When Jatin Bunty Grewal moved to California from India in 2018, he found himself disappointed with what he perceived to be a lack of modern Indian food in the Bay Area.
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“There was still a lot of lag in fine dining or the modern definition of food in India, the young India, which was not served here,” he said.
A supermodel and actor in Bollywood who transitioned into the food industry when he moved to Dublin, Grewal took matters into his own hands and teamed up with Rivaaz Hospitality to bring Pippal Emeryville to life two years ago.
Monday, his vision will expand into a second location, Pippal Dublin, replacing the Coco Cabana that closed last fall.
The chef is Munish Rana, the same chef behind Pippal Emeryville and Rooh in New Delhi. He’s brought over his favorites from the Emeryville location while creating a selection of menu items exclusive to the new spot.
Among the new entrees include a Parsi fish curry ($32) in mustard-flavored coconut and coriander gravy, inspired by coastal flavors of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and a chicken Chettinad curry ($24), spiced meat simmered in the regional flavors with boiled egg, curry leaf and chili oil. There are also some new small plates, like the roasted gunpowder idli ($18), steamed rice cakes tossed in spiced “gunpowder” with mustard curry and tomato chutney, and Ladaki Thupka ($20), noodle and vegetable broth from Ladakh.
Grewal, a model and actor who has worked in film and music videos, sat down for a Q&A to tell us about his vision.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length:
Q: Can you tell me how you got involved in starting a restaurant?
Grewal: “In India I was a model and an actor in Bollywood, and I was involved in some restaurant business over there with a few friends of mine. And when I moved to the U.S. to pursue my career in acting and modeling, I saw a great opportunity here. There was still a lot of lag in the fine dining or the modern definition of food in India, the young India, which was not served here, as there was still a lot of mom and pop stores, families working and not able to give the authentic cuisine. And that’s how it all started.”
Q: How did you know what kind of food you wanted to offer?
Grewal: “Since I was modeling and acting, we would go shooting to different regions of India, go to different states and different locals would cook different food, which was so alien, but I enjoyed every bit of it. It was all new to me, but there was no need to develop taste. It was just perfect. And that’s when I realized that in the entire India, there is commercial food, which everybody needs, but then there is so much more, so much regional authentic ingredients, which create the magic.”
Q: When you moved here, was it hard to find someone who could make that kind of food?
Grewal: “I’m involved with Indian grocery markets. We have a few stores in in Fremont and San Jose. And then I got involved with other Indian restaurants. And we brought our team from India, our chefs who are trained and the best in their field. And they bring out the best with local ingredients, California ingredients.”
Q: Do you have any favorite dishes that you were excited to include?
Grewal: “I really like Laal Mass ($34), which is from a state called Rajasthan. It’s goat meat. I’m really excited about that. Also, I’m excited about the Sattvik menu we are going to offer, which is vegetarian and vegan, but also another level to it. There’s a big community of Indians which eat Sattvik food. So it has to be without onion and garlic. So it’s super close to heart to many Indians, and it’s not available everywhere. So over here at this location, we’re going to do a Sattvik menu all around the year.”
The Laal-Maas meat curry at the new Pippal Dublin, an Indian restaurant that builds off the acclaimed Emeryville location of the same name. (Courtesy of Neetu Laddha Photography)
Q: What inspired the idea to open a second location, and why did you choose this specific spot?
Grewal: “I live in Dublin. So Dublin is very close to my heart. And Dublin is growing. We got an opportunity to find this space, which was initially a hot favorite of the locals. So everybody who I spoke about this place, they’d been there for some kind of event or a birthday party.”
Q: What kind of vibe are you going for in the interior design?
Grewal: “This is Art Deco vibe.”
Carolina and Jatin Bunty are the owners behind the new Pippal Dublin, an Indian restaurant that builds off the acclaimed Emeryville location of the same name. (Courtesy of Neetu Laddha Photography)
Q: Tell us about the space. What makes it unique?
Grewal: “It’s a massive space. We are doing a nice private dining room where we will start chef’s tasting soon. The space is great for events. For their birthdays, anniversaries, small gatherings from a 100 to 200 to 250, we can accommodate them and give them the finest of experience.”
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Q: Have you enjoyed working in restaurants?
Grewal: “Oh yeah. I really, really enjoy it now. It was tough in the beginning because it’s not what it looks like from outside. There are so many variables every day. But I enjoy it. My wife, Carolina, really supports me. And we have three kids, young kids.”
Q: Is it hard balancing the restaurant business with family life? Are you still pursuing modeling and acting?
Grewal: “It is. I wouldn’t call it the easiest. It’s challenging. It has its own challenges. We try and make sure we give enough time to our kids. I am still pursuing acting and modeling. I have some offers. I’m still contemplating maybe this year, maybe next year, I will do something.”
Details: Opening in Monday, Oct. 6, and open daily from 5-10 p.m. at 4500 Tassajara Road, Dublin; pippaldublin.com.
