Diwali, Bollywood, and a South Indian Chain: San Jose's Desi Food and Festival Scene Is Buzzing
San Jose's South Asian community has no shortage of reasons to gather, celebrate, and eat well this season — whether it's lighting diyas at a local Diwali event, trying a celebrity chef's new Indian kitchen, or watching a beloved neighborhood institution reinvent itself.
🪔 Bay Area Diwali 2025: Where to Celebrate the Festival of Lights
KQED has rounded up Diwali celebration options across the Bay Area for 2025, giving South Asian families and their friends a handy guide to festivities happening throughout the region. The piece highlights events spanning multiple cities, reflecting just how widely the festival of lights has taken root in Northern California's Desi community. For San Jose residents, the guide serves as a reminder of how vibrant and accessible Diwali celebrations have become in and around the South Bay. [3]
🎬 Bollywood Star Jatin 'Bunty' Grewal Opens a New Bay Area Indian Restaurant
Bollywood actor and supermodel Jatin 'Bunty' Grewal has brought his off-screen ambitions to the Bay Area by opening a new Indian restaurant, as reported by the Mercury News. Grewal spoke about the venture, sharing his vision for the dining concept and what he hopes it will bring to the region's already rich Indian food landscape. The move adds a touch of celebrity glamour to the Bay Area's Indian restaurant scene, which continues to attract bold and diverse culinary voices. [8]
🍛 Mylapore Chain Grows: CEO Shares Secrets Behind South Indian Restaurant Success
The CEO of the expanding Mylapore restaurant chain spoke with the Silicon Valley Business Journal about the key ingredients driving the brand's growth in the competitive South Indian dining market. The executive discussed the operational and culinary philosophy that has helped distinguish the chain as it scales, pointing to authenticity and consistency as central pillars. For Bay Area diners craving South Indian flavors, the chain's expansion signals growing appetite — and supply — for regional Indian cuisine beyond the usual North Indian staples. [9]
🍽️ Amber India Closes Its Santana Row Doors After Two Decades in San Jose
Amber India, a beloved Indian dining institution that operated for 20 years at Santana Row in San Jose, has permanently closed its South Bay location, according to Eater San Francisco. Owner Vijay Bist cited the decline in in-person office work as a significant factor in reduced lunch sales, making lease renewal impractical at the upscale shopping center. The restaurant is not disappearing entirely — it will relocate to a space on South Milpitas Boulevard that allows for both dine-in service and expanded catering and takeout production. Other Amber India locations in San Francisco and Los Altos remain in operation. [10]
🛒 More Than Groceries: Santa Clara County's Desi Stores as Keepers of Memory
India Currents takes a warm, personal look at the Desi grocery stores scattered across