Indique Offspring Bringing New Fast Casual Indian Option

Rahul Vinod and Sahil Rahman weren't going to go into the family business — restaurants — except now they are, reports The Washington Post. The two long-time pals, in their mid-twenties — are planning to open Rasa Indian Grill in Navy Yard's F1RST building next summer. Vinod is the son of K.N. Vinod, chef and owner of Cleveland Park's Indique and Rockville's Bombay Bistro. His partner is Surfy Rahman — Sahil Rahman's father.

The younger Vinod and Rahman left their white-collar jobs in New York to open what they describe as a fast-casual Indian restaurant, modeled after the likes of Sweetgreen and Cava Grill. At Rasa Indian Grill, it's a build-your-own model — start with a base, add a protein (half of which are vegetarian), add a sauce and finish with a side veg and various toppings. And the pair tell the Post that they certainly do not plan to do any toning down of spices for the American palate.

This restaurant idea wasn't a whim of the two men — they've been planning something like it for nearly a decade. WaPo notes that Sahil came up with the idea back when he was a student at Gaithersburg High School (which was in 2007.)