Rousing Raw Silk Brings its Indian Curries and Gyrating Bellydancers to Old Town

Photo by Flickr/americanidle/17269531/ Belly dancers and rich Indian curries at Raw Silk...divine! I asked for chutneys to be served with our dinner and they brought a lovely selection, but reluctantly. I have never worked out why Indian restaurants don’t promote their chutneys more.

I have never worked out why Indian restaurants don’t promote their chutneys more.   
 
A big gear change last week had me dining at Raw Silk, a new Indian restaurant on King Street in Old Town, which I have mentioned here before, but not with a review of the food.  
 
Although I wouldn’t describe this as cutting-edge Indian cuisine, it has all the requisite dishes plus a few surprises done very nicely and I do recommend you try it.  
 

Photo by Flickr/avlxyz/1040262550/ Mutton Masala, Pumpkin, and Mixed Vegetable Curries.... nice and spicy!

We were off to a rousing start with the best Samosas I have ever had and a simple Paneer Pakora, a rennet-free cheese that is dipped in chickpea batter and fried.  Perfect with cocktails.  
 
Papri Chat, a sort of bread salad made with chick peas, potatoes, tomatoes and Indian spices and laced with a homemade chutney was crunchy, lemony, spicy and very refreshing.   You can get the starters in a threesome combination and that way you can try out a few different ones.
 
I asked for chutneys to be served with our dinner and they brought a lovely selection, but reluctantly.  I have never worked out why Indian restaurants don’t promote their chutneys more.   
 
They are the most intriguing and complex condiments whose ingredients and preparations vary greatly, in a nice way, from place to place.  This evening featured a Cilantro Chutney, cool, tart and refreshing and a spicy Tamarind Chutney that was sweet, slightly smoky tasting and well balanced.  A bit of refreshing cucumber, mint and cilantro Raita was offered too.
 
Curries arrived along with belly dancer, Mina, who performed her traditional gyrations intoxicatingly up and down the aisles while swathed in red silk and jingling seductively.
 

Photo by Roy Wright/Local Kicks Curries arrived along with belly dancer, Mina.

We enjoyed a brilliant Lamb Korma (we nearly came to blows over sharing this one…so fabulous was it), Chicken Tikka Masala with its haunting garam masala, and Shahi Paneer, the smooth cheese in a cream and tomato curry sauce.  All were served in charming copper pails with brass handles and with rice on the side.
 
Shrimp Biryani, however, was very disappointing.  As my favorite Indian entrée I have had this dish prepared all over the Washington Metro area, yet never in this fashion.  In a dish where the rice is traditionally cooked separately from the other ingredients, I was unprepared for what was an uninteresting and thoughtless mash of rice, cooked with tomato sauce or paste, with some vegetables thrown in and a few small un-spiced flavorless shrimp.  
 
Where were the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, saffron, black cardamom seeds and other bright, lively flavors this dish is noted for? Why was the rice stuck together, soft and mushy, instead of individual grains separated by what should have been a pre-saute with ghee and finished with a golden crackling crust of rice to top it off?  I hope they better this dish soon.
 
I always order Onion Kulcha but here, this too, was a disappointment as it lacked the smoky flame-cooked finish of the fiery clay oven and seemed merely warmed, the onions tasting nearly raw.
 
The desserts are typical teeth-shattering Indian sweets.  The Gulab Jamun is a shock to the system.
Diabetics stay away.  This is an ambulance call.  
 
Mango Kulfi, I was assured is made from fresh mangoes.  Nonetheless it did not in any way taste as though it had met a fresh fruit and came off like a bad Creamsicle.  The Rice Pudding, “kheer” as you may know it, was tasty enough, but with a soupy consistency, a new style of preparation for me, and I sorely missed the creamy version with a rosewater infusion and chopped pistachio nut topping I am more familiar with.
 

Photo by Roy Wright/Local Kicks Mina performed her traditional gyrations intoxicatingly up and down the aisles while swathed in red silk and jingling seductively.

There is, however, much else to commend in this exotic setting with its entertainment, cozy lounge area, late night service and pretty décor.  If a few small changes could be made and a bit more confidence and creativity come out of the kitchen, this restaurant would be better rounded.
 
But in its first few months of operation it is still a welcome addition to the King Street scene.
 
For question and comments contact Jordan@whiskandquill.com.