Ashok Bajaj

'''Ashok Bajaj''' is a restaurateur based in Washington, D.C. He is head of the Knightsbridge Restaurant Group.

==Biography== Bajaj was born in New Delhi. He left India in his early twenties,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020906540_4.html|title=Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj: Potentate of the D.C. plate|last=Roig-Franzia|first=Manuel|date=2011-02-10|work=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-08-19|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> working in Sydney and in London, where he managed the Bombay Brasserie before moving the United States<ref name=":0" /> in 1988.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/just-asking-ashok-bajaj/2014/06/18/615cc728-e6b3-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html|title=Just Asking: Ashok Bajaj, owner of the Oval Room, Rasika and more, talks about power tables|last=Heim|first=Joe|date=2014-06-18|work=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-08-19|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> He opened the Bombay Club, his first restaurant in Washington, in 1989 in his 20s, in initially working with an Australian partner, Norris Blanks, though the two parted ways after a year and a half.<ref name=":1" /> His restaurant group has since expanded and now includes Rasika, for which chef Vikram Sunderam won a 2014 James Beard Award.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carman|first1=Tim|title=Rasika chef Vikram Sunderam wins James Beard Award|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2014/05/06/rasika-chef-vikram-sunderam-wins-james-beard-award/|access-date=25 October 2016|work=The Washington Post|date=6 May 2014}}</ref> Sunderam and Bajaj met in London working together at the Bombay Brasserie.<ref name=":0" /> With Sunderam and chef and cookbook author David Hagedorn, Bajaj is co-author of the cookbook, ''Rasika: Flavors of India'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eater.com/2015/7/29/9066651/cookbooks-eric-ripert-memoir-rasika-great-good-places-new-york|title=Book Deals: Eric Ripert's Memoir, Rasika, Bob's Burgers Book Cover|last=Filloon|first=Whitney|date=2015-07-29|website=Eater|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=2017-08-19}}</ref> published by the Ecco imprint of HarperCollins.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/cooking/article/67558-ecco-signs-indian-cookbook-from-d-c-eatery-rasika.html|title=Ecco Signs Indian Cookbook from D.C. Eatery, Rasika|last=Swanson|first=Clare|date=July 20, 2015|work=Publishers Weekly|access-date=2017-08-19|language=en}}</ref>

In addition to Rasika, which has two locations,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bonappetit.com/city-guides/washington-dc/venue/rasika|title=Rasika Review|work=Bon Appetit|access-date=2017-08-21|language=en}}</ref> Bajaj's restaurants include modern Italian restaurant Modena, modern American Annabelle, French bistro La Bis, Levantine-style Sababa and its wine bar neighbor Little Black Bird, and his third Indian concept, Bindaas. Former Bashok restaurants include Bibiana, Nopa Kitchen + Bar,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/tom-sietsemas-valentines-to-people-and-places-he-loves/2014/02/05/544eeda4-8218-11e3-9dd4-e7278db80d86_story.html|title=Tom Sietsema's Valentines to people and places he loves|last=Sietsema|first=Tom|date=2014-02-05|work=The Washington Post|access-date=2017-08-21|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> 701, The Oval Room and Ardeo + Bardeo.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.zagat.com/b/bindaas-cleveland-park|title=First Look: Bindaas Opens in Cleveland Park|last=Rapuano|first=Rina|date=August 11, 2016|work=Zagat|access-date=August 20, 2017}}</ref> He opened the latter in 2016 with chef Sunderam.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-03/like-gymkhana-you-ll-love-these-six-other-indian-restaurants|title=How to Experience the New Wave of Haute Indian Food All Over the Globe|last=Elliot|first=Peter|date=2016-11-03|work=Bloomberg|access-date=2017-08-21}}</ref>

A 2013 profile in ''The New York Times'' headlined "Right This Way, Senator: A New Delhi-Born Restaurateur Brings Power Dining to D.C." describes Bajaj as "arguably the most successful restaurateur in Washington."<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=Anderson|first1=Brett|title=A New Delhi-Born Restaurateur Brings Power Dining to D.C.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/14/dining/a-new-delhi-born-restaurateur-brings-power-dining-to-dc.html|access-date=25 October 2016|work=The New York Times|date=12 August 2013}}</ref> He was recognized as the 2013 Restaurateur of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Voelker |first1=Jessica |title=Fabio Trabocchi, Ashok Bajaj Take Top Awards at 2013 RAMMYS |url=https://washingtonian.com/2013/06/24/estadio-ashok-bajaj-win-big-at-2013-rammys/ |work=Washingtonian Magazine |date=June 24, 2013}}</ref>

==Awards== * 2013 Restaurateur of the Year, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 RAMMY Award Winners |url=http://www.therammys.org/2013-rammy-award-winners/ |publisher=Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington |access-date=4 December 2018}}</ref> * 2017 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.<ref>{{cite web |title=RAMW Announces 2017 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award |url=https://www.ramw.org/news/ramw-announces-2017-duke-zeibert-capital-achievement-award-recipient |date=May 2, 2017}}</ref> * 2022 finalist, James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurateur<ref>{{Cite web |last=Canavan |first=Hillary Dixler |date=2022-03-16 |title=Here Are the 2022 James Beard Awards Restaurant, Chef, and Media Finalists |url=https://www.eater.com/22960495/james-beard-awards-2022-finalists-restaurant-chefs-media-jbfa-nominees |access-date=2022-06-12 |website=Eater |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062435552/rasika ''Rasika: Flavors of India''] at HarperCollins * [http://knightsbridgerestaurantgroup.com/ Knightsbridge Restaurant Group] {{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bajaj, Ashok}} Category:Living people Category:Indian restaurateurs Category:Businesspeople from Washington, D.C. Category:Year of birth missing (living people)