IndeBleu, 7th and G Streets NW

[Monica Bhide]

From James Beard Society's Dateline:

Two alumni of The Inn at Little Washington are planning to open a

high-end bar and restaurant featuring French/Indian cuisine. Jay

Coldren, former Director of Hospitality and Dining at the Inn, and Uday

Huja, former chef at the Inn, are scheduled to open IndeBleu on G

Street across from the MCI Center in late summer. Coldren will be GM

and Huja is to be chef de cuisine

[chengb02]

wow, a French/Indian fusion? This is going to be interesting...Chicago has had a Latin/Indian fusion restaurant open for awhile. I guess Indian fusion is quickly becoming a popular trend...

[Steve Klc]

NYC had restaurants with French-influenced Indian cooking a decade ago, Pondicherry and later Surya made waves, but were much more traditionally Indian than they were successfully fused with French. You started to see more of the "French" aspects mostly in the front of the house in terms of service and plating. Danny Meyer realized the upward arc of a hot trend possibility and Tabla opened in what, 1998-99? At least 4 other attempts at modern, creative Western-leaning Indian-driven restaurants in NYC opened afterward, with some very talented chefs exploring various degrees of "fusion," Mantra emulated this and opened in Boston in 2001. It's still an open debate how successful this "fusion" has been. But this has been a trend for ages--Michael Batterberry devoted the cover story of his January 1999 issue of Food Arts to it once Tabla finally opened--it's just too typical of DC that it took this long to reach here and that most of the initial legwork and creativity in this sub-genre took place elsewhere.

It will be worth keeping an eye on IndeBleu--and on whatever the Heritage India ex-partner of Sudhir Seth tries to fuse as well--because it is much much easier to do "Indian fusion" poorly, than well.

[Tweaked]

There was also a highly regarded French Indian fusion restuarant in Memphis, the chef won a James Beard for her work, unfortunately she passed any a couple years ago. Regardless, should be interesting for DC!

[Steve Klc]

Yes, Raji Jallepalli was very influential driving this movement on the NYC scene, tweaked, she was behind Surya and then Tamarind. Her career and influence was often discussed on eG--and it had a DC connection, Jean-Louis Palladin took an early interest in her. (I think she was nominated a few times but never won Beard Best Chef in her region--the Southeast region is very tough to come out of, it includes New Orleans, Florida, Atlanta, Charleston, Louisville, North Carolina chefs like the Barkers, etc.)

[TGTyson]

This is a combination of a few things I posted in the Southeast Forum a few days ago when someone told me of Mrs. Jallepalli's passing. I apologize for the cross post, but I'm not sure how to point to it otherwise:

"The East India Company was a regular Thursday night event for a group of us "hired guns" brought in to work on a large IS project in the early '90s. We'd arrive and simply ask Raji to "Keep it coming" and we'd enjoy an amazing feasts time after time. As an added benefit, she had a British waiter who understood the magic of applying Gin to Tonic and showed such skill in doing so that not one of us EVER showed the slightest sign of Malaria the entire year we were there.

Raji was always so proud of her country of origin and her restaurant. She always seemed genuinely happy to see us coming through the door (in spite of the fact that we almost always dropped in without warning) and during every meal with her she continually brought us extra things to try and comment on. I think one evening we were served at least 10 distinctly different chutneys, countless yogurts and six different breads - the theme for the evening seemed to be "Let them eat Bread" (ignoring the 15 or so other courses presented us that evening) - we *NEVER* waddled out in less than three and a half or four hours.

I think I remember someone asking her one evening how she got started in the business and as I recall she said that as far as the restaurant business and cooking for large groups ws concerned, she was self taught and had never attended a cullinary school - I may have this wrong, but I don't think so.

What a terible loss for her family and us all, but even in that I will cherish the memories of those meals and her smiling face all the more. - Thank you for relaying the news of her passing."

- Tom Tyson

[Tweaked]

Here's a link to Raji Jallepalli page on Starchef website. My friend had told me about her and that you could call up, tell her you were visiting and you wanted her to cook for you, and she would make meals up for you. Not sure if that was true or not, but we were planning to roadtrip down to Memphis just to visit her restaurant and then we found out she had passed away.

Starchef website

In any case, back to the original thread topic, I for one am very interested in checking out IndeBleu when it opens.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Completely new concept for me -- could someone give me an idea of dishes that might be served? Sample menu? Anything would be appreciated....

