Karma Kitchen DC

We have moved!

karmakitchendc — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:38:44 +0000

Please note, we have moved to http://www.karmakitchen.org

You can use this link to sign up to volunteer at Karma Kitchen in DC.

Karma Kitchen DC Cancelled on September 20th for KK Potluck!

karmakitchendc — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:05:56 +0000

Did you know that Karma Kitchen was featured on the Best Bites Blog on www.washingtonian.com?

Sign up online to volunteer for Karma Kitchen!

karmakitchendc — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:17:45 +0000

You can now use this online form to sign up to volunteer for Karma Kitchen!

1. Click on the link above or copy and paste this link into your browser(http://www.karmakitchen.org/vol.php?op=vol_dc)

2. Make sure you are signing up for Karma Kitchen DC. Fill out your information and check off which date you are available to volunteer for KK.

3. If there is a match with our requirements that week, our volunteer coordinators will be in touch with you. Please note that filling out the form does NOT confirm your volunteer role for KK. You will receive an email from a volunteer coordinator confirming your role.

We look forward to having you volunteer with us!

Reminder: September 20th KK is cancelled because we are having a Volunteer Apprecation Potluck that day. Email karmakitchendc@gmail.com for more information!

August 16th

karmakitchendc — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:32:28 +0000

We served 50 guests on this hot and lovely Sunday afternoon!

Some special moments:

- A family from California who were visiting DC walked in knowing nothing about the concept and had a great time.

- The community table, as always, was a place where guests made new friends and had great conversations
- Two women walked in because they passed someone on the street outside of the restaurant who convinced them to try it out because it would give them “good karma”!
- A back room with 2 strollers and 2 very cute babies who got to enjoy the KK experience!

Comments from guests:

-Thanks for a great lunch. “Every journey begins with one step” continue doing this it’s a great idea in seed form. Find enclosed my cards, to continue in the spirit of giving I would like to share my services at your leisure.

-Very good food. Enjoyed our meal, especially the dessert. Bela was very helpful.

-(Written in Japanese) Totemo oishiikatta desu. Arigatou = it was very delicious. thank you

-Thank you for a delicious lunch! We will definitely be back!’

-Thank you for a wonderful afternoon! the service was great and the peach tart was delicious

-Thank you very much for your delicious meal and delightful service. We had a great time.

-As always, Karma Kitchen was amazing. Welcome back Aparna! It’s great to have you back in DC! Thank you Sala for the fabulous watermelon juice and peach tart. Your creativity in the kitchen always makes the meal an adventure. Thank you!

-Aparna and karma Kitchen friends, What a gift to encounter such a unique place! The food was delicious, even more, your generosity is compelling and impressive. Thank you!

July 12 Karma Kitchen

karmakitchendc — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:38:28 +0000

After a brief respite for the Fourth of July Holiday, Karma Kitchen was back last weekend. Another group of dedicated volunteers contributed their time, spirit and smiles, and served 55 guests!

Special moments from the past two Karma Kitchens:

A guest mentioned that service at karma kitchen was “better than in a regular restaurant”!
A group visiting for Spain dropped in and loved the Karma Kitchen concept as well as the food.
The volunteers were able to spend time with the chefs in the kitchen and get a few cooking tips!
Everyone was thrilled to see an article on Karma Kitchen in Washingtonian magazine!

Guest comments:

Thank you very much for a wonderful meal. It was a great experience and we look forward to paying it forward
Thank you for a wonderful experience, I think you are doing a generous deed. I will definitely volunteer one day!
It was a great way to introduce my friends to the Indian food and philosophy of karma and kindness. Also a great way to keep spirits up and think of ways to help others during our hectic lives
As always, you guys rock! The food was delicious; the vibe was Karmatastic; and our community table karma inducer was awesome!

If you’d like to share your positive energy with others and volunteer with Karma Kitchen, email KarmaKitchenDC (at) gmail (dot) com. We look forward to hearing from you!

karmakitchendc — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:22:20 +0000

Karma Kitchen DC

On February 15th, Karma Kitchen DC opened its doors and started a movement and an experiment in generosity.

15 Karma Kitchen Events
80 Volunteers
700 Guests Served

June 1st, 2009 - Karma Kitchen is an experiment in generosity that moves us all towards incorporating kindness and compassion into our lives. Run mostly by volunteers each week, our meals are cooked and served with love, and offered to the guest as a genuine gift. To complete the full circle of giving and to sustain this experiment, we leave it to the guest to pay it forward, expressing their goodness in whatever way they wish. One immediate option is to contribute toward the cost of serving a future guest. In keeping this chain going, the generosity of both guests and volunteers helps to create a future that moves from transaction to trust, from self-oriented isolation to shared commitment, and from fear of scarcity to a celebration of abundance.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being an important part of Karma Kitchen – as a guest, a volunteer, or a supporter. Karma Kitchen has been running for over 15 weeks, every Sunday from 12pm to 3pm at the Polo India Club(1736 Connecticut Avenue NW) and we would like to share with you some of our experiences over the past 3 months.

