RASA — Restaurant in Washington

Herbert is excellent. So friendly and accommodating! He makes you feel very welcome and is concerned about customers. However, Alex I think (he is Spanish), is not so kind. I got a bowl from too good to go and told him my allergies. Herbert was accommodating. When Alex was there the first night, I made my allergies aware. I still got my allergen foods in my “surprise bag” on my birthday. He also only filled my bowl only 1/4 and acted mad I had said I had allergens or as if I was lying. I had a severe stomach ache and felt absolutely terrible until 3 am. I could not sleep from the pain but didn’t have my epipen. I went after that and Hebert was there and was worried. He said he’d talk to Alex. I went a third time and Hebert was there and asked if I was ok and if the food had made me sick or not. Then I went tonight and Alex was there not Hebert. He said since I bought my bowl using too good to go, I’d have to take the bowl with my allergens in it because that’s their rule. I said that didn’t make sense because if I ate anything in that bowl I’d have a severe reaction again. He then at first refused to serve me and said next time I can “filter through options” but I can’t get food from rasa anymore because they have dairy and nuts in some of their foods and they pick what they give me. This is because if my allergens weren’t in it, then it would be considered a “custom bowl and that’s not allowed” He wouldn’t serve me and was expecting me to leave even though I paid for a bowl. He then went to the back for 7 minutes ish to ask and he said he’d gone to ask what a typical too good to go bowl is that had allergens in it and that he’d give me things with the allergens not in it. So I basically got 90% rice and 10% veggies even though all the foods/vegetables were there still and still would get wasted if it wouldn’t be given in my bowl. The other rasa location in Vernon is extremely accommodating, friendly, and welcoming and they put allergen friendly items into my surprise bowl that taste delicious. I was going to check out the navy yard location during the day too because of how friendly Herbert was but Alex treating me bad has made me decide to never visit this location again and just made me feel unwelcome/as if I needed to be ashamed of myself for getting a bowl through too good to go because he said because the price I pay, they have to give me everything including my allergens and that I “can’t be picky”... it’s my allergens. I told him I was allergic to dairy too and he gave me the spinach that had dairy as well and peanut sauce which made me sick for hours on my...

RASA is an incredible addition to Washington, D.C. Conveniently located in Navy Yard, filled with bars and coffee shops and walking distance from the Nationals Stadium, and the Wharf along the waterfront. I met the two founders two years ago at a farmers market and then later at their parents restaurant, Indique, in the Cleveland Park neighborhood. After years of careful planning, trips back and forth to India to acquire spices and artwork, RASA launched. The first pre-opening day they offered free bowls to help support DC's central kitchen, which shows the caliber of RASA's mission, bringing authentic Indian food to everyone! The minute you walk in, you enter through a giant door handcrafted by artisans from India. This door looks like it comes from Aladdin, it is that cool! Once you enter, you look around and see paintings filled with rich colors, lights dropping down from the ceiling, and a warm smile from the RASA staff excited to meet you. You then can choose a signature designed bowl, inspired from RASA, or you can create your own masterpiece. Either way, expect a lot of flavor and variety. I personally dabbled in a custom shrimp bowl with South Indian rice noodles as a base, and topped with a medley of vegetables. I choose a mango coconut dressing and a little spice to add a creamy texture with a kick. I finished off with coconut water, and drank it straight from the coconut! I went big and ended my trip with mango lassi and an ice cream pop. From the design to the food and to the service, everything is done with quality and care. Whether you go for a quick bite or sit down around the table with a group, you are in great hands.

Your biggest...

As many other reviewers have mentioned, RASA is a delightfully designed fast casual Indian eatery in the style of Chipotle or Cava. The interior is beautiful, modern, and colorful. It was a pleasure to dine in while visiting DC.

If you get a chance, visit their website and see how and why the restaurant was created. It's a really cute story. I'm pretty confident we saw both of the owners there the day we visited, which I love. Service was friendly and polite and provided good topping recommendations. One of the workers had her youngish child there while she was working. He was cute and caused absolutely no problems and didn't impede her much even when business picked up a little bit. I really respect businesses willing to work with their employees like that.

We both had bowls with chicken tikka; my boyfriend had the full-fledged Tikka Chance on Me, whereas I just had the chicken, tomato sauce, and toasted cumin yogurt drizzle (as I'm less adventurous). I added roasted brussels sprouts to mine, and they were yummy! The chicken in both dishes was flavorful and moist. Portion sizes were generous and we were full after our meals.

We also got an order of samosas and garlic naan. The naan was fresh and pillowy. I didn't like samosas very much; they were slightly burnt and not warm enough or flavorful enough. I also had a mango lassi; it was very thick and decadent.

While I'm not sure RASA can quite compare to a sit-down Indian dining experience in terms of taste, it's fast, great for beginners/the less adventurous, and a lovely place to...