[Tweaked]

As an idea of what may be served (of course not knowing myself) these are some of the dishes that Raji Jallepalli served (used only as an example of what French-Indian food might be like):

Cucumber soup with dill and mustard seeds

Scallops with garlic sented zucchini

swordfish with tamarind-ginger chutney

lamb rack with curry-black peppercrust, curried blackberry sauce

[TGTyson]

... friend had told me about her and that you could call up, tell her you were visiting and you wanted her to cook for you, and she would make meals up for you.  Not sure if that was true or not, but we were planning to roadtrip down to Memphis just to visit her restaurant and then we found out she had passed away.

I would say based on our experiences from the '90-'91 period posted above it was true - at least at the E.I.C.

Thank you for posting the url. I'm embarassed to say that her fame is coming as news to me though I feel she richly deserved it - I've simply thought of her and her restaurant as one of those neat places you stumble into from time to time.

- Tom Tyson

[Monica Bhide]

I have yet to be swept off my feet by fusion Indian food. I have eaten at Mantra in Boston and its very good just not AMAZING as most people do.

I have Raji's book and really like some of her recipes.. its good to make for a change.

But I will hold all opinions until this new one opens.. lets see where it leads.

edited to add a few more words

[Steve Klc]

Sounds like this place has some momentum behind it:

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washingt.../12/story5.html

Nicely-written article.

[DonRocks]

IndeBleu, a 10,000-square-foot, high-end lounge and French/Indian fusion restaurant at 707 G St. NW, with plans to open in September.

Today's elocution lesson:

Inde in French is pronounced like the English and.

Bleu is of course blue, a homonym for blew.

Sing along with me now, to the tune of If You're Happy And You Know It, Clap Your Hands!

Oh it opened in September, IndeBleu.

Oh it opened in September, IndeBleu.

Frendian is all the rage

Frendian is so new age

and it opened in September, IndeBleu.

[iamthestretch]

I dunno. Whatever the Wall Street analyst in the article thinks, I suspect there IS a significant difference between selling global trade software and French/Indian fusion cuisine. Plus, if you view your restaurant as just another outlet for marketing your luxury brand, what are you actually selling: fine food or an upscale lifestyle fantasy? Bet you a dollar Mr. Rishi has a poster of Richard Branson in his study...

[morela]

Plus, IndE is abbr for industrial engineer.

[hjshorter]

fine food or an upscale lifestyle fantasy?

There's a difference? It's so hard to tell these days.

[Mark Sommelier]

I heard a whisper tonight that Patrick O'Connell is involved somehow.

[Joe H]

The best Indian/Fusian/Interpretative that I have ever had is at the one star Zaika in London. Four dinners, each one superb. I have not found anything even remotely similar in America, let alone elsewhere in London.

[DonRocks]

The best Indian/Fusian/Interpretative that I have ever had is at the one star Zaika in London.  Four dinners, each one superb.  I have not found anything even remotely similar in America, let alone elsewhere in London.

I think Indique can be mentioned at least within a similar spirit, if not the same quality level, as Zaika.

Going out to buy some Trojan Magnums,

Rocks.

[hjshorter]

Going out to buy some Trojan Magnums,

Rocks.

T.M.I.

[JennyUptown]

More about IndeBleu.

[fero style]

I guess thats the restaurant where they will lift up all the tables to the ceiling automatically after dinner time and make the place a night club

[bilrus]

This place just sounds like a disaster to me.

[Nadya]

V. curious about IndeBleu for two reasons...

1. WashPost says that "dance instructors from the studio will be brought into the restaurant to help the future staff work on "appearance, posture and style," says Coldren." That's a novel concept...having dabbled in both dance AND scurrying around the dining room, I can say with confidence that the secret to success there is not posture and style, it is the ability to move nimbly through crowded space without bodily harm to yourself or to those who crowd you. Also, being thin helps.

Otherwise, go ahead and train, just don't be surprised when your perfectly pointed foot and extended let gets into someone's scallop plate :) And let's don't mention your exquisite port-de-bras sweeping every bottle in your range of motion from the tables.

2. Also, v. curious about "swinging C-shaped couches on the main floor." Hmmm. Hmmm. Interesting.

[eunny jang]

Also, v. curious about "swinging C-shaped couches on the main floor." Hmmm. Hmmm.  Interesting.

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kinky.