Immigrant Cuisine, 4245 Fairfax Drive (Staff photo: Jared Sale)
Immigrant Food’s bar area (Staff photo by Jared Sale)
Immigrant Food’s bar area (Staff photo by Jared Sale)
Part of the Immigrant Hood decoration (Staff photo: Jared Sale)
Part of the dining area at Immigrant Foods (Staff photo by Jared Sale)
Immigrant Food’s display area and kitchen (Staff photo by Jared Sale)
Immigrant Food’s private dining room (Staff photo: Jared Sale)
A world map in one of Immigrant Food’s private rooms (Staff photo: Jared Sale)
Immigrant Food’s first location outside of Washington, D.C., is scheduled to open in Ballston next week, owners told ARLnow.
The restaurant, which opens Tuesday at 4245 Fairfax Drive across from the Ballston Metro station, will be the newest outpost of Immigrant Food’s “gastroabakashy” dining, which launched in 2019. It will be the largest of the brand’s four restaurants.
“Most restaurants have one heart, which is the kitchen experience,” co-founder Peter Schechter told ARLnow, “and this restaurant has two hearts. It has that, but it also has a mission to celebrate, champion and educate about what immigrants brought to this country, what they are bringing to this country and what they continue to bring to this country.”
The local chain draws on flavours from around the world, creating a menu with a variety of fusion-style dishes, such as fried chicken with Filipino banana ketchup and Caesar salad with miso and other Japanese flavours.
Immigrant Food’s Ballston location will feature a signature cocktail as the centerpiece of its drink menu: the Kanha, named after a national park in India, which includes basil, jalapeño and Japanese shochu.
The restaurant is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and offers a variety of food, wine, and cocktail discounts during happy hour.
The restaurant’s mission doesn’t stop in the kitchen: Recognizing the impact immigration has had on America over the years, Immigrant Food creates several opportunities each week to engage with the immigrant community.
“The whole idea of corporate social responsibility or mission as part of a company is not new,” co-founder Tia Ivanovic says. “I think what we wanted to do was go beyond that and really integrate social mission into the business model.”
The approach has been successful for the brand, which plans to open a fifth store in Fairfax County over the next few years, then expand to other metropolitan areas.
“I think this concept would work in any urban area, whether it’s Washington, Atlanta or the Research Triangle in North Carolina, because it’s completely apolitical,” Schechter said. “It’s a values-based concept that transcends generations, demographics and party lines.”