Connect with Us

Visit our blog
Join our Facebook group
View pictures on Flickr
Read blog posts about Karma Kitchen DC
Email us at KarmaKitchenDC@gmail.com to write a guest blog post on our own blog

Get Involved!
Serve and Be Served: Karma Kitchen will continue to run every Sunday at the Polo India Club in Dupont Circle (1736 Connecticut Ave NW) from 12pm to 3pm. We look forward to serving you! Karma Kitchen is run by volunteers each week. Email us at KarmaKitchenDC@gmail.com to volunteer for an upcoming Karma Kitchen.

Reflections

A Committed Volunteer - I came to Karma Kitchen by accident. A good friend was setting up the social experiment and initially I had no interest in it – yuppies feeding yuppies? However, a combination of chance and luck put me there on my 30th birthday. I underestimated the power of change associated with giving a meal. It wasn’t about “pay it forward” or “altruism.” It was about making an experience in the moment. I feel refreshed and renewed when I go and sometimes I feel guilty. Am I doing it for me or for them? Both. (Kabi Shah)

A Regular Guest - The notion of Karma Kitchen made me curious about how it would work based on generosity and goodwill rather than the dictates of supply, demand and payment. I didn’t doubt that generosity would work (how could families or faith communities prosper without it?), but I was eager to observe it in the context of public meals. When the server brought that first meal, the abstractions gave way to a simple joy. The food was delicious and nutritious. I’ve been coming back on a regular basis and Karma Kitchen is one of my favorite times of the week. (Robert Thomason)

Karma Kitchen Berkeley - Karma Kitchen DC put down roots and unfurled its petals. The ripples are joyous proof that true generosity blossoms everywhere. (Pavi Mehta)

Core Team Members - The Karma Kitchen Core Team have been involved in the planning and management of Karma Kitchen in DC which has been a transformative experience in its own way!

Transformational and welcoming, KK teaches much greater success is achieved when economic expectations give way to social expectations like kindness, equality, and generosity. (Jonathan Tucker). ** From Karma Kitchen, I have learned that Generosity truly is contagious and that Community is a powerful thing. (Nirali Shah) ** In a society based on results, I have accepted that Karma Kitchen has the potential to transform people in a way that cannot be quantified. (Aparna Kothary)**Karma Kitchen provides a welcoming space, full of generosity and love, for people to connect resulting in an exhilarating energy and enthusiasm for life (that you feel as soon as you step in) that makes you want to spend every Sunday afternoon there. (Aakruti Shah)

Reactions
- Karma Kitchen is the only way I like to spend my Sunday afternoons. The friends I have met here are some of my closest in DC. This is the first place I bring visitors when I come to the city.

- To those who came before me and those who came after. I know that you will enjoy and share your experience with those you love, do not know, new friends…Thank you. Pay-it-forward!

- Thank you to everyone involved for sharing this experience with my daughter and I. I am truly inspired by this act of geneoristy and will surely pass this gift on and into the world. We walked by your restaurant by pure chance on Sunday. I hope that all families who are struggling will find generosity in the world around them.

- It’s good to be back. KK is like my church, always inspiring and the loving welcoming atmosphere is so refreshing.

- Thanks again for a delicious meal and good company. This week I paid it forward by buying dinner for a friend who needed a break (and a meal) and gave a jar of change I had been saving to the Street Sense guy. I still have to make the donation that I promised last week, and it’s probably about time to pay it forward by paying it back to Karma Kitchen!

- I was smiling and happy before I even got my plate! Thanks for making my day.

- Thank you for this refreshing experience. My friend and I came to lunch to discuss our thoughts and work – both of us are conscientious objectors. We are encouraged by this example of generosity and community and hope to pass along the positive energy and ideals you’ve demonstrated.

_____________________________________________________

May 24th Karma Kitchen

karmakitchendc — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:10:18 +0000

Some special moments from a Memorial Day Karma Kitchen where we served almost 70 guests!

One volunteer brought hibiscus flowers from Egypt and we introduced a new drink. The hibiscus lemonade we made with it was a hit. The UCDC students requested that we make it again next week because its their favorite drink and next week is their last week in DC and eating at Karma Kitchen.
A past volunteer who brought friends with her and they all left meaningful items for the Kindness Tag box
Being able to serve a regular Karma Kitchen volunteer and his parents
Huge groups of UCDC kids who came throughout the afternoon and filled the restaurant with their high spirits
A few groups of people who had never heard of Karma Kitchen but were “oriented” by their servers and left with a positive feeling!

