For the more than two years, DC has been home to one of the three Karma Kitchens nation wide. The organization founded a revolutionary dining concept based in the idea of paying a good dead forward. Patrons are seated to a fix prix lunch where there are no checks, no bills, no prices on the menu. Instead the diner is asked to pay their meal forward, whether it be paying what you can for the meal of the person after you, volunteering, or donations to charitable organizations. This last Sunday, a small envelope with a donation inside was left after a meal: To Japan.
For more than two years, Sunday lunch service at Dalchinni’s in Dupont Circle has been an experiment on generosity. Nearly one hundred individuals a week are served traditional Indian foods such as palak paneer, chickpeacurry with basmati rice, naan, dal, raita, and mango lassies. Guests are waited on by volunteers, giving their free time to a worthy cause. This last Sunday Karma Kitchen closed for a hiatus, in need of a new host restaurant.
With thousands of diners through the years participating in the good will and karma spread by this organization, it seems only fitting that DC should pay it forward for Karma Kitchen as well.
Firstly, Karma Kitchen needs to find a new restaurant willing to be their host. Forwarding this post via email, facebook and twitter will be a huge show of support for a good cause, and hopefully will aid Karma Kitchen in finding a new location. The preferences are for DC metro based Indian restaurant with licensed kitchen, and chef willing to cook and provide the food for a weekly Sunday fix prix lunch. As Karma Kitchen has been featured in many local newspapers and magazines, as well as nationwide and international publications the new host restaurant will be receiving a good deal of tangible karma by means of publicity and patronage.
Secondly, Karma Kitchen is always in need of a few good volunteers. While on their retreat Karma Kitchen DC will be continuing to work with “guerrilla kindness” projects. Not to mention that when the new host restaurant is found you can be an employee for a day. If either option interests you there is more information on the Karma Kitchen website.
If you have any suggestions or contacts, please email [email protected] or share this article to help Karma Kitchen DC find a new home.
Jana Erwin is the primary chef and writer of CherryTeaCakes.com, a non-profit venture combining the love of fine desserts and feeding the impoverished in Washington, DC. You can follow her posts on twitter:@cherryteacakes.
