Indique DC

So many expectations! My friends and I did a thorough search of DC restaurants until deciding to go to Indique. Indique had been recommended by an Indian acquaintance that also shares a love for food. I always have high expectations when eating out, but this time, my expectations were even higher. Sadly, they were not met. All of the food was good, but none of it great. We ordered the Mussels a la Indique as our starter. Tasty, not fantastic. For my entree, I had the Chicken Chettinad. Surprisingly spicy and very presentable, but jaw-dropping? No. My friends had the Baingan Bhartha, Alu Chole, and Chicken Appam. Everything had great flavor and we all ate too much, but there was nothing that was incredibly delicious. Three of the four of us said we had had better Indian before. I give credit to Indique though, because for once, their entrees were not the same ol' Tikka Masala, Saag, Korma, and Kadai that you can find anywhere. There was a lot more variety at Indique and at times, we felt the flavor mimicked Thai with its sweetness. It was different, which I love. There's no question that I would go back to Indique, but I was hoping for so much more!

3.5/5
http://www.indique.com/Indiquemainpage.html

Kanlaya DC

I've always said that Thai in DC isn't half bad (in comparison to other Asian cuisine out here.)Kanlaya, a trendy Thai restaurant that suffers from a bad location in Chinatown, met my standards. After reading a few reviews from critics, a couple friends and I decided to try Kanlaya. I ordered the duck while one of my friends had the panang and the other had chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce. The food was good, not spectacular, but good. My dish was very flavorful, but one of my slices of duck was pure skin and fat. Major turnoff. Anyway, it was what you expected from Thai cuisine - a mix of sweet and spicy (coconut, basil, peppers,...) but done well and not as oily as some other places. The thai iced tea was okay, overly sweet as usual. Overall, not bad, but from my perspective, it doesn't deserve all its praise.

3/5
http://www.kanlayathaicuisine.com/New/index.php

Café La Ruche DC

Last Sunday, I went to Café La Ruche for brunch with a friend. Normally, I avoid French restaurants; French, being a cuisine that is usually heavy and creamy, does not sit well with me. [Except for this great French-Japanese fusion restaurant back in Campbell.] Anyway, Café La Ruche was wonderful. The small/quaint restaurant had a French feel, exemplified by the waiters that ignored you unless you pestered them. I ordered a toasted bagel sandwich with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, toamtoes, and lettuce that does not appear on the online menu. I don't even like cream cheese, but this bagel was amazing. All the flavors meshed perfectly and the capers gave the sandwich that extra something. If I could have this every weekend, I would. I declined on dessert at the table, but decided to get something to go. I had heard so much about their pastries and couldn't resist. The fruit tart I got with kiwis, raspberries, and strawberries was worth the $6. The pastry was flakey and delicious; the cream was sweet, but not too sweet; and the fruit was ripe and not sugar-glazed. I shared the tart with four others because it was just that big. The next time I can afford to gain a few extra pounds, count on me heading back to Café La Ruche.

3.5/5
http://www.cafelaruche.com/