The JD Design Award (JDDA) is an annual event where prestigious JD School of Design and JD Institute of Fashion Technology participate. Held in Goa this year, the JDDA 2023 brought together some of the most talented and creative minds from across the country. One of the highlights of this year’s JDDA was the stunning project showcased by Snesha Sunil Mandrekar, a student of JD School of Design. Pursuing her BSc. in Interior Design, Snesha presented her project titled ‘Seoulful Dining’, a redesigned Korean inspired restaurant. Her work was a beautiful representation of her passion for design and her deep interest in Korean culture and cuisine.

Seoulful Dining is a project that aims to redesign a restaurant owned by the parents since 2010 into a Korean themed restaurant. The concept is to pay tribute to the parents and create a unique experience for those who love Korean culture, cuisine and style. The interior and exterior of the restaurant will be designed in a Korean style using materials such as mount board, foam board, paper, plywood, acrylic paint, jute sheet, wire, toothpicks and more. The Korean inspired restaurant will provide a new ambiance for the customers making them feel like they are in Korea.

She chose the topic because it was a blend of her dream restaurant which is Korean themed. She also conveyed that it is her parent’s restaurant which inspired her to take up this topic. The problem she observed was that, In Goa there are not that many Korean themed restaurants. There are some foods that are brought in Goa but not that kind of Korean feel in the restaurant so she wanted to redesign her parents restaurant into a Korean theme and food to bring the Korean feel in the restaurant.

When she was asked whether they incorporated any sustainable, innovative and eco-friendly aspects into their product. Her answer was, The Korean style Restaurant is eco-friendly as it has been built using sustainable materials which are Bamboo, Teak wood, Palm leaves and Jute. It also helps in keeping up with the environmental conservation requirements.

The design of the floor seating platform, curve and partition was original. The shape of the tables and the colors used was inspired and designed as per the Korean theme of the restaurant. The color beige was chosen for the walls and ceiling as it is a soft color which allows the restaurant to look more bright and helps with reflection of light so that the room looks lit. Bamboo, Teak wood was chosen as they help to keep the restaurant cool and well aerated. Palm leaves and Jute were chosen as they are biodegradable and they add to the beauty and aesthetic element of the restaurant. 

The restaurant will attract many customers who love K-pop, K-dramas, K-food and are environmentally conscious. This restaurant caters to all types of customers which include individuals of all age groups – local as well as foreigners, families etc. From customers who want to have simple tea to customers who want to have a pleasant dinner date. It will be most useful for travelers as well. Being Korean themed the restaurant will have a mix of a variety of Korean as well as Indian dishes served to the customers. It will serve customers of any income bracket.