How many times have you read a critic rate a vegetarian restaurant with the words, “And I didn’t miss the meat”? Whether pros or Yelpers, we’re all guilty of the trope.
With its expansive menu of greatest hits from around India, Tulsi Pure Veg Restaurant in Herndon has surely inspired the phrase many times. But this is a story about what it has, not what it doesn’t.
With the closure of the excellent Indian restaurant Jodhpur, Thambi Gangadhar — co-owner of bakery and restaurant Country Oven — and his team identified a hole in the market — and open real estate. “People demanded a pure vegetarian fine-dining restaurant around this area,” he says.
Jodhpur’s chandeliers remain intact, as does its high standard of service. But under Gangadhar’s watchful eye, the cuisine is even better. After just over a month of service, Tulsi, named for India’s beloved holy basil plant, began expanding its hours and menu to include breakfast. Gangadhar says the changes were made by popular demand, and it’s easy to see why.
The Tulsi 5 in 1 is a must-order. It features a fluffy rice-flour idli, crisp lentil-flour vada (think of it as a savory doughnut), along with well-spiced pongal and upma, a pair of mounds of porridges that glisten with buttery ghee. There’s even breakfast-dessert in the form of a sugary ball of gulab jamun.
At lunch, the star is the multipronged flavor attack of the thali, the contents of which change each day. And at dinner? Order widely but never forget one of the fiery biryani dishes that feature bouncy cubes of paneer. Finish with beetroot halwa, an earthy tasting take on the more common carrot dessert. The milky treat is served warm in a stemmed glass with crunchy pistachios.
There is nary a shred of anything that had eyes (unless you’re counting the potatoes in the samosas or dosas), but Tulsi is not a restaurant just for vegetarians. Anyone in search of exemplary Indian food will love it.
Tulsi Pure Veg Restaurant, 1114 Herndon Pkwy., Herndon
Feature image by Mike Ramm
This story originally ran in our September issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
