Inside Karan Johar’s Latest Restaurant in Gurgaon, Defined by Shibui Restraint and Calm

Style Essentials Edit Team
3 days ago
4 min read

Gurgaon doesn’t lack Japanese restaurants. In fact, it embraced the cuisine long before it became shorthand for urban cool, and Golf Course Road now reads almost like a curated map of Far Eastern influences. Which is precisely why Oju, filmmaker Karan Johar’s latest restaurant, arrives without needing to announce itself loudly. It doesn’t rely on novelty, celebrity pull, or culinary theatrics to make its point. Instead, it slows things down.

Co-owned by Johar and Truepalate Hospitality, and designed by Aayushi Malik of Aayushi Malik Designs, Oju presents a quieter, more deliberate interpretation of Japanese dining, one that places as much emphasis on atmosphere and rhythm as it does on food and drink. It is restrained where others are performative, calm where the neighbourhood often leans energetic, and that contrast is what gives the space its character.

Located on Golf Course Road, often referred to as Gurgaon’s own Ginza, the 120-seater restaurant occupies a ground-floor site spread across roughly 5,000 square feet. The design draws from the Japanese philosophy of Shibui, a concept centred on understated beauty, subtle depth, and purposeful simplicity. Nothing here feels excessive. Every material, surface, and object appears to have been chosen because it needed to be there, not because it filled space.

The interiors lean into natural stone flooring, warm wood cladding, soft neutral tones, and generous daylight, creating an environment that feels grounded and quietly elegant. The palette stays deliberately muted, allowing texture to do most of the work. The result is a space that feels composed rather than curated, closer to a lived-in retreat than a showpiece restaurant.

The site itself posed challenges early on. Its awkward geometry made symmetry difficult, and instead of forcing order, the design team chose to work with irregularity. The façade was opened up, unusual corners were framed rather than hidden, and functional storage was carved into unexpected pockets. Multiple seating typologies introduce rhythm without visual noise: low sofas in the private dining room, curved couches with poufs and rugs in the central zone, and cocktail tables lining the edges. Each area has its own personality, yet the space never feels fragmented.

One of Oju’s most defining features is its open façade, protected by 14-foot-high glass screens that blur the boundary between indoors and out. This transparency allows the dining room to flow seamlessly into a modern zen garden outside. Tall plants, dense shrubs, varied pavers, and slate flooring soften the geometry of the site, adding a layer of calm that feels rare in Gurgaon’s dining landscape. Guests can move between quiet corners and more social zones within the same evening, without ever feeling redirected.

Art, here, is intentionally restrained. Determined to avoid predictable Japanese décor, the founders opted for handcrafted interventions that reveal themselves slowly. Hand-painted line drawings extend across metallic bathroom walls, delicate landscapes appear on custom dome-shaped chandeliers, and reimagined vintage portraits are rendered on grainy wooden panels. Nothing shouts. Everything whispers.

These artistic touches are complemented by personal artefacts collected during the founders’ travels, coffee-table books on Japanese cuisine and textiles, region-inspired wallpapers, and handwoven wool and jute rugs. Oak wood in dark open grain, textured wall finishes, and a mix of travertine and wooden tiles bring warmth and tactility. Accessories soften the space, lending it an almost residential quality, as though the restaurant has been inhabited rather than styled.

While restraint defines most of Oju, the bar is where the space allows itself a moment of drama. Anchored along the longest wall, it features mirrored cladding that flows into the ceiling, amplifying scale and light. Open shelving maximises storage while creating visual interest, punctuated by ceramic pitchers adorned with delicate calligraphy, subtle nods to traditional Japanese urns, balanced by textured wood panels. It is confident without being overwhelming.

Given that Oju operates exclusively in the evenings, lighting plays a central role in shaping the experience. Harsh overhead fixtures are avoided in favour of tall floor lamps, travertine table lamps, and flickering candles housed in glass votives. The space glows in warm amber tones, layered and intimate. As the night progresses, the lighting deepens almost imperceptibly, mirroring the shift from relaxed dining to a more bar-forward mood.

The cocktail programme reflects this same sense of rhythm. Conceptualised with Countertop and led by mixologist Siya Negi, the menu follows a lunar progression, beginning light and approachable before moving into richer, moodier territory as the evening unfolds. Highballs anchor the offering, tall, sparkling, and easy to sip, while bolder drinks introduce a Japanese-Peruvian dialogue that feels playful rather than academic. The bar doesn’t sit quietly behind the food. It has a presence of its own.

Johar’s influence is evident, though never overpowering. The space is conversational, layered, and gently theatrical, designed to encourage lingering rather than turnover. As he puts it, Oju is meant to become a ritual, a place you return to, not just visit. That intention already feels embedded in the way people occupy the space, gravitating towards familiar corners, staying longer than planned, letting the evening stretch.

At approximately ₹4,000 for two, Oju doesn’t pretend to be casual. It knows where it sits within Gurgaon’s dining hierarchy. But it also resists becoming intimidating. What it offers instead is balance: serious technique delivered without fuss, design that holds attention without demanding it, and an atmosphere that feels composed rather than contrived.

For Johar, Oju extends his storytelling beyond film. For Gurgaon, it raises the question of whether celebrity-backed dining can move beyond novelty into something more thoughtful. And for diners, it serves as a reminder that a night out can still feel intentional, immersive, and quietly memorable, without having to shout for attention.