Come 2 p.m. in many Washington, D.C., restaurants, the lunch rush is all but over. The wait staff is cleaning tables across the street at the European-styled Brasserie Beck. And just around the corner at David Chang’s Momofuku CCDC, only a few diners remain at low-rise tables near the bar.

But for Kazi Mannan, owner of Sakina Halal Grill, the lunch rush is j... read more...