176480 Sun Dec 25 06:27:38 -0800 2005 3 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 949234 I tried Raiska over the weekend [633 D Street, NW, next door to Woolly Mammoth Theater]. It is a "modern Indian Cuisine restaurant showcasing Tawa (Griddle), Sigri (open Barbeque), Tandoori and regional dishes." It opened 3-4 weeks ago. It has a modern, upscale, Indian decor. The dress is business casual, although I saw a few younger people in jeans/very casual attire [I must be getting old]. The wine list is short but has a some good selections. The sommerilier was very friendly and helpful. Although we each ordered by the glass, he offered my girlfriend some red wine from Lanquedoc that he had open. It was very good. Not knowing what to choose, we followed some suggestions from our very friendly waiter. For appetizers we had the masala crab cake [spicy and good] and the palak chaat [a crispy spinach]. We shared and they went together very well. I'd order both again. For entrees, I had a house speciality: black cod with dill, anise, and honey. It was good but very mild. My friend has the sea bass with "curry leaves" [is there a curry plant?]. It was great. As sometimes happens, my friend and I liked each others dishes best so we switched mid-course. We had a side dish of curried vegetables that was good but nothing special. For dessert, we shared an apple jalebi, which is a slice of apple battered and deep fried. It was lighter than it sounds and served with cardamom ice cream. Very yummy. Overall, a nice, friendly, moderately-priced addition to the Penn Quarter. I'll go back and try some of the Tandoori dishes next. Sun Dec 25 06:27:38 -0800 2005 0 Dakota Guy 1 949243 My friend has the sea bass with "curry leaves" [is there a curry plant?]. The leaves from a curry leaf tree are used in Indian cooking. The first step in making a curry (if you have these leaves available), is to fry the fresh leaves in hot oil. There is also a more common plant that is known as a curry plant, because the leaves give off a typical curry aroma, but these leaves are not used in cooking and do not impart any flavor. Were the leaves left in the dish? sometimes they are removed before serving, like bay leaves in Western cooking. Sun Dec 25 18:49:11 -0800 2005 949234 0 Steve 2 949253 Thanks to both of the previous posters. I thought curry was a combination of spices, not a spice (tree, plant,...) in and of itself. Eat and learn! :-) The curry leaves were removed from the dish before serving. It was delicious! Mon Dec 26 15:59:21 -0800 2005 949243 0 Dakota Guy 1 949246 http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?spice_over.html Great site for culinary as well as botany buffs. I spend hours learning about spices. Mon Dec 26 13:20:28 -0800 2005 949234 0 stone