Rasika is a modern Indian restaurant which takes its inspiration from an age old approach to dining. This approach allows you to choose a variety of appetizers and entrees to share with your dining companions. To enhance your dining experience, our sommelier will be happy to pair appropriate wines with your food selections.

All of our staff looks forward to welcoming you at Rasika.

Ashok Bajaj, Founder

Ashok Bajaj has owned and operated award-winning restaurants in London and the United States for over 30 years. Born in New Delhi, India, Bajaj earned his degree in Commerce from University of Delhi and completed his postgraduate studies in Hotel Management and Tourism while working for one of India’s leading hotel chains, the Ashok Group. After a six-year tenure with Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, which relocated him to London, Bajaj took some time to travel to Sydney, Australia, before choosing his next step, which was to found Knightsbridge Restaurant Group, in the nation’s capital in 1988. Many of his restaurants have reigned in DC’s top 100 best lists for over two decades, earning top rankings for exceptional service and outstanding fare.

Vikram Sunderam, Group Executive Chef

Executive Chef Vikram Sunderam, who has been with Rasika since pre-opening, is also a multiple times nominee for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic from the James Beard Foundation, as well as being a “Chef of the Year” candidate of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

Under the watchful eye of Bajaj and Sunderam’s direction in the kitchen, Rasika won “Best New Restaurant” in 2007, from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and Zagat named it “Top New Restaurant” for the DC and Baltimore region that same year.

Atul Narain, Group General Manager

Atul Narain is the group general manager of both Rasika and Rasika West End. He joined Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj in August of 2002 to work at The Bombay Club. A native of New Delhi, India, Atul earned a hotel management diploma from the University of Delhi, and then launched into his hospitality career with Taj Hotels & Resorts in operations management. He would serve this prestigious company for over a decade and was tapped to be the food & beverage manager for the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi. Atul also worked at Hyatt Regency Delhi as assistant director of food & beverage while living in India.

Joann Donis, Restaurant Manager

Joann worked as a Beverage Manager at the Hilton Hawaiian Village while completing her MBA before moving to DC in 2005. Before joining the Knightsbridge Group, she worked for Great American Restaurants, The Palm, and Passion Food Hospitality.

Rakesh Singh, Executive Chef

Rakesh Singh served as the executive chef of The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace in Telangana, India, a Marriott International property. During this period in his career, Singh was awarded the ACE Executive Chef among Marriott’s Full-Service portfolio.

Prior to joining Marriott, he served as Head Chef of Tamarind (One Michelin Star Indian Restaurant) and Sous Chef of Amaya (One Michelin Star Indian Restaurant) in London.

He gained his early culinary experience at ITC Hotels.