Mount Vernon is known for its music facilities, culture and ethnic food, among other things. Kumari seems to be one among many in the crowd, but its quality of food and service make it stand out, even though its relatively plain exterior could use a new paint job. It sits two blocks north of Washington Circle, a short walk from the JHMI shuttle's stop at Peabody Conservatory.
The restaurant is distinct from other Indian restaurants in the immediate area in that it serves food from both India and Nepal. Stepping into the building out of the waning heat of the sun, my friend and I are greeted with a dimly-lit interior after a short flight of steps. The restaurant is divided into three sections extending into the back of the building. The kitchen area is below the restaurant, and all dishes rise from the stairs in the center of the restaurant.
After we are seated, we are presented with the menu and poured glasses of ice water. The setting can be either formal or casual: It is really the diner's choice. There are folded cloth napkins and a paper placemat, with a small plate to the side, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a restaurant for a fancy date simply because it has nice table settings.
Kumari's items appear rather pricey at first glance, but one must remember that the restaurant strives for quality and uniqueness. The entrée items range from $10 to $15 or more and are quite varied. There are extensive chicken, lamb and vegetarian sections, as well as salads and appetizers for those who are interested. The menu also contains various specialty sections with a variety of choices.
On the back is a drink menu, including various wines. My friend and I each ordered a lassi, which is an Indian yogurt drink. Mine was strawberry flavored, while his was mango. We also got an order of garlic naan ($3) to share. At an Indian restaurant, it is important to sample staple foods like naan. I ordered an eggplant dish called Baigar Bhartha ($11), while my friend ordered lamb jalfreezi ($14).
A complementary starter dish was brought out. Our waitress told us it was called "poppidum," but I am fairly certain that is not how it is spelled. They looked like giant chips of some sort. They tasted like potato, and were light, thin and crispy. It came with three dipping sauces: a pickled red pepper, a thin red paste that neither of us could really pinpoint and a mint-flavored dip that had a spicy aftertaste. All in all, it was a very unique starter, with a variety of pure flavors.
Soon, the garlic naan arrived. It had a very nice color to it and was topped with chopped cilantro and garlic. Though the garlic was visible, the taste of garlic may not be as strong as some may hope after seeing the garlic on top. The bread was crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. On the whole, it was a tasty appetizer. I saved a piece to eat with the entrées.
The entrées came together, with a bowl of Jasmine rice. All three came with large serving spoons for easy sharing, and we each received large plates of our own. Surprisingly, none of our curries were spicy or salty. Instead, they were borderline sweet, which was unexpected. However, the flavors were excellent.
The eggplant dish did not have any pieces of eggplant in it. Rather, the eggplant was "mashed" into the curry, essentially forming its base. The dish also contained tomatoes, peas, onions, ginger strips, scallions and cilantro. The dish felt like a comfort food: It was very easy to eat, and it came together with the rice very nicely.
The lamb jalfreezi contained large chunks of lamb, with tomato pieces and strips of cooked bell pepper. The sauce was tomato based and reminiscent of a fancy pasta sauce, but it tasted milder since it had much less salt.
The lamb was cooked to a nice consistency, though my friend found it to be a bit dry. I actually found that it tasted like beef, oddly enough. Must have been the heat from earlier that day playing tricks on my senses.
At first glance, it seems that the amount of food we received was small, but the boat shaped bowls that the curries were served in were deeper than originally expected. By the time I was about halfway through my food, I was already feeling fairly full.
In a word, the meal was very satisfying: it made our stomachs happy and our hearts content. Walking back to the bus stop was going to be a difficult trip with such a full stomach.
