Bawarchi, web site, 13949 Metrotech Drive, Chantilly, VA, next to Lotte Plaza, formerly the home of Karaikudi, 703-378-9100, they don’t always answer their phone. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window)
Chettinad food, very regional. Get the chilies in curry sauce (mirchi), various forms of fish, eggplant curry, utthapam, the goat dishes, and they claim the specialty is biryani (I haven’t had it there yet). The Chettinad chicken is also very tasty.
I would not put this forward as an all-purpose Indian restaurant for the casual Indian diner, but if you are tired of the usual this is one of the handful of Indian places I most want to eat at these days. Everything tastes real, the food is properly spiced, and the average quality is quite high.