The Khan Lala will be a new tea house in Orange County, California, offering a variety of South Asian teas and food bites. A former restaurant space in a retail center will be transformed into a colorful venue with exposed structures and graphics that create a strong visual presence. Inspiration for the design has been taken from the region’s vintage commercial art. Old magazine advertisements will be used as decorative art to convey the tea house’s street-food theme, presented in a playful, contemporary style. Suspended trellis elements referencing the shapes of jute-strung cots and benches will adorn the exposed ceiling of this space, while a distinctive order counter with a brick-faced wall will be positioned at the rear of the restaurant. Loose seating and brick-lined banquettes will accommodate diners and tea drinkers in this slender-footprint venue.

Due for completion in the summer of 2026, the modest sit-down restaurant will be an outpost of colorful, dynamic design inspired by the commercial art of South Asia and will foster a renewal of the old retail center into an appealing place to eat.