Sunday, October 22, 2017

Knightsbridge Restaurant Group Announces the Early November Opening of Bindaas Foggy Bottom


From our friends at Bindaas...

Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group is pleased to announce the early November anticipated opening of his second Bindaas location at The Shops at 2000 PENN, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 20006. This location will be a larger interpretation at 3,500-square feet, in comparison to 50-seat sister restaurant Bindaas in Cleveland Park, which opened in August 2016 at 3309 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 20008, next door to Ardeo.

“The name Bindaas originated in India in 1993 and means independent, cool and carefree, showcasing innovative Indian street food,” says Ashok Bajaj. “The location is an ideal one for Bindaas, as it is close to the George Washington University campus in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood and the World Bank. After the positive feedback from patrons and excellent reviews in The Washington Post and Washingtonian, we are encouraged and believe the community will be supportive of this sister restaurant.”


At the new location, guests can anticipate savory snacks, kebabs, with vegetarian options as well as pork, fish, chicken and beef street food dishes that are easy on the wallet and priced from $6 to $15.  A small sampling from Group Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam’s opening menu will include dishes such as Chicken Farcha Burger, marinated chicken, malt vinegar, chili and curry leaves, served on a pao bun with beet and tomato chutney; Wada Pao, seasonal vegetables, potatoes, mustard seeds and curry leaves, served with pao bun, mint and cilantro chutney; Chicken Curry, house-made chicken curry with tomatoes and garam masala, served with saffron rice as well as Vegetable Curry, seasonal vegetables with paneer, ginger, chilies and cashews, served with saffron rice.

For libations, one will find an international wine list with 50 wines by the bottle and 10 wines by the glass including two on tap. Prices range from $25 to $80 by the bottle and from $8 to $14 by the glass. A variety of Indian beers and whiskey selections will also be available, along with five signature cocktails reflecting the spirits and spices of India. Priced at $12 each, cocktails will include the Kerala to Himachal with saffron-infused Cotton & Reed Rum, spiced lemon-lime syrup, lemon juice and soda; Seeti Bajana with El Jimador blanco tequila, tamarind-honey purée and simonnet; Curried Away with Green Hat gin, egg white, ginger, tonic syrup and lime; Green With Envy with One-Eight vodka, basil-mint-jalapeño-cucumber-lime syrup, simple syrup and prosecco, as well as the Perfect Mumbai with Old Port rum, house-spiced vermouth and cherry-date gummy.

Ashok Bajaj has tapped Martin Vahtra of Projects Design Associates of New York, a James Beard Foundation’s award-nominated restaurant designer who created the original location, to design Bindaas Foggy Bottom. The interior will give a nod toward Indian street food and culture, according to Vahtra. The open kitchen will become a test kitchen for the chefs to create and delight customers with Indian everyday “delicacies” often unavailable here in the USA and cherished in Indian. Street food does not always mean sitting down for a three-course meal but rather ordering many small dishes, a table full of food ideal for sharing. Casual dinners can be memorable especially when transported to a different country and culture. Food markets give one the smells, flavors and foods of a new place. They offer more authentic experiences than the tourist versions of local dishes in many restaurants. This is the intent of the new open kitchen at Bindaas.

The first thing guests will notice when they enter Bindaas Foggy Bottom is the brass-colored screen influenced by Indian screens and shutters. As one turns the corner, they are faced with a custom mural on the feature wall in the restaurant. This piece of art represents Indian graffiti and street life.  Furthermore, the restaurant’s new fabrics and paint colors add a punch of jewel tone color to the space. To create soft mood lighting, new custom pendants have been added that are created from baskets, as a nod to the food markets of India. The bar and its column surrounds have been designed as a nod to small family-run, bistro-style restaurants found throughout Mumbai. They often have a haphazard feeling and the unplanned décor give the place a homey, casual family feel. The back bar has been designed to glow and draw people in the space. The overall outcome is a contemporary interior that evokes elements of Indian culture without being cliché.

Bindaas Foggy Bottom is located within The Shops at 2000 PENN, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, 20006. The restaurant is situated two blocks from the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro and three blocks from the Farragut West Metro accessible on the blue, orange and silver lines. The restaurant will be open Sunday through Thursday, from 11 AM to 10 PM; Friday and Saturday, from 11 AM to 11 PM. Brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday, from 11 AM to 3 PM. For reservations or additional information, please call (202) 516-4326 or visit www.bindaasdc.com.