Bun’d Up is closing next month at the Westpost shopping center, making way for a new Indian restaurant led by longtime chefs.
The last day for the Taiwanese restaurant and its speakeasy, Noonchi, is Sunday, Oct. 19, owner Scott Chung told ARLnow. The space at 1201 S. Joyce Street will make way for Pink Saffron, an eatery promising Awadhi cuisine and Indian street food.
Pink Saffron brings an acclaimed chef
- Chefs Shashank Chhatrapati and Ankush Kumar bring over two decades of culinary experience in restaurants and hotels. Kumar previously worked at Semma, a Michelin-starred South Indian restaurant in New York City.
- Pink Saffron’s menu features street food-inspired small plates, curries, biryanis, fresh tandoor bread and Indian-inspired cocktails.
- Chhatrapati, a native of Mumbai, plans to source the restaurant’s spices, cookware and dinnerware from India.
Owners hope to open around Diwali
- Chhatrapati is planning for a quick turnaround after Bun’d Up closes. He aims to open Pink Saffron on or after Diwali, which falls on Monday, Oct. 20.
- The restaurant applied for a liquor license earlier this month and is currently hiring new chefs. Chung is helping the new owners “expedite” the opening process.
Bun’d Up will focus on catering
- Bun’d Up, known for its specialty gua bao, opened six years ago. Its dim sum-focused speakeasy, Sparrow Room, rebranded to “Noonchi” last year with Korean street foods.
- “We want to just go back to focusing on our catering and special events like our markets. That’s how we started,” Chung said. “We appreciate Federal Realty for giving us the opportunity to work with them.”
- Bun’d Up’s Union Market location in D.C. will remain open, Chung said. The restaurant is reachable for catering orders via Instagram.
