56 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {food coloring} successful restaurant isn’t fueled solely by its food. The beverage program, service and design are just as integral. “Restaurants get a personality by all these things being tied together,” Srijith emphasizes. “One person cannot take credit for it. It’s multiple people’s ideas. It’s a very collaborative, complex thing.” Take the restaurant’s interior, a decadent dreamscape of jewel tones, geometric patterns and funky wallpaper brought to life by Ayesha in partnership with Schoos Design. Embracing a lively bohemian tone, Ayesha included a stunning floorto-ceiling macrame hanging behind the host stand and tigers on the backs of the barstools. Vines coiling around columns evoke temple ruins, while ancient-looking artifacts and a village mural enhance an atmosphere of antiquity. Art is everywhere. Lampshades like rumpled baskets elicit a bustling bazaar scene. “Ayesha and myself, we are artists in our own ways,” Srijith says. “Where you eat is as important as what you eat.” The two previously joined forces to launch Ettan in Palo Alto (commended by Architectural Digest for its design) and Copra in San Francisco (which recently ranked among San Francisco Chronicle’s top seven restaurants citywide). “We’ve taken a very deliberate decision of not repeating a concept,” says Srijith. Copra is named after dried coconut, a popular ingredient in South Indian cuisine. The restaurant highlights the Indian state of Tamil Nadu where Srijith grew up, meaning there’s plenty of seafood on the menu as well as ingredients like tamarind, turmeric and rice, which are also common to the region. “Out of all these concepts, that is a little more emotional and personal to me, because it’s home food,” Srijith says. Ettan, an homage to the eclectic nature of Indian food, offers bold dishes in a bold space. The decor includes chandeliers, pendant lights and hanging plants, all suspended below a grand glass dome. India doesn’t just have one cuisine, Srijith points
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