"The rest of the world might have a different reference point: Bollywood's 2007 cult classic "Jab We Met." That Kumar Manan and Sandeep Kapoor chose to name their Capitol Hill Indian restaurant after the movie is no accident. It's part in-joke and part mission statement: Let's bring Americans a new flavor of something they think they know - namely, classic Indian fare."
"Washington, D.C., is "a cultural headquarters, a world headquarters," says Kapoor, the restaurant's manager. "Why just have butter chicken?" Instead, maybe try the palak chat, its spinach leaves dusted in chickpea flour and lightly fried and topped with mango, yogurt, tamarind and mint. Or the thick goat cheese dumpling swimming in a rich, creamy, delicately spiced sauce. These revelations won't make you miss butter chicken, though it exists on the menu under the original, Hindi name: chicken makhani."
Jab We Met is a Capitol Hill Indian restaurant named after a Bollywood film that aims to introduce Americans to lesser-known Indian dishes beyond butter chicken. The manager emphasizes Washington, D.C.'s global cultural role and urges a broader menu. Signature items include palak chat—spinach leaves dusted in chickpea flour, lightly fried and topped with mango, yogurt, tamarind and mint—and a goat cheese dumpling in a rich, creamy, delicately spiced sauce. Butter chicken appears under its Hindi name, chicken makhani. The restaurant sits on Barracks Row amid fierce competition. On a busy Saturday, the dining room appeared cool, cozy and quiet, with posters of dishes and empty tables.
Read at The Washington Post
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