Fast-Casual Hitmaker Rasa Brings Its Indian Bowls to Fairfax | Eater DC

"A fast-growing counter for standout Indian bowls in D.C. and Arlington has expanded into suburbia with a color-soaked Mosaic District outpost that opened Saturday, July 30 at 2905 District Avenue in Fairfax. Owners Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman (Eater Young Guns ’18) launched their first Rasa in Navy Yard in 2017, followed by Mt. Vernon Triangle in 2020 and a National Landing spot last year. The Fairfax location offers seven set bowls and build-your-own options with bases, sauces, proteins, and veggies — familiar hits include the chicken tikka–based Tikka Chance on Me and the sweet potato tikki Aloo Need Is Love — and is open 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily for pickup, delivery, and dine-in. To cater to families, Fairfax debuts Rasa’s first-ever kid’s menu with choices like vermicelli rice noodles with tomato garlic sauce (with the option to add chicken tikka or mixed veggies), a build-your-own option, and a basmati rice and tikka bowl with toasted cumin yogurt and juice; Rahman notes kids as young as two enjoy the food and many parents say it’s the only food their toddlers will eat. Adults can enjoy canned wine, bottled Taj Mahal and domestic beers, and cocktails such as a masala gin and tonic, cardamom mint julep, spiked lassi, a Mumbai mule made with Indian rum, tamarind margarita, and spiked coconuts, and the popular vegan oat milk soft serve in flavors like masala chai also appears on the menu. The 1,800-square-foot space features two entrances and a vibrant design — huge hot pink hand-carved wooden doors made by Rahman’s aunt in New Delhi, colorful panels representing the nine rasas, and boxed shelves filled with cookbooks and antiques — and the concept, backed by recent financing and named a 2022 “Breakout Brand,” aims to loudly and proudly highlight Indian culture while continuing rapid suburban expansion." - Tierney Plumb