Indian in Fairfax on a Rainy May Evening

So it's rainy and gray out, and we are off to Curry Mantra on Main Street, Fairfax.  It is in a small strip mall and not much to look at from the outside.  However, once inside it is warm and cozy with seating for about 50, and walls of orange and gold covered with Indian Paintings.  There is a very small bar as you enter and the kitchen with long skewers of meat hanging are visible through the oval window.  The place is packed.  We start gabbing away as usual and the poor young waiter can barely get our attention.  He was very pleasant and accommodating all evening in a very nice way.  Once we place our drink orders (small selection of wine, very limited beer selection is available but no alcohol), and he tells us the specials of the evening, we are back full force catching up on Lori's beach weekend, Kari's full weekend of kids' activities, and stuff going on in Sheri's life.  Then we plan Lori's June birthday dinner, Jake's graduation, and Father's Day.  Business is now done and we can talk about the news of the day.

Time to order.  The place smells divine with curry, ginger, and garlic smells floating through the air.  Curry Mantra is a vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian restaurant with chefs from various parts of India.  Their speciality is a wide variety of curries.  Local Indian customers come for the home-made Indian cuisine.  To start we enjoy the Naan, white flour flat bread baked in a tandoor (clay oven) with Raita, a home-made creamy yogurt sauce blended with cucumber and herbs.  The Naan is lightly crispy on the outside and soft and dough inside.  It arrives warm and toasty.  We also ordered Kabili Chana Kabob which is ground up chickpeas with cloves, black pepper, garlic and ginger made into small patties lightly fried and served with a sweet and tangy chutney sauce...this is a chef creation and it was tasty.  Now on to the main course...Butter Chicken skewed in a tandoor and then sauteed in a special creamy red buttery sauce with special herbs and spices.  The chicken was so tender and the sauce divine.  We also shared Lamb Mantra, a piece of lamb cooked in a dark brown curry sauce with a touch of chef mantra  (we think this is some special prayer, blessing or song over the food).  It too was very tender and flavorful.  The entrees were served in unique Indian mini brass bowls on top of a tiny flame.  A bowl of long grain basmati rice with a smattering of peas on top accompanied the main meals.  We enjoyed every bite on our large colorful square plates, and did our best to finish it all off, but Kari went home with the "goody" bag this evening of delicious left overs to share with her family.
Everyone was so friendly, welcoming and such good hosts.  We will be back for more Curry Mantra.
http://www.dccurrymantra.com/