlucky ones that was forgotten. I waited nearly 40 minutes for a glass of water and, when it finally came, it was warm and (for some unknown reason) in a much smaller glass than everyone else's at the table. If this is their way of showing that they were displeased that I wasn't ordering dinner, then they are doing it right. Oh, wait... we hadn't ordered yet! It was another 15 minutes before she took our orders. We then waited far too long for our naan bread appetizers and finally had to flag her down to ask about it. It seemed as if the actual dinner food came out in normal time after the naan, but seeing as how we waited so long for the appetizers, it can hardly be called speedy. The one bright spot of the night was that the food seemed to be good, but after waiting so long for it all, I'm not sure that is fair to say. It seemed like my friends were ready to eat one another instead because they were so hungry. On an even more bizarre note, a couple of them said that they'd been here before and everything was fine. I'd like to see that, because all I saw was one botched job after another. Mercifully, we asked for the checks while eating and managed to get out finally, but I'm pretty sure that the meal as a whole was over two hours long. -
Review from Dave S.
4/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
There's so much great Indian food available in the DC area, it's a bummer to stumble into a place that has a really nice staff but serves food that's only ok. Old Town Alexandria is an expensive area for restaurant owners so I expect the food to be a little expensive unless their marketing is awesome and they turn over people quickly. This doesn't seem to be one of those place. The buffet selection was so small I'd hesitate to call it a buffet. It needs another name...like a serve-yourself area for two entries. The naan they brought to the table was hot and tasty though...they get a nod for that.
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Review from Bryna S.
Alexandria, VA
9/2/2009
I keep looking for a really exceptional Indian restaurant in Alexandria, and I was hoping this place would be it. I could not have been more wrong. Sure, the decor is relatively pretty, we were seated quickly, and they took our drink orders right away. But that was where the positive experience ended for me and my three friends.
Forty-five minutes after our drinks had been delivered, still no one had come to even take our food order. When we finally flagged down our waiter and he took our order, the food itself took easily another 45 minutes to arrive. And when it did, they got one of the four dishes wrong, bringing us two of one thing and omitting the fourth. They corrected that error fairly quickly, which was good, but it made me wonder why it had taken so long for our food to come in the first place.
Now for the actual food. Nothing was burnt, and nothing was raw (though the naan was a little underdone), but everything was too sweet (I mean, really really sweet, like they added a quarter cup or more of sugar to each dish), and not nearly spicy enough. Yes, it's true that I married into an Indian family and so perhaps I have a higher spice tolerance than most. But even my friend, who has the lowest spice tolerance of anyone I know, said the food tasted bland.
I know better than to expect most Indian food served in the US to taste as good as the real thing in India. However, I would at least hope to get it in less than an hour and a half, and that it wouldn't taste like they accidentally put chicken in the dessert course. -
Review from AB S.
Arlington, VA
11/9/2009
I've been three times, and was pleased with the food twice. Be prepared for a leisurely meal, by American standards. Servers are a little awkward, but friendly.
The Chicken Tikka Masala was great two times, but skimpy on the chicken and almost unpalatable the third time. The Vegetable Jalfarezi was very good. During the third visit, when things didn't go very well, neither the Chicken Tikka Masala nor the Chicken Biryani were good. But I want to believe that this was just an off night. They had some big wine tasting going on, so it was like the rest of the patrons (such as myself) were afterthoughts. The table next to me was also displeased with their food. Like I said, maybe just an off night for them. I plan to go at least two more times, and will revise my review based on five experiences instead of three.
FWIW, an Indian friend recommends Ragaa on Route 7 in Falls Church, which I have yet to try. -
Review from Maria Z.
Washington, DC
3/29/2010
Listen Up Yelpers!
Don't Ever come to this place!!!
By far the worst place for food,service and the safety of guests!!
