It’s always good to see one of the city’s sons do well no matter where they are. So it is with KN Vinod who grew up in the city and was educated here. A graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management in Taramani, Vinod went on become a chef at the ITDC chain of hotels. Today, he owns and runs a chain of four restaurants in Washington DC and the surrounding area. Two of them of them are the more informal Bombay Bistro brand, and the other two the more up-market, elegant Indique brand which are carving a name for themselves in the culinary scene in the US capital.


Being a gifted chef, Vinod is able to serve up traditional Indian culinary delights with the original flavors, as well as dishes that are a delectable fusion of Indian and Western culinary traditions, particularly in the desserts. Soft spoken and unassuming, Vinod went to the US many years ago, after a visit to Washington DC as part of the ITDC team that catered to the Festival of India in the US capital. While the Bombay Bistro restaurants established themselves and did well, Vinod wanted to achieve more. That’s just what he has done with the Indique brand-it is Indian and it’s unique! His signature restaurant in Chevy Chase in Friendship Heights in Maryland is huge and beautifully laid out, with separate dining areas, a lounge and bar as well as al fresco dining.

But what people come for, and keep returning for, is the food. Many of the authentic dishes are just that-authentic. If it is supposed to be spicy and hot, it is spicy and hot even for the Indian palate the way it should be. The fusion dishes though are really interesting and worth a try. Check out the restaurants here and here. Vinod today is a recognized restaurateur in Washington, invited to speak at various functions on India and Indian cuisines. He has done extensive research and developed his recipes based on the original Indian recipes using locally available ingredients. The result is regular customers such as Hillary and Chelsea Clinton for whom Indique is the preferred restaurant in Washington. Want to know more about him? Click here. More power to you Vinod.