2009 Fall Dining Guide By Tom Sietsema Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009 This year's $600,000 nip and tuck in the dining room was followed by a renewed sense of confidence in the kitchen. Chef Nilesh Singhvi doesn't yet have the name recognition of Vikram Sunderam, his crosstown colleague at Rasika, but he deserves it. The proof: Malabari shrimp that compels the taste buds to do somersaults, duck kebabs ignited with ginger and chilies, and a mash of roasted eggplant that picks up savor from sauteed onions and ginger as well as a charcoal fire. You don't have to be a hothead to enjoy the menu; tender venison chops with a gravy of yogurt and cashew nuts, a winter dish, are subtle but sublime. The Bombay Club is 20 years old, but it looks more seductive than ever. Jewel tones in the fabric on the banquettes and a splash of pink on the soft leather chairs do this grande dame proud. Some things never change, though. The service remains courtly, and the white piano continues to be out of place.
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