SANTACRUZ
ZEN MAI
2020

Housed in Santacruz West, this modern fine dining Asian restaurant offers a fusion of traditional Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes with a touch of Indian and Nigerian flavors. We wanted to create a restaurant with a strong identity that ought to be as vibrant in two very different contexts: from cozy day time brunches and lunches that transitioned seamlessly to fine dining dinners during the night. We intentionally wanted to stay clear from traditional oriental styling for the space but were keen on using Asian philosophies and design principles as an inspiration throughout the design process.
The Japanese philosophy of ‘Wabi Sabi’ and Kintsugi inspired the design of this space. ‘Wabi’ stands for rustic simplicity or understated elegance, while ‘Sabi’ is interpreted as enjoying the imperfect. Following the notion of nothing lasts forever, nothing is fully complete and nothing is perfect. Interpretations of these philosophies can be seen in various design details across the space. A great example of this is the broken tile at the entrance to the dining area which has been carefully filled with golden colored grout that emphasizes its faults and damage- the art of ‘kintsugi’. A couple more examples are the abrupt ending of inlay borders in the flooring, old chipped pottery displayed on shelves emboldened by silhouettes it creates with the help of color and light.
Photography: Ishita Sitwala