Taj Mahal Restaurant

Dupont Circle once was the darling neighborhood of DC.  Businesses crammed themselves into every available space, and the various streets leading into the circle- Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, P, and 19th, are filled to the gills with an array of restaurants adorned with neon signs and shielded by faded awnings.  Jen and I stopped into Taj Mahal, which had it not been our destination for the evening, would have never been something I’d even consider visiting.  The restaurant does little to garner the attention of passing pedestrians such as myself, but the problem arises from the fact that the restaurant’s public facing signs are only visible if one is constantly looking up while walking down the street.

We climbed the flight of stairs to the second floor, where the restaurant sits with a view to Connecticut Avenue below.  We were quickly and politely seated, and left to peruse our menus.

Our first appetizer, a set of Pakoras, is an assortment of vegetables coated in chickpea batter and fried to perfection, then served with a pair of chutneys and ready to go.  These things were awesome!  Not too heavy nor greasy, and the flavors of the vegetables were heightened rather than dulled by the chickpea batter.  A highly recommended dish to start your meal.

We also split an order of the assorted bread basket, a triple stack of naans, baked with onions, garlic, and assorted herbs.  In retrospect, Jen and I should have waited to eat this with our entrees, but we were so ravenous that we took down more than half the bread before those dishes even arrived.  We asked for a yogurt dipping sauce to go with the bread, which was a fantastic accompaniment.  I have to point out that the yogurt sauce here is thick, rich, and fresh, and completely unique in comparison to the yogurt sauces I’ve had in many other Indian restaurants.

Jen’s entree and perennial Indian cuisine favorite, the Chana Masala, looked and tasted great.  The dish seemed to come swimming in a more curry based sauce rather than a tomato based sauce like most restaurants prepare it, but it didn’t negatively impact her enjoyment of it.  Not particularly a lively dish, but nothing bad about this one, either.

I wagered on the Lamb Madras – large chunks of lamb coated in a fragrant and moderately spicy coconut curry sauce.  The waiter did his best to evaluate my tolerance for spicitivity before taking my order.

Waiter: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being not spicy at all and 10 being the most spicy, how much can you handle?

Me: About a 6 or a 7.

Waiter: (Nods approvingly) Then you will enjoy this dish.

I should have removed a matchbook from my pocket and extinguished a lit match on my tongue, all while staring him in the eye, but mayhaps such a display of arrogance would have been a bit over the top for a simple question like this.

He was probably envisioning something more along the lines of…

My take on the Lamb Madras?  An excellent dish.  The curry was spicy but not searing, and the lamb was tender, tearing at the slightest pull of a fork.  Watch out for the peppers sitting on top though, that’s like eating a small stick of dynamite.

Considering this was a cheat meal, Jen and I had to get the puddin’. Awww yeah.

Bear in mind, this is no Kozy Shack pudding that you used to eat back in the day.  The rice pudding here is definitely spiced and mixed with almonds and raisins, but still very much a delight.  Thankfully, Jen declined to get into a spoonfight over the last bit in the cup as we plowed through this dessert, but I’ve got my eye on her to stab me in the neck with a spoon the next time I’m not looking.

The decor inside the Taj Mahal Restaurant unfortunately does not reflect the name.  Wood paneled walls and paper place settings hardly evokes an atmosphere of grandeur, and prices here are a bit on the higher end because of the proximity to Dupont Circle.  However, the dishes are well prepared and tasty, but not quite extraordinary.  The service we were treated to was possibly the best service we have had in months, and in that respect, perhaps the restaurant does in a way find a way to make it befitting of its namesake.  Dinner here is good, but it would seem that the big draw is to come in for their lunch buffet, as long as you can make it past the food coma that succeeds it.

See the Taj Mahal Restaurant on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Four Star Service
• Curry Consumptionaries
• Vegetarians
• Indian Afficianados

Not Recommended For:

• Frugalistas
• Carbophobes
• Paleoheads
• Zone Dieters
• First Dates