I came there on a Friday nite but the establishment was not that busy.We ordered tandoori specialties,and as we kept a vivid conversation didn't at fist notice that it's been over an hour...then another 30 min...I finally asked the waiter "Where's our food?" while other guests who arrived later already had gotten theirs. He kept "feeding" us with 5 more minutes blah-blah...
Also, the restaurant violates the safety of patrons,as we witnessed some clumsy waiter flip a tray full of food on customers,shattering their water glasses in thousand pieces and spilling greasy hot sauce all over someone's shirt!!!
When our food finally arrived,IT WAS COLD! Now, how is that believable when authentic tandori is supposed to arrive sizzling hot???Everything was sent back as we refused to pay for it, thankfully they didn't argue. -
Review from Joe H.
Kensington, MD
Updated - 4/2/2010
An update: went for lunch with friends this week and tried the buffet. Maybe they're under new management again, or just feeling the effects of the economy, but service was almost nonexistent; it looked like there was a guy doubling as maitre'd and busboy, and one guy in the kitchen. The tablecloths I recalled from previous visits were gone, and they were using very cheap stamped silverware. The buffet ran out of dinner plates and dessert bowls so for our second helpings and dessert we had to use salad plates.
On a positive note, the food itself was excellent.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/22/2009
Just got back from lunch there, thought I'd add my voice. My lunch buddy and I tried the… Read more »
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Review from Michael B.
Washington, DC
2/22/2010
Fairly blan, interesting staff. Not recommended.
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Review from Hannah H.
Arlington, VA
7/13/2009
Went here a few nights ago with the manfriend. He got some spicy lamb specialty dish, and I got the lamb saag. We both thought our food was delicious! My lamb saag was sweet yet savory, and his had just the right amount of kick. I thought the service wad great - our waiter was very helpful and friendly. Portions could be larger for the price, but overall I'd say it was damn good!
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Review from Maurina R.
Alexandria, VA
Updated - 4/19/2009
Update-the food is still very good, but they've added a "buffet". This is not the "get in line, grab a plate, pile on food" type of buffet. The buffet is made up of samples of items off the menu, and they bring it to you. There is a vegetarian option, and a non-vegetarian option. Refills are free-that is, if you can eat anymore. Appetizer, a sampling of entrees, with naan and rice, and rice pudding (wonderful, with cardamon and cinnamon). For the weekend, its $14, during the week, the non-veg option is $11, the veg option is $10. For the amount of food, and the quality, this is a steal of a meal.
Listed in: EAT HERE
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2009
We had walked by this restaurant last weekend, after eating elsewhere. The owner invited us in,… Read more »
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Review from Team F.
Alexandria, VA
1/19/2010
Food poisoning all around! A party of 6 went last night and, of those, 5 were violently ill the next day.
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Review from Ruth D.
Belmont Hills, PA
4/5/2010
I loved the food here but this restaurant just royally screwed me over. The business hours on the door say that they are open until 10:30 pm. When I arrived it was only about 9:15. People were dining inside but the door was locked. One of the servers came to the door and explained they were closed. I was unable to discern the reason. Either the chef walked out or it was that they were under new management. Whatever the reason was, I could not come in to eat. The server said I could come in to have a mango lassi. Why she thought a mango lassi would serve as any kind of consolation when I was looking for dinner is beyond my comprehension. I passed up other restaurants in favor of this one and it turned out I made the wrong decision in choosing this one. How can I ever trust them again? I do not know. I am inclined to boycott.
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Review from Ashley L.
Long Island City, NY
7/13/2009
This place is AWFUL. I love Indian food and went here after craving some good Chicken Tikka Masala for a long time and was horribly disappointed! I ended up paying nearly $20 for the Tikka and a side of na'an (which was just 1 piece that I nearly broke a tooth biting into because it was so tough). The sauce tasted odd which was fine, just different, but the chicken was awful! It literally looked and tasted like they threw chicken nuggets into the sauce! This place is just disappointment.
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Review from David B.
