Recipes
Photo courtesy of Pippal.
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Bollywood actor and model Jatin Grewal has opened a new chapter in California, channeling his cinematic eye for rhythm, framing, and mood into hospitality through Rivaaz Hospitality, the restaurant group he leads with his wife, restaurateur‑artist Carolina Grewal. Together, the couple has built a portfolio of Bay Area concepts that bring regional Indian recipes together with California produce, crafted cocktails, and composed service, with Pippal Dublin as their latest showcase of refined, modern Indian dining.
A cinematic sensibility for California kitchens
After years on sets and runways, Jatin brought his sense of timing and visual storytelling to the Bay Area, where he and Carolina now guide how guests experience Indian cuisine from entry to final course. Their work with Pippal began in Emeryville, where the flagship regional Indian restaurant established a model of calm, design‑forward dining rooms and layered plates, followed by Pippal Dublin at 4500 Tassajara Road in the Tri‑Valley. Within the wider Rooh group, the Grewals joined as partners after its creation rather than as original founders, helping to expand and open newer concepts such as Fitoor, Alora, and the Pippal locations while collaborating with the existing Rooh team instead of claiming creative ownership.
Under the Rivaaz Hospitality umbrella, their portfolio includes Pippal, Fitoor, Alora, Café Tazza, and Baithak, each focusing on a different side of Indian dining. Café Tazza functions as an Indian bakery, sweet shop, and QSR‑style street‑food restaurant, while Baithak centers on Indian kebabs and curries in a warmly inviting setting. Across these spaces, interiors show clean lines, warm lighting, and a welcoming sense of occasion, with playlists, color schemes, and visual details reflecting the same careful balance that once guided Jatin’s performances on screen and Carolina’s work in fashion and design.
From stage to plate: Composed service and accessible menus
The attention to pacing that defined Jatin’s on‑camera presence now guides how courses move through the dining room. Service at Pippal and their sister concepts favors calm over spectacle: teams are trained to read the table, explain dishes clearly, and let guests decide the tempo of their evening. Carolina’s eye shows up in restrained, elegant plating—lively colors, precise garnishes, and uncluttered compositions that emphasize the ingredients rather than overshadow them.
Menus draw on India’s regional culinary traditions and make the most of California’s seasons. At Pippal, modern Indian cooking anchors the experience, from long‑simmered curries and coastal fish preparations to tandoor‑fired kebabs and regional specialties rarely seen in the U.S, while Café Tazza extends the story into mithai, bakery items, and street‑food favorites, and Baithak concentrates on kebabs and curries meant for sharing. Cocktails and spirit‑free drinks echo the kitchen’s spice and acidity—bright, layered, and textural—helping guests new to regional Indian flavors find combinations that feel approachable. Feedback is built into the group’s rhythm, with guest comments guiding tweaks to spice levels, portion sizes, and seasonal offerings.
California’s new chapter in Indian dining
Carolina and Jatin Grewal keep composure, detail, and accessibility at the core of Rivaaz Hospitality. Restaurant spaces are arranged for comfort, from table spacing and upholstery to sound levels and lighting, so that a weekday visit to Café Tazza, a kebab‑focused evening at Baithak, or a date night at Pippal Dublin feels equally intentional. Pippal Dublin, in particular, shows the current standard: a modern regional Indian dining room in Dublin, California, that pairs polished food with attentive service and an atmosphere designed for lingering.
Menus change with market produce and the preferences of a growing group of regulars, but one thread stays constant—visual polish, clear guidance from staff, and food that balances depth and clarity without excess. As Rivaaz Hospitality looks at opportunities outside the Bay Area, including growth into Nevada, the Grewals’ influence appears in every detail, from the way a plate lands on the table to the way a room glows at golden hour. For Northern California diners, this chapter in Jatin Grewal’s life reads as a story of poise and flavor: Bollywood sensibility translated into welcoming rooms and layered regional Indian experiences.