A spice route restaurant with daily happy hour opens by Union Market
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Tibetan-style momo dumplings. Photo: Courtesy Birch Thomas
A gorgeous, globe-hopping restaurant just landed by Union Market.
The big picture: Chef Sanjay Mandhaiya — behind popular Indian spot, Pappe —explores the spice route at his new restaurant, Karravaan. The menu trips through Persia, Portugal, India, Turkey and Tibet.
- Mandhaiya grew up in New Delhi by train tracks — and you can spy the restaurant riding into Union Station.
- Hence the railway-chic motif, and hawker-style snacks.
Dig in: The chef recommends sharing everything. Complimentary breads hit the table — warm naan and Persian flatbread — and there's a bounty of small plates, entree-size dishes and group-friendly splurges like tagines or a mixed grill.
- You'll find a few Pappe favorites, like a dressed-up "butter poussin" (aka chicken) and mushroom biryani.
- Most dishes hit the road, from Georgian-style kachapuri cheese bread to Tibetan momo dumplings — and some fusion plates, like North African harissa-honey-glazed duck with Chinese forbidden rice.
🍸 To drink: We're eyeing the spiced vodka martini with baharat dry vermouth and saffron.
- It's only $10 during daily happy hour (4-6pm), which has a generous lineup of drinks and bites.
What they're saying: Mandhaiya found commonality exploring the cuisines — rice dishes, dumplings, breads — "it's very relatable," he says.
- "My idea is telling my audience we're the same people, and we have something for everybody."
If you go: Karravaan. 325 Morse Street NE