Pippal is an Indian restaurant at an Emeryville, Calif., mall that exceeds what customers have come to expect from mall food. Pippal focuses on lesser-known regional Indian cuisines, creating a dining experience that fuses varied traditional dishes with modern influences. It’s the latest restaurant from Anu and Vikram Bhambri, owners of Rooh, a modern Indian restaurant in San Francisco.
Designed by Studio BANNA, the space, like the cuisine, is inspired by regional Indian art and architecture. The traditional Indian repeating archway, seen in many historic buildings and Kalamkari art is abstracted here as a cascading triangular form materializing in the bar and ceiling elements. The bar is a focal point with its triangular form illuminating like a lantern from all directions.
Seating was maximized via the use of benches along the perimeter and by extending the dining space to the outdoors with a large industrial garage-style door.
Images courtesy of Mikiko Kikuyama
