Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
The Bay Area’s restaurant scene is about to witness a culinary revolution with the arrival of Jom Nom, a bold new concept in Fun Asian Dining in Santa Clara. With renowned hospitality consultant Chef Ritesh Tulsian joining as the strategic consultant, Jom Nom is set to redefine how California experiences Asian cuisine – vibrant, youthful, and deliciously unconventional.
Ritesh Tulsian is an Indian chef-consultant and hospitality entrepreneur who has built a career bridging culinary creativity and restaurant operations. He holds a Twin Diploma in Hospitality Management & Catering Operations from the Rizvi Academy of Hospitality Management, Mumbai. Early in his career he interned with the Taj Group of Hotels and had stints with global resort brands such as W Hotels Maldives and Atlantis The Palm, Dubai. Over the years, he transitioned into full-time consultancy and founded firms such as Echelon Hospitality and is often cited as a key figure in India’s F&B consulting space.
Why his approach stands out
Several factors differentiate his consulting work:
- He comes from a strong chef background, which gives him practical credibility in kitchens and operations.
- He blends creativity with operational rigor — he emphasizes not just the look and cuisine, but the business mechanics.
- He is positioned as end-to-end: from ideation through execution rather than purely advisory. This full-spectrum service is a valuable proposition in hospitality.
- He has a track record of working across formats: high-end restaurants, bars, cloud-kitchens, QSRs, theme parks, etc.
“Jom Nom” derives from two playful Asian expressions — Jom, meaning to party or celebrate together, and Nom, an exclamation that celebrates the joy of eating. The name perfectly captures the brand’s spirit: food as an experience of community, energy, and happiness. Having launched and consulted for award-winning restaurants like Yazu and Bambai, Chef Ritesh Tulsian brings a wealth of experience in turning culinary ideas into scalable, profitable dining destinations.
At Jom Nom, Ritesh’s consulting will encompass:
- Menu Engineering: Crafting a bold, shareable menu featuring pan-Asian favorites reimagined for California palates — with a focus on freshness, speed, and cross-cultural flavor.
- Operational Strategy: Designing kitchen layouts and workflows that balance creativity with efficiency, ensuring every “nom” moment is delivered perfectly.
- Brand Experience: Aligning the restaurant’s music, décor, plating, and service with its playful, communal identity — an Asian celebration that’s both Instagrammable and deeply authentic.
Sustainability & Sourcing: Building a supply chain that prioritizes quality, local ingredients, and responsible sourcing — a hallmark of Bay Area dining ethics.
The Bay Area has long embraced Asian cuisine — from traditional dim sum houses to high-end omakase and experimental fusion concepts. Yet, very few brands have captured the playful, community-driven side of Asian culture. That’s where Jom Nom hopes to stand apart. It’s not about formality or fine dining; it’s about fun dining — an atmosphere where flavor, energy, and design come together. The concept draws inspiration from Asian street food culture, transforming it into a high-spirited, modern experience that feels at home in cities like San Francisco, Palo Alto, and San Jose.
As Ritesh Tulsian puts it, “Food should be fun, not formal — a reason to come together and celebrate life.”
That’s exactly what Jom Nom promises to deliver — one joyful bite at a time.
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