Cusbah South Asian Spice Bar joined the H Street NE restaurant scene fall 2012. While the menu--and spice levels--are incredibly authentic, the ambiance is definitely not what you'd expect from an authentic Indian restaurant. Exposed brick, low lighting, lounge seating, a large comfy bar, and live music make the place feel just like another hip, trendy, H Street hangout. But don't expect any toned-down, Americanized Indian food here. Instead, you can get a vindaloo so spicy it merits its own T-shirt and some of the best naan in town.
Owner Sarosh Hussain tells us that Cusbah is basically a restaurant version of his experience growing up in Reston with Pakistani-immigrant parents. After hanging out at the 9:30 club or occasionally cutting class for a smoke with his non-South Asian friends, he would come home to his mom's amazing Pakistani cooking and the Muslim culture that surrounded it. Cusbah reflects the marriage of those two very different worlds: it's not fusion, it's just the best of both. In order to ensure that Cusbah serves authentic-tasting North Indian and Pakistani cuisine, Sarosh and his partner (and uncle) Tariq Hussain hired cooks who are originally from that part of the world. To create a comfortable, familiar vibe out front, they hired experienced front-of-house staff that grew up in America.
Email Alia.Khan@bisnow.com with tips, suggestions, and vegan vindaloo recipes.
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