In the Neighborhood: Indian Food in Crystal City

There are a number of restaurants that I see all the time in my neighborhood but have not yet managed to try (sadly!).  I am making a belated New Years resolution to visit those restaurants.  I recently visited Sushi Garden, which turned out to be a delight, and I am happy to say the same is true for Kohinoor Dhaba.  This restaurant is located in what I am guessing used to be a house and is fairly remote from the other restaurants in Crystal City.  However, it is worth the trek.  They offer a buffet, which according to the sign outside is available all day (I went at lunchtime), and they have a full menu as well (and they deliver!).  I love a little variety, so I went for the buffet.  The spread was pretty extensive: Chole (chickpeas - and oh my word were they spicy); Bhindi Masala (okra - also lights a fire in your mouth); Chicken Tandoori, Chicken Tikka Masala (with a sauce I could have eaten with a spoon); goat curry (there's a way to get your adventurous eating fix - it was pretty good!); and Kadi Pakora.  I had never tried Kadi Pakora before, but I think it is now pretty high up on my list of favorite Indian dishes.  It includes vegetarian dumplings (chickpea flour and a bunch of spices, according to my research) in a yogurt sauce and was just delicious.  The buffet included standards such as rice, a green salad, and accompanying sauces.  They also had a spicy onion side (it lived up to its name!) and rice pudding, which sadly I did not try.

The restaurant is small and very casual (pretty much the way I prefer it!).  The staff is extremely nice and definitely on top of things.  The buffet is located right inside the front door, and when we walked in the server was on the phone so we just indicated we were going to have the buffet, seated ourselves, and got right down to the food.  The server disappeared for a few minutes, and then reappeared with fresh, hot naan for us - before we even asked!  I believe there is seating upstairs, though there was plenty of space on the main level while we were there.

I am thrilled to have this restaurant as a nearby option.  The food was delicious, and the environment was so friendly and relaxed that I would be happy to return again and again.  At about nine dollars per person, the buffet is comparable in price to their entrees, so if you are eating there, I say go for the variety.  I will have to try the take-out next, and I look forward to trying some dishes that were not on the buffet!