Ed "I don't have a nickname" H.'s Profile

Wow. Simply ... wow.

As a Washington, D.C., resident, I turn to Tom Sietsema, the wonderful food critic for the Washington Post, whenever I travel. His "Postcards from Tom" series, which serves up mini-reviews on three restaurants (all at different price ranges, low to high) in a given city, always help identify where I should concentrate my search for a good meal. He's never steered me wrong.

And Rasoi is one of the best recommendations I've ever come across. I loved this place, and I was only disappointed that I couldn't bring everyone I know with me. I'm definitely coming back.

Tucked in a quiet street in Chelsea, Rasoi could easily be missed. It looks, from the outside, like any other tony flat one might pass, except for the small sign and the menu posted outside. Entrance is gained by ringing a door chime, and a friendly and courteous host greets you as if you're a guest in his home.

And that's the way the meal progresses. The interior is akin to an intimate home. I sat in the front room, which only has about four or five tables. Only two other couples were eating on this Wednesday night, so it was quiet (except for the one woman who didn't have the courtesy to put her BlackBerry on silent, so it dinged whenever she got an e-mail).

Service is absolutely top-notch -- the manager comes out to take your order personally -- and is attentive, friendly and formal without being intrusive or stuffy. I pay closer attention to service when I'm a solo diner, as I was last night (I'm in London on business), because I think how an establishment treats solo diners is a barometer on its overall attention to service. Rasoi passes with flying colours.

But the food. Oh, the food. An amuse bouche was delivered that had papadams with two kinds of chutney, a good staple, but also with a bite-sized piece of battered chicken (perhaps a tempura) that was lovely, and a small sample of mushroom soup that might be the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. It was rich and creamy -- but not heavy -- and had just the slightest hint of spice. I want more, and I want it in one of those beer helmets with the straws so I can consume it non-stop.

I did the two-course option (get a dessert and it's three courses). For my starter, I got the kebab selection, which I think was the way to go. I got to sample a lot of flavours and a variety of cooking methods: tandoori jumbo prawn, pickle flavoured quail, mustard and curry leaf infused chicken tikka, Gilafi lamb seekh kebab and Amritsar Machali (tilapia). (This option costs an additional £5)

I also ordered a selection of naan (ordered as a side), which the waiter brought with my starter. Three pieces: one that's garlic and rosemary, one that's cheese-filled and a third that's mushroom. All delicious, and I'm an avid plain-naan partisan.

For my main, I got the Parda lamb biryani (I'm also a lamb partisan), which comes in with a little flaky crust on top and is served with the most fragrant and delicious basmati rice. It was almost sweet.

When the waiter asked if I wanted dessert, I sadly had to decline. No more room in the inn! I'm not sure how I would have managed to get through the five- or seven-course gourmand menus that are offered.

I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Yes, it's pricey (and note that a 12 percent service fee is added to your bill automatically), but it's well worth the splurge. I can't wait to return.

Pretty fantastic.

My girlfriend and I ate here for our last meal of a long weekend of eating really good food. We'd been wandering around the city all morning - hit the High Line, etc. - and had eaten a light-ish lunch at Eataly earlier in the afternoon.

Trying to find something that would be good but not take too long (we had a train to catch), we decided on Indian. We were in the neighbourhood, and this place came up on Yelp.

Once again, Yelpers to the rescue. The food here was fantastic, and we were excited to be able to take home a doggy bag so we could experience it for lunch the next day. Both of us got lamb dishes (I got mine from the British curry menu on back; I can't remember where hers came from), and they were cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of spice.

The okra appetizer is delicious, too - it's like no other okra I've ever tried, and that's a good thing. I want more!

The service was good, too. The man who brought out my food accidentally broke my wine glass as he was putting down my plate; red wine got all over me. But they rushed to me with napkins and such, as well as a new glass of wine. They also brought us a complimentary rice pudding for our trouble, which was excellent - I'm not a huge fan of rice pudding, but I really liked it. (Maybe because it was free?)

Anyway, I didn't sweat the spilled wine. It all came out with a little Shout spray a couple days later. I just looked like a tool on the train, particularly when I went to the bar car to get another glass of red. "Oh, look, that alchy spilled wine all over himself!" the other passengers were no doubt saying.

I wish we had a place like Dhaba in Washington. We have two of the best Indian restaurants in the country - but they are fine dining-type places. We need more like this: simple, neighbourhood restaurants with takeout and/or delivery that deliver quality meals at reasonable prices.

I can't wait to return to Staunton Grocery. The restaurant is in a wonderful space - it's open and neatly decorated. The staff are quite friendly, too.

Went here for lunch on a Friday after walking around the lovely little downtown area and before driving Skyline Dr. in the national park. It's a great lunch deal: $15 prix fixe, so either a starter and a main or a main and a dessert.

I opted for the former, and got the salmon tartare and the seafood po' boy. The salmon was delicious - a hint of citrus and served with slices of baguette. The sandwich had a nice aioli and a mountain of fries with it.

Service was good, if a bit slow. They take their time in here, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The wine list is good, although I would have expected more from Virginia given their concentration on locally sourced ingredients. (They even have a list of the local farms where they get stuff on the back of the menu.)

I'd love to see what's for dinner. If it's as good as the lunch, it's a gem.

Great winery with some good selections. And the tastings are free!

Excellent sandwiches! I want to try them all. I can vouch for the Italian cold cut: a truly delicious sandwich. Bread was very nice, and it was warm - a great touch for a cold cut sandwich.

This is (or was), quite possibly, the coolest thing on the planet.

Great food with fast, courteous and friendly service. I went here while on a business trip and before heading over to the movie theatre in the nearby shopping centre. It was a great place for an early dinner - there was seating on the patio and the service left me plenty of time to make my show.

I had a dish of scallops and potatoes with an excellent sauce that I can't quite recall right now, but it was delightfully tangy. Their red Sangria was great, too, and the variety of chips - tortilla, dried plantain, etc. - they brought out beforehand was nice. And the salsa to dip it in was very good.

I'd love to go back and try some of their other things, as the "from the grill" section looked pretty enticing.

Good subs, pretty no-nonsense. Warning that you're going to get a lot of food, but it's way better than Subway, that's for sure.

Upon second sitting, I'm revising this. Perhaps I was just excited to get a "good" meal out. I dunno. The place is so highly scripted - it's corporate. That's what it is. It's a restaurant-by-corporation, manufactured ambiance and all.

The food is fair; there's nothing great about it. Nothing bad, either. I think it's owned by the same folks as own Ruth's Chris or some other of those chain steakhouses, and upon reflection it rather shows. So if you're into that, and you want seafood, Felix's is your place.

It's OK. There's a great outdoor patio in front, and the inside looked spacious and modern.

The pizza was not great at all. I have a rule that pizza is like sex: even if it's bad, hey, it's still pizza. The sauce was bland and so was the cheese. The pepperoni tasted good, but there might not have been enough of it. They are about 12", so there is plenty to eat. I wasn't terribly hungry, so that's all I got; sadly, that's all you get for a review.

But the service was friendly and attentive, and the patio is nice. Probably a better place to hang out for some drinks and snacks outside with friends than for a full dinner.