Trump, Biden, Bajaj—the flavours of Washington

Ashok Bajaj owns nine restaurants, including Rasika, in Washington DC.

Donald Trump may or may not remain in Washington DC after November 3. Ashok Bajaj sure will.

The owner of nine restaurants in the US capital that includes Rasika, the city’s favourite Indian eatery, the Delhi-born Bajaj has wined and dined presidents, senators and celebrities for decades after he moved to America in 1988.

As Trump vs Joe Biden enters the final lap, the world’s eyes will be on Washington. Many will head to the city as the most acrimonious presidential election in recent memory plays out.

And Bajaj’s restaurants—some of which dish out non-Indian fare– will be in demand, rolling out, in white gloves, $9 sev puris, $12 truffle dosas, $26 Kerala halibut or whatever best is possible in the times of coronavirus.

Bajaj is a bit of a Washington celebrity himself. Already, his opinion is being sought on a possible change in the White House, and what a Biden victory could mean for the city’s food scene. The Washington Post quoted him as saying that the Bidens could “bring some positive energy” to DC dining. Democratic presidents often brought young people into the administration, Bajaj said, and they typically ate where their boss did.  “Anytime the president goes out, lots of staff come afterward,” Bajaj told the Post.

His is an improbable success story, considering the high failure rate in the restaurant trade, the era that he arrived in the US and the city where he pitched his tandoor.

This was Washington DC, not New York. Indian food was okay as an experimental takeaway but not as a fine-dining option. But Bajaj was young when the skin is naturally thick and rejections do not break you easily. Also, he found a rich Australian businessman willing to bankroll his dream. And in 1988, Bombay Club was open for business.

“I can’t tell you how hard it was to get a space. But I never gave up,” Bajaj told The New York Times in an interview.

There was another reason why Bajaj flourished. For Rasika, his modern take on Indian food, he hired chef Vikram Sunderam, with whom he had worked at Bombay Brasserie in London. Sunderam went on to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef (Mid-Atlantic). 

Bajaj is famously secretive about his age. He believes in dressing the part and once said he has about 50 suits, including from labels like Zegna and Armani. He drives around in a Mercedes, stopping by all his restaurants every night, schmoozing with his elite customers.

Barack Obama celebrated a couple of his birthdays at Rasika. The Trump children have eaten there. So have the Bushes and the Bidens. Bill Clinton, a man with an appetite for conversation and pleasure, was a regular at Bajaj spots. Once when Bajaj’s parents were at the restaurant, he requested Clinton if he could say hello to them. With Clinton, it’s never just hello. He put his arm around Bajaj and sat at his parents’ table.

“My father was stunned,” Bajaj said, recalling the experience for the Hindustan Times.

His career has not been free of controversy. Two of his staffers, Kalikinkhar Sinha and Nasser Razmyar, sued him separately for non-payment of overtime dues. Bajaj has denied wrongdoing. The Mercedes purrs along, ferrying around town a commerce graduate from Delhi.