Alexandria, VA
2/22/2010
Didn't enjoy the place... As has been said, it is better than the prior restaraunt, but still pretty bad.
I had an awkward waitress who kept patting my back...
I had the vindaloo, but it was bland! supposed to be so spicy it makes you cry, but not here.
I am not one to not eat what I am given, especially when I am paying for someone else to make it for me, but one bite of the Daal (lentils) was enough... they were bland and tasted bad... really... just... bad
We had a coupon when we went, but apparently they only accept coupons at dinner. which it didn't say on the coupon...
not impressed. if i want Indian, I will go out of old town. go to the kabab and curry 5 miles down rt. 1. -
Review from Mike T.
Springfield, VA
7/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
For me, the meal begins when I enter the restaurant. If I'm given a warm greeting, I'll probably have a much better attitude during meal. That said, I didn't get that warm fuzzy when I came through the doors of this Indian eatery in Old Town. The hello was business-like, matter-of-fact but eventually warmed. As for the food. It was basically good. The curries seemed a bit pasty to me but my guests enjoyed the dishes. The portions are large, enough to take home and create your own dinner the next night (as I did) by adding some sauteed onions, spinich and chicken. I did have a problem with the placement of the busing station--in sight and near an occupied table. I definitely would have asked to be relocated but I'm probably more persnickety than most. Bottom line: It's a nice place to visit but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, not with the dazzling array of other restaurants available in the region. They need to kick up the attitude, atmosphere and friendliness factors a bit to get my business regularly.
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Review from Catherine N.
Bryn Mawr, PA
5/30/2010
DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE!!!!!!
Unless you want to spend the next night laying in the bathroom with cold sweats, do not go to this place.
My friends and I went to Raw Silk for a late lunch on a saturday. When we arrived, the door was locked, as if the restaurant was closed, and a bunch of people were also standing there waiting for the restaurant to open. Eventually, someone came out to open the door, and we were sitted as the 2nd table in the restaurant.
Our waiter was very cold, and unfriendly, and took forever to serve us. The waitress that served the other table seemed more friendly, but it felt like both did not get along as she kept coming to check on our table to refill our glasses, and kept scoffing at the mistakes our waiter made, e.g. gave us entrees plates instead of appetizers plates, etc.
We ordered a Vegetable Pakora, which are vegetable fritters. They came out cold, and rather okay. I ordered a lamb vandalooo, which came out really really hot (spicy hot). When I usually go to Indian restaurants, the waiter asks what level of spiciness you would like, and I was not asked at all, and it came out way too hot, as if to hide the lack of tastiness. My sister ordered a chicken curry which came out very sweet and cold, as if it had been sitting there for too long. The chicken didn't even look like chunks of chicken, and the sauce didn't even taste like curry, it lacked that special curry taste. One of our friends asked the waiter what dish was the Butter Chicken, and he recommended the Murgh Makhani, which came out with barely any chicken. The sauce was too sweet and it tasted like tomato paste. Our last friend ordered the Shrimp Biryani. It came out on a huge plate, looking very unappetizing, not-gourmet-like, and tasteless. The shrimps were tiny, and looked like they came from the frozen aisle, and she kept having to salt the shrimps to add some taste to the dish.
We came home, and all had food poisoning during the night.
Overall, it was a disappointing and awful experience. And it was way too overpriced. Not only were we disappointed by the lack of flavor and spices, but we got SICK from this place....DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE. -
Review from Ben W.
Sandia Park, NM
3/7/2010
We love Indian food and know the good stuff when we have it. This is not it. Got food for pick-up. The garlic Naan was a sad joke. Dry and tasteless. The Samosas were enormous pillows filled with passably good filling. Tandoori Chicken Tika was confusingly spiced and way too 'tomato-ey'. They advised that the food would be ready in 30-45 minutes. When I got it home, it was mostly cold. It had been ready in more like 15 minutes. The freakin problem is that we will probably go back as there is not a passable Indian restaurant in Old Town. How crazy is that?
