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Tray of Goodness Comes
Food Blossoming in Paper
Eat at Indigo
Last Updated: June 2022
Current Status: The large patio with bar is open for sit-down service. Reduced seating inside. Take-out and delivery available.
Overview:
Indigo serves very good Indian food out of to-go containers on an out-of-the-way corner. A large wrap-around patio with picnic tables and an open-air bar hosts the neighborhood folks, the kids who came in on scooters and a few others from more distant points. It somehow made it on to Michelin’s radar, but generally its reputation spread through word of mouth, which is not surprising for its casual, family-owned nature. It made a podium finish, just behind Rasika, as a the 2021 Washington City Paper Readers’ favorite for Indian.
Vegetable dishes are particularly strong here. There are a dozen or more, with the non-vegan ones marked clearly in the online menu. The Gobhi Aaloo of cauliflower is light and bright. The chickpeas came standard with the meat dishes, which saves the trouble of ordering them separately. As Tim Carman noted in his write-up a few years back, the cooking from the cooking, done by half of the team behind Indigo – Nidhi Tandon, is less buttery or creamy than many other takes on dishes like Butter Chicken. Carman also effused that the eggplant dish, baingan bharta, was “smoky as any baba ghanouj” he’d had.
Nidhi’s husband Dinesh is responsible for the quirky decorations, which include graffiti quotes and a very-involved chalk menu board. If you live nearby, you probably already know about this place. If you happen to be in the area we suggest you give it a try.
Summary:
Cuisine: Indian
Neighborhood: NoMa
Address: 243 K St NE, Washington DC 20002
Website: http://www.indigowdc.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Carman heaped praise in 2014.
Washingtonian: Cheap Eats 2017, 2016, 2105.
Michelin: Plate