The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema has been the newspaper’s food critic for nearly 25 years. He recently released his list of “8 Best Indian Restaurants in and Around D.C.” and it included just one Maryland restaurant located right here in Montgomery County.
Chennai Hoppers opened at 136 Paramount Park Dr. in Gaithersburg’s Spectrum Town Center in. November 2020. The restaurant offers exotic Indian dishes with emphasis on cuisine of Tamilnadu, the southern state of India where the city of Chennai is located.
Chef and Owner John Rajoo describes himself as “a culinarian from Southern India who believes in deep-rooted culinary traditions and diverse indigenous ingredients, and in the power of sourcing old cooking techniques with a contemporary touch that emphasize fresh herbs and roasted spices. His efforts towards understanding and appreciating Indian regional cuisines, by reconnecting them with their roots through regional food and local and seasonal ingredients. John completed his culinary Arts & Science in Chennai, India and later graduated from Baltimore International College with a Master of Science in Hospitality Management.”
Sietsema writes that “The fried seafood in my Manchurian shrimp is the color of candied apples and crackles when its glassy exterior, red with chili oil, is pierced. The size of my chicken kothu parotta suggests a twosome will be feasting on the mountain of chopped paratha, chicken and scrambled egg, a comfort lifted with fresh cilantro, onion and tomato.”