Eating at Malabar, one of the newest Indian restaurants in the Van Ness area, is a pleasure. Ashok Bajaj, an Indian American restaurateur who owns 10 restaurants in the Washington area, created Malabar. Previously, Rosedale, an upscale farm-to-table American restaurant, operated at the same location before Bajaj replaced it in December 2025.
Malabar is cozy yet upscale, decorated with dim lighting, plants and bookshelves. The delicious food it serves pairs perfectly with its warm atmosphere, which features beautiful art and interesting architectural choices.
A meal at Malabar begins with appetizers. The palak chaat, featuring crispy, fried spinach topped with yogurt and a date-tamarind chutney, is well-known in Washington’s restaurant community; it is a staple at Bajaj’s flagship restaurant, Rasika. Its ingredients offer a wonderful mix of flavors. The unexpected sweetness of the toppings is a welcome addition to the spinach’s unique texture.
The mini masala dosa is equally wonderful, though not at all what one might expect. The entire mini dosa is purple, including the filling. Other than the color, the dish is fairly similar to a regular dosa, made with onions, tomato, potatoes and an added twist of coconut chutney. Its flavors, enhanced by a delicious sauce included on the side, include both a subtly sweet taste and mild heat.
Regarding the entrees, both the rotisserie tandoori chicken and the Malabari lamb biryani are large enough to split and have leftovers.
The rotisserie tandoori chicken, served with pickled onions and mint jelly on the side, is reminiscent of Rosedale’s signature rotisserie chicken. Though delicious and beautifully presented, it does not stray far from the typical tandoori chicken.
The Malabari lamb biryani is served in a small ceramic dish with basmati rice, onions, raisins, cashews and tomatoes. The lamb is a little dry, but nonetheless delicious, and a wonderful addition to a meal.
Finally came the desserts. The saffron payasam, a wonderful rice pudding with a South Asian twist, has unique ingredients including saffron, cashews and raisins. The mango lime ice cream is similarly delicious, a nice way to cool down the mouth after a spicy meal. Though one might think that mango and lime would be difficult to pair, the two flavors work seamlessly together serving as the perfect end to the meal.
Though Northwest Washington has no shortage of Indian restaurants, Malabar leads the area in atmosphere and creativity. Ashok Bajaj is a master restaurateur, and Malabar is no exception.