How Rasa used furniture to define an authentic culinary experience

5,500 sqft

Included furnishing & Interiors

F&B

Detailed concepts of open kitchen

Completed

The paddy field inspired ceiling is the highlight of the ambience

The guiding vision behind Rasa is Chef Das Sreedharan. Born in Kerala, and never far from food being grown, food getting prepared and food building communities, Das moved to London to study accounting. His infatuation with preparing food and building communities around food soon became his calling. Rasa was born as a movement in the UK to explore the concept of authenticity in one’s food — to source the right ingredients and understanding the right processes to make that food.

The opportunity

After setting up Rasa, Das also promoted cooperative farms, where food is grown naturally, with no interference. His well-received lectures, titled ‘An Evening with Das’- inspire his audience to pay attention to how they eat and what they eat.

Rasa’s food is inspired by the authentic home cooking of beautiful, spice-rich Kerala, from where all their chefs are trained. Food is their only passion, prepared for their patrons, always with devotion, love, and the finest ingredients.

Chef Das had big plans — he wanted to bring Rasa back to India, Cochin. Cochin enjoys a food culture that was enriched by successive waves of migration over several millennia. Chef Das sought Rubenius to help bring this vision to life.

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The challenge

We understood that the theme of the Indian restaurant would be a participatory experience. One where Das’ patrons could activate all the senses and have a higher-awareness of the food and the ingredients that went into it’s making. For this, the interiors be enriched with rustic, organic and delightful traditional cues of south Indian food yet not losing it urban contemporary global identity in the UK.

The results

Decor

The wood and lighting gave the place a natural and homely feel. The dominant theme of the decor here was natural colours, which was dominated by earthy browns, and greens accented by it’s primary colour, fuschia rose. A colour that represented appreciation and gratitude and signified happiness and joy, along with the purity of intention.

Ambience

Rasa, a word derived from the Sanskrit language, means “flavour”. We brought this alive through the open kitchen and live counter peripheral seating. The concealed lighting and the soft-fabric ceiling reflected the warm evening sky, adding to the sensorial culinary experience.

Rasa’s brand identity was further brought to life with bespoke handmade furniture and biophilia that surrounded the interiors to infuse natural, wholesome and healthy cues to the decor.

Conclusion

This unique design of the restaurant created a complete hospitality experience, inviting guests to be socially immersive in conversations about food and local tradition through its ambience. Rasa was featured and raved about in the local media and saw many patrons lining up for bookings since its launch. It was promoted as the first completely open-kitchen restaurant than served more than just food—it served culture on a plate.

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"It's easier to establish an Indian fine dine in London compared to launch a south indian cuisine in Bangalore. We are delighted to have this place and looking forward expand in other cities too."

Sreedharan Das

Chef, Rasa

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