Design
Kaméi in Delhi by Project 810 is a rich, sensorial tribute to East-Asian food, design and craftsmanship
JAN 21, 2025 | By Chiransha Prasad
Kaméi is a true treat for the senses. True to the origin of its name, the 2,800 sq ft space in New Delhi unveils itself at the pace of a slow yet steady turtle. There are tantalising peeks to keep you going. A terracotta-red ceiling peeking over the woven metal partitions. A white origami installation floating across the ceiling — the curving shape a distant reminder of a dragon.
All in all, Vritima Wadhwa of Project 810 delivers a Modern Asian restaurant with a raving appetite for delectable design. A distinctive visual language emerges, with textures galore layered as far as the eye can see.
A palette for the palate
Cultivated amidst a bare shell, the spatial groundwork harmonises with the finer details to ensure each handcrafted element receives its due share. No hero is unsung. As Vritima puts it, the space “harmoniously blends textures, terrains, and temperaments”, veering from dramatic inky blacks to lighter beiges, from sinuous wood to rugged quarry-cut stone.
Decadent corners
The earthy interiors are divided into halves by thin latticework screens and billowing drapes. A mix of curves, organic forms and sharp, leading lines create a space both cosy yet true to minimalist Japanese sensibilities.
A wooden door fitted with a live-edge handle greets one at the outset. This confluence of organic shapes against the sleek continues indoors. Beyond, a pathway flanked by woven metal panels leads the way within, casting dramatic shadows in tandem with the sun scurrying across the sky.
Material and light. A powerful duo, as the dining space and bar prove. Lantern-like brass pendant lights float over the tables, casting a dim glow. Beige and terracotta pitted walls wrap the restaurant in a cosy embrace. The layout, albeit open, ducks behind rattan dividers and gauzy curtains that keep the intrigue alive.
Japanese shoji-like doors ensconce the monolithic quarry-cut bar. A sculptural delight, the structure is rugged in parts, smoother in some — akin to the ebb and flow of a river. A sleek metal bar back plays foil to its rough-hewn surface.
The private dining space unveils new material interplays and elements. A live-edged wooden table occupies pride of place. Here, the pitted walls are mounted with bespoke concrete tablets imprinted with water-like waves and whirls.
Distinct yet never disjointed, these spaces stay true to the restaurant’s overarching visual identity. The goal? “To evoke a sense of calm and discovery, allowing the design and culinary elements to complement each other,” explains Vritima. The space’s meditative minimalism does anything but lull you to sleep, peppered with exciting material discoveries.
Texture, texture, texture
A fitting metaphor for the varied textures on display is any dish off the restaurant’s delectable Pan-Asian menu. The broth? Granite flooring, dressed in river wash and leather finishes. The meat of the matter lies in the handcrafted details, right from the live edge wood tables and handles to the quarry-cut mammoth bar.
The partitions, made of handcrafted warp and weft in metal wire and hand-dyed rattan, add both a visual break and character to the space — rather like a palate cleanser.
The veritable cherry on top, of course, is the ombre-silk-dyed origami installation snaking through the space. With mesmerising accordion-like folds, the intricate installation shines underneath the dramatic lighting — an unmissable highlight.
Kaméi’s roots may be East Asian, but its stunning design narrative holds global appeal. Forfeiting fast-paced trends, the space spotlights handcrafted elements crafted with painstaking effort. In the race against the hare, the turtle wins yet again.
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