Celebration by Rupa Vira
Ashburn / Modern Indian / $$
In the main dining room, brightly colored paintings depict a carnival, replete with a Ferris wheel. At chef-owner Rupa Vira’s modern ode to the cuisines of India, every day is just such a celebration and an occasion to feast. Though there is no tasting menu, it’s a shame not to order something from nearly every category on the bill of fare.
Start with lotus stems fried to a potato-chip-like crispness and drizzled with green cilantro and deep-red beetroot chutneys as well as white yogurt. The mix of hues is worthy of Holi, the Indian Festival of Colors.
Tandoori salmon is marinated and then charred in the clay oven, but it’s a swim in spice-laden mango sauce that makes the fish flourish. Chile sauce, tomatoes, salmon roe, and a pansy all gild the lily in a most welcome manner.
Finish with the Celebration Special, a rosy-flavored, gold-dusted pudding that arrives in a cloud of dry ice. It’s a worthy end to a joyous tribute to everything that makes India beautiful. Vira brings her creativity to the flavor and color of her native country, while servers add the friendliness that will bring diners back again and again.
See this: Colorful rooms (one has a purple theme; the bar area is mostly green) match the vivid art on the walls.
Eat this: Lotus root stem chaat, tandoori salmon, Celebration Special
Service: Cordial and informed, but can be slow
When to dine here: You’re seeking Indian spice in a way you’ve never tasted it before.
Feature image by Rey Lopez
This post originally appeared in our November 2021 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
