Photo by Jared Foretek
In Cleveland Park, Israeli restaurant Sababa has been thriving, according to owner Ashok Bajaj. In 2018, it was named one of the best new restaurants in the city by Washington Post food critic Todd Seitsema, and Bajaj is keeping on the Mediterranean theme with his latest restaurant, Olivia, which opened last month downtown.
“I like everything about Israel,” Bajaj said. “When I go there I like the culture, the people, the historic sites and the diversity of the cuisine, how people from all over the Middle East and the world moved there and brought their own cuisine.”
Bajaj said he plans to return to Israel this year, possibly bringing back a new menu item or two for Sababa. His new venture, Olivia, features Sababa’s fan-favorite hummus, which the Washingtonian said “quickly became our first stop whenever we had a hummus craving.”