Guest Comments:

Karma Kitchen is the only way I like to spend my Sunday afternoons. The friends I have met here are some of my closest in DC. This is the first place I bring visitors when I come to the city.
Thank you for holding this great service for the community that will definitely help those who receive the generous fruits from paying it forward.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful meal. I have never felt so much at home. Love your concept. I will devote my life helping my community.
First off, your food was so flavorful! Anyways, I just wanted to say that I am going to most definitely pay it forward and you guys inspire me! Keep up the good work! P.S. hibiscus lemonade = heaven

May 17th Karma Kitchen

karmakitchendc — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:22:02 +0000

Thank you to all who volunteered or came as a guest to Karma Kitchen!

Special moments:

two women from Peru who walked in completely unfamiliar with KK and walked out with great appreciation for the concept of KK

an adorable baby girl who came to enjoy the Karma Kitchen experience with her parents and left with a small gift from us

a group “regulars” from the UCDC program who filled the backroom with laughter and appreciation

Guest Comments:

Thank you for the great meal! After wandering around Dupont Circle looking for a good vegetarian restaurant, my friend and I came across Karma Kitchen. We were meeting to discuss our faith, our time spend in the Army, and our successful discharges and conscientious objectors to war..
Thank you Karma Kitchen! I was here last weekend as a volunteer and was so excited to bring my parents visiting this weekend. The food was delicious, the volunteers were even smilier and friendlier than maybe ever before. I left last weekend with a full soul and a happy heart – thank you for continuing that feeling this weekend.
Many smiles and much good cheer this morning. It’s good to be home. Laughter and new faces keep us all young at heart.
This is nice concept and we liked it. We are glad that we are part of this circle and would like to continue it. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you for another peaceful Sunday. I enjoyed every bit of the food and the volunteers are very passionate. I look forward to volunteering.

May 10th Karma Kitchen – Happy Mother’s Day!

karmakitchendc — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:25:29 +0000

On May 10th, we served 50 guests who came in on a beautiful Sunday to experience this experiment in generosity.

Special moments from today:

a woman who came wanting to volunteer on the spot but joined us at the community table instead and stayed almost the entire duration of KK
giving out small potted basil plants to guests and hearing their excitement for starting an herb garden or giving the plant to someone who loves gardening
a bustling community table with both old faces and new but always the same level of excitement and conversation
another large group of UCDC students who always fill KK with enthusiasm and cheerful smiles
glowing compliments from my family who came to celebrate Mother’s Day for my mother and my aunt

Guest Comments:

Thank you! for the experience of Karma Kitchen. Continue to spread the generosity.

Thank you, Rajan! and all of Karma Kitchen. We will be smiling for the rest of the day. (They also left us with a paper crane made out of the placemat)

You guys are great! Thanks so much for your friendly service and yummy food that always brightens my sunday.

Beth, Karma Kitchen – Thank you for the brilliant food, experience, and idea. It is true that you can taste the love and consideration. With gratitude, Charles and Robert

What a wonderful idea and experience! This was such a peaceful and relaxing afternoon that spread joy – thre was so much gratitude in the air. Also, the basil was a lovely touch! Thank you!

Our experience at Karma Kitchen was an excellent one! It was a great choice for mother’s day – we got tasty, home-made food with great service in a relaxed atmosphere. Excellent work – we hope to come back again soon! PS – good chai.

May 3rd Karma Kitchen

karmakitchendc — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:30:59 +0000

On May 3rd, Karma Kitchen volunteers served over 50 guests. Even though it was raining and gloomy outside, our volunteers warmed the spirits of guests as soon as they came in.

Join us on Sunday, May 9th to celebrate Mother’s Day!

Special moments from today:

a past Karma Kitchen volunteer brought his parents who were in town to experience KK
seeing familiar faces at the Community Table and watching them greet each other in newfound friendship!
a serendipitous connection for one volunteer who found someone who will be traveling abroad to the same place with the same program in a few months
adding an extra Community Table to further the idea of connectedness!
a large group from the UCDC (University of California in Washington DC) program who love the idea of KK and spread the word throughout the program – they plan to come back week after week!

Guest Comments:

To those who came before me and those who came after. I know that you will enjoy and share your experience with those you love, do not know, new friends…
My friend and I are going to let other people in the University of California program know about Karma Kitchen and hopefully in a few weeks we can share this with a great deal more people. Thank you so much. This makes my week exciting waiting for the next Sunday
I wish I had more to give. If anything I’lll try my best to improve the life of someone else J I love the Karma Kitchen and will try to spread the word.

Check out these blog posts about Karma Kitchen DC: