Our hospitality is king. The biggest influence and mentor in my life, and its I feel so honored to be able to say this, is the renowned Chef Eizi "Jackie" Nakazima, trained in Japan with multiple successful izakayas under his name in the DC, VA and MD area. I digress, but, the most important lesson I was taught was the importance of the relationship between a Chef and a patron. Of all patrons, the Jōren (常連), or the "regular." I found myself an early regular for Chef Jackie between high school and college, falling in love with the art of sushi making and eventually Japanese food and cooking culture. That would begin a food journey that is every growing and evolving to this day. I myself am of Indian ancestry, and born in Chicago, IL, though most of my growing up occurred in Rockville, MD. Since this age, and even into College in Baltimore, MD, my co-owner, business partner, and closest-thing-I-have-to-a-big-brother Suman and I have also fallen in love with the art of Barbecue. We have traveled all across the US to learn, study and practice BBQ in every style possible. We've also traveled the world to learn the same about world cuisine, including Japan, Spain, India, Costa Rica, Portugal, and many more. I also owe a huge thank you to another best friend, Ivan, who grew up in the Phillipines and taught me virtually how to cook while we were in college. While the kids were at the diner, we were finding discount lobster tails and steaming them with asparagus and splitting a decent rib eye and we'd grill it open flame and make filipino vinegar dipping sauces. Life was good and simple. Ivan eventually moved to NYC where I'd visit him often and that opened even more food cultures/knowledge to us.
Fast forward to now, where Ivan is a private chef and doing farmers markets in SC (https://www.instagram.com/scnacks_), and Suman and I are in VA doing BBQ and other catering events, markets and festivals. We're all dads/uncles now, but I say this all to say that we put love and care into everything we do. We want to build great food experiences in a world where big-box stores/farms are taking over. The full dream is farm to table, we've been growing lavish gardens for decades as well. San Marzanos, Scotch Bonnet peppers, you name it! If its rare and delicious, I'm already growing it safely/sustainably (sans nature/climate).
Life is art, and thus we treat the kitchen (and the garden) like a canvas.
Food has the power to unite people across cultures, traditions, and backgrounds. As part of that vision, we proudly serve halal-only options, ensuring our Muslim brothers and sisters never have to wonder whether they can enjoy what's on the menu. We believe everyone deserves to experience great food—including beloved dishes that have been thoughtfully reimagined to be both authentic in spirit and welcoming to all.
When you shop with us, you are supporting local communities and healthy food webs. We partner with other local market vendors, farms, etc. to make sure we can support them by using local ingredients. Interested in learning more about the practices behind your purchases? Get in touch! We have answers.
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