Inside Karravaan, D.C.'s Stunning New Tribute to the Silk Road
The Silk Road has a new stop in Union Market. Indian chef Sanjay Mandhaiya, the creative force behind 14th Street's Pappe, unveils an all-new culinary endeavor across town on Thursday, June 19. Karravaan celebrates various cultural influences along the popular trading route, with Persian, Portuguese, Indian, and Turkish cuisines served under the same roof (325 Morse Street NE).
Unlike Pappe, which Mandhaiya notes is a distinctly Indian restaurant, the goal with Karravaan was to be more regionally focused. 'We're celebrating dishes that were connected by the Silk Road,' he says. The critical trade network connected Eastern and Western cultures for over a millennia between 30 BCE to 1453 CE, says Mandhaiya. Given the multiplicity of countries and cuisines the Silk Road touched, Karravaan's menu is as ambitious as it is far-reaching.
That journey begins with bread service. Both Indian naan and Persian barbari are served in unlimited quantities, and represent two different takes on flatbread. Naan, he notes, was actually brought to India through the Silk Road. 'When it came to India, our ancestors decided they wanted to use baking powder and baking soda in place of yeast, whereas the Persian version is leavened with yeast,' he says.
The theme continues in an extensive selection of passed plates, which include jamon-wrapped dates combining classic Spanish and Moroccan ingredients alongside Tibetan momos, traditional pork, and vegetable dumplings. 'We have a smokey eggplant dip, which is a Persian dish we wanted to do with Indian flair,' says Mandhaiya. Italian eggplants are caramelized along with onions, then blended with labneh and pinenuts for a beautiful texture.
Khachapuri was a 'must-have on the menu,' Mandhaiya notes, referring to the classic Georgian dish comprising a bread boat filled with cheese and a freshly cracked egg. Karravaan's version also features roasted jalapeños for some added heat. D.C. just lost a longstanding destination for khachapuri when Shaw's Compass Rose closed last month.
Classic chickpea falafel get a touch of ginger for added heat and brightness (and some Indian influence as well).
'Anytime food comes from one place to another it's ultimately dictated by the regionally available ingredients,' says Mandhaiya. In India, he says, you'll generally find rice dishes with a lot of spices, whereas in Afghanistan, you'll find a lot of cashews and dried berries in nuts.' This is reflected in Karravaan's wild mushroom biryani, which combines wild hunt mushrooms with raisins and richly spiced grains. A playful combination also comes to life in the fettuccine a la goshtaba, which takes the classic Kashmiri lamb curry of goshtaba and combines it with a fennel beurre blanc, parmesan cheese, and tellicherry pepper.
'We're really trying to drive home the fact that we have something for everyone – our target clientele really is anyone from any culture or background,' Mandhaiya says. As such, you'll find everything from a French chicken liver mousse to a Chinese-influenced duck breast served with a North African harissa-honey soy reduction.
Larger dishes, meant to be shared family style, include a seasonal sabzi tagine, served in its eponymous cooking vessel. 'We wanted to serve the classic Moroccan dish in the classic Moroccan way, with its hit on top to trap all the flavor,' Mandhaiya says. The lamb shank polov is also meant to feed a family, drawing inspiration from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Persia with its braised lamb shank, candied carrots, and raisins.
Even drink options reflect a multitude of influences. For example, the Terracotta Warrior pairs Chinese spirit baiju with orange bitter wine, amaro and citrus, while the namesake martini is a vodka martini laced with saffron and baharat, a North African aromatic spice blend.
The notion of taking diners on a journey is paramount at Karravaan, and it's not lost upon Mandhaiya that the restaurant is located not too far from the old train tracks of Union Station. A railway motif proliferates across the restaurant, from the train-platform ceiling design to the open kitchen design meant to evoke the look of a parked train car.
'At Karravaan, we're hoping to reunite people through cuisine,' Mandhaiya notes. 'I want to show people that at the end of the day, we're the same people eating the same things.' See More: DC Restaurant Openings
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