The chef behind DC mainstay Pappe is preparing to wow the District with his latest concept. Sanjay Mandhaiya will be debuting Karravaan, described as “a grand culinary journey across the Silk Route” later this year, reports local media outlet PoPville.
Mandhaiya will be bringing his singular vision to life in a 3,440 square foot space at 325 Morse Street, NE. The venerated chef describes his latest innovation to What Now DC, explaining that while Pappe is an Indian restaurant, Karravaan is not. “What I’m trying to do is bring together all these cultures from the Middle East. We’re applying our own twist, using some of the culinary techniques that I’ve learned over the years.”
Karravaan offers a journey through history and geography. Mandhaiya explains: “All of the Indian food you know is the food that came into India from Persia, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Turkey…there’s a lot of cuisine that came from there. I’m trying to cover it in my perspective, and deliver it to a diverse palate, not just one ethnic group.”
While Mandhaiya understand that diners may be tempted to label Karravaan an Indian restaurant, he is emphatic about expressing that it is not-it is so much more. “I want to represent Karravaan as not an Indian restaurant, but the journey to India.” he explains, adding “It’s a very fusion-y restaurant, using Mediterranean Indian food. When all this food came in, it evolved into Indian food. We want to represent all of these countries-doing the cuisine our way.”
Mandhaiya hopes that Karravaan will expose a wide cross-section of diners to this rich cultural melange. He states: “I want to attract all the people-everyone is welcome. This is the whole motive of the restaurant-we’re catering to everyone, all are welcome.”
Completing the cultural circle, Mandhaiya intends to make Karravaan an integral part of the local community. He explains “We use local sources for ingredients. The idea of this restaurant is communal eating, and we’re presenting these platters which will serve 2-3 people. We’re using elements of all these cultures, all the cuisines to come up with this rustic cuisine that was lost.”
Mandhaiya hopes to use his dishes as a bridge between generations and culture, representing food as art and connection. He states: “I want the audience to feel my palate. Please take this cuisine and please evolve it. I want to change the way that people think about food.”
Karravaan will begin feeding the District this spring.
