Reston, Virginia, is a planned community in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. It was established by Robert E. Simon in 1964, who wanted to create a self-contained city where people can live and work as well as have large amounts of open space for recreation. Reston is now a city of approximately 60,000 people, and there are many businesses and restaurants in the area, including Indian eateries.
Mayuri is in a Reston commercial district, near a shopping center and the Reston Community Center. It's open seven days a week for dinner and also offers a daily lunch buffet. The extensive menu features appetizers and entrees from both north and south India. Tandoori entrees, which are cooked over high heat in an Indian clay oven, are available with meat options such as lamb, seafood and chicken. Some of the Southern specialties include masala dosa, which is spicy potatoes stuffed in a rice crepe, and lentil pancakes, called vegetable uttapam. Mayuri has several biryani dishes, made with basmati rice, meat or vegetables. The Indian bread, naan, is available with savory flavorings such as onion or garlic, or as a sweet bread with dried fruit, nuts and raisins. The restaurant offers a dessert menu that includes mango ice cream and gulab jalum, made with deep-fried balls of dried milk in sugar syrup.
Located approximately two miles west of Reston in nearby Herndon, Harvest of India is open daily for lunch and dinner. Several appetizers are available, such as masala chicken tenders and batata vada, which are deep-fried potatoes mixed with cumin and other spices. In addition to meat dishes with chicken, lamb or seafood, Harvest of India also has many vegetable dishes, including navratan korma, made with fruits, nuts and vegetables in a cream sauce, and the curried chickpea and potato dish called aloo chole. Nine types of naan are available, as are sides such as mango chutney and kachumber salad, made with with onions, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers in a lemon dressing. Dessert options include pista kulfi, which is homemade vanilla ice cream with pistachios, and the traditional Indian rice pudding called kheer. Harvest of India is available for takeout, delivery and catering.
Charcoal Kabob is also in Herndon, within two miles of Reston. True to the restaurant's name, the house specialty is kabobs, which are pieces of meat and vegetables on a skewer, grilled over hickory charcoal. Meat options for the kabobs include lamb, seasoned ground beef, chicken and beef tenderloin. Kabobs are served with a salad, basmati rice, tandoori bread and a side order of vegetable curry. Three types of spicy chicken curry are also available as entrees. Customers can order chicken or lamb entrees for two served in kaharies, wide pots often used in Indian cooking. Charcoal Kabob also serves wraps and gyros. The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
