Punjab Grill - Washington, D.C.

The nation's capital, Washington D.C., one of the few cities in the world where almost every country is represented in one location. Embassies, Consulates, dignitaries, diplomats from every corner of the globe... and lucky for me, that includes culinary representation as well! All the way from India's North-West frontier, Punjab Grill arrived stateside in Washington, D.C. spring 2019 and boasts international locations in Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai. An expansion project from Indian restauranteurs Amit Burman and Rohit Aggarwal, Punjab Grill offers Michelin Plated Punjabi delicacies in a "ridiculously luxurious ode to royal excess."-Eater D.C. Further to its allure, no two locations have the same menu and each offers a different culinary exploration of India. Indian Chef Jaspratap Bindra leads the team after receiving acclaim at Rooh in San Francisco and following a successful career throughout the hospitality industry in India.

Steps from the National Mall, Punjab Grill could easily be mistaken for a grand hall in an Indian palace as the restaurant group spared no expense putting together this harmonious fusion of authentic Indian decor and modern design. The lounge and dining rooms are an extravagant showcase for gold gilded everything and splendid hand carved wood decor. Table tops and wall decorations are adorned with custom jade and semi-precious stone inlay making every corner of the restaurant an architectural wonder. Pardon my manners, but even the bathroom has custom stone tiles imported from India. Renting out a private room for a function? Hermès plateware on mother of pearl table tops for you, reflecting off 150,000 hand-laid mirror tiles! A 40 foot, 12,000 lb solid piece of chiseled  pink sandstone for an accent wall? I wouldn't expect anything less! The team is very proud of what they've accomplished here and will gladly give patrons a tour to show off the restaurant's splendor. 

There is much more to Indian cuisine than what most people give it credit for, from the unique cooking methods to spices found nowhere else and the diverse influences ranging from Persian, Pakistani, Mongolian and British. I hope to have shed some light on what fine Indian dining can be by featuring Punjab Grill below.

Goat Pepper Fry - Aerated Curry Leaf Spiced Potato, Malabar Parotta*

*Malabar is a region of India and Parotta is a thin, circular, layered flatbread 

Punjab Grill dining room

Rarha Lamb - Elysian Farm Shank and Mincedmeat Curry

Custom handmade marble inlay decoration

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Gianduja - Cardamom Ganache, Chocolate Sable

Before the global pandemic struck the restaurant group's CEO had plans of opening more locations in Las Vegas, New York and Miami. I truly hope that they get to follow through with their plan as Punjab Grill would be a world class addition to any city's dining scene and would help further promote Indian cuisine. As the solid brass bar cart rolled up to the table I wished they would have had Indian wine varieties, but unfortunately not ordered enough to keep on the wine list. Punjab Grill is regrettably temporarily closed, but I hope you get the chance to Dine There, Sip That on your next visit to D.C. . For more information visit www.PunjabGrill.in and www.PunjabGrillDC.com .

For another example of passion for one's culinary region, see Chef Secchi's key ingredient for homemade pasta at Rezdôra here.