The small percentage of patrons that preferred to end their weekend partying with a Super Spinach with Black Beans burrito have been disappointed the last few weeks as Burrito Brothers closed the doors to their 18th street location indefinitely, succumbing due to overwhelming public support for huge pizza slices and falafel. Now the late night revelers of Adams Morgan have a new cuisine with which to end their evenings. After several hours of cigarettes and sake bombs assaulting their palates, the inebriated are invited to "wake up their taste buds" at Chef’s Kitchen.

Bright blue paint with fiery accents have replaced the drab green walls of the former Burrito Brothers, and some new tile graces the floor while the counter, register, and tables remain old and familiar. The menu however has seen the biggest overhaul, where raita and roti have replaced tortilla and guacamole. The decidedly Indian menu focuses on kabobs and curries, and dances around traditional rules with new inventions like the kabob Dog, and an interesting take on butter chicken.

To get the most out of your Chef’s Kitchen experience DCist recommends going with a friend and both ordering the thali, where $8.99 affords you the choice of 3 curries, a generous portion of rice, and naan. Sharing in the traditional Indian fashion will allow you to try 6 different dishes that range from ho-hum, to quite satisfying, to well... interesting, (and we mean that in a good way).

Standouts are the Lamb Rogan Josh, and Begun Bhaarta (a roasted eggplant curry). Both are well spiced and full of flavor with a kick that keeps you interested, without forcing you to guzzle water or smother the flames with yogurt. The Butter Chicken is quite interesting, pairing a hearty dose of honey with chicken in a tomato sauce, resulting in a sweet but satisfyingly mild curry flavor. The rest of the dishes are pretty much on par with standard Indian takeout, though we recommend avoiding the chickpea curry, which was woefully bland and went nearly un-eaten. The naan was also a bit undercooked, leaving it doughy unlike the blistery and chewy delights we have sampled at other restaurants but easily fixed buy a few more moments in the Tandoori.

While Chef’s kitchen will certainly not replace Heritage, or Indique for modern Indian fare, it was most likely never intended to do so. If, however, the Chef set out to provide nocturnal transients with a solid alternative to competing late night fare then his mission is accomplished providing a kitchen that is open till 4am on the weekends. Locals who enjoy the Chef’s creations will be happy to note that hours during the rest of the week are late as well, and delivery is free. While the Kabob Dog was 86ed both times we visited the Chef, we’ve been made curious, and will return till we’ve sampled the creation. Secretly we’re curious if the "subcontinent meets down home America" creation has the munchies appeal to beat the Jumbo Slice. With recent reviews in the post growing lines outside the Amsterdam Falafel Shop, a growing number of bar goers have signaled they are ready for something new.