Kismet's original location is in Old Town Alexandria. (Photo courtesy Kismet Modern Indian)
Kismet is defined as destiny or fate — almost a reward or a stroke of luck, when the stars align.
It is also the name of restaurateur Sachin Mahajan’s modern Indian establishment in Old Town Alexandria. Making its debut late last year, it quickly became a favorite of longtime Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema, who ranked it No. 4 in his 2022 Spring Dining Guide and declared in a review it had added an “artful touch to Alexandria.”
Sietsema might just be making a road trip south in the near future. A sister outpost to the Northern Virginia original, Kismet Modern Indian is set to plant roots in Richmond by late fall, taking over the shuttered Perch space at 2618 W. Broad St. that closed in August.
“I really believe in the philosophy of karma and believe that what goes around comes around,” Mahajan says. “Karma is all about your actions, what you can control, and kismet flows hand in hand.”
The two philosophies are important to Mahajan and his partner and executive chef, Ajay Kumar. The duo, both New Delhi natives, introduced Karma Modern Indian, an eatery known for its swanky interior and playful cuisine, in 2017 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In recent years, the concept has found its stride, earning back-to-back Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand awards.
Mahajan attended college in Melbourne, Australia, before settling into a decade-plus career in the banking world managing international agencies.
“I kind of noticed with all the international travel and going different places, how cuisine that exists globally had evolved and dining experiences for all the cuisines are changing, whereas Indian cuisine, the perspective among different people remains the same,” he says.
When Mahajan first moved to the U.S., he lived in Richmond from 2002 to 2010. Feeling drawn to reintroduce diners to Indian cuisine and reinvigorate their dated perceptions, after his job brought him to D.C. a decade ago and he met Kumar, they debuted Karma. And a few years later, Kismet followed, a project of pandemic inspiration.
As the pair were looking to expand their restaurant portfolio, when the former Perch building — home to an open kitchen and dining room, and in an area of the city the team had already been eyeing — became available, Mahajan says the decision was a no-brainer. Or, perhaps, even kismet.
“That’s exactly how we would build a restaurant, very modern and chic, and it hit on all the grounds I would look for,” he says.
Kismet will serve lunch and dinner, offering an elevated cocktail program and lengthy wine list, as well as a strict reliance on fresh ingredients with the addition of artful touches and Instagram-worthy plating.
“When we say modern Indian, it’s not just the food, it’s also the overall experience with the restaurant,” Mahajan says. “The goal is twofold: We want to, obviously, have diners sit in the restaurant and enjoy the cuisine, but that’s not limited to that; we also want to change perspective of Indian cuisine and dining.”
Menu offerings will bear some resemblance to those at Kismet in Alexandria, but the Richmond location will have its own repertoire of thoughtfully created dishes and seasonal touches, along with snacky bar bites.
Diners can expect house-baked naan in varieties from classic to olive in addition to seafood and other dishes representing a nomadic regionality to India that is undefined. While tikka masala and chicken curry may feel familiar, peri-peri snapper with lemon rice, tandoori shrimp with mango salsa and Kashmiri chicken gushtaba with a fennel- and saffron-based spicy gravy are meant to reawaken the palate.
“Overall, the plan is to elevate the cuisine, take it to the next level and show people [Indian food] exists beyond what the traditional dishes are,” Mahajan says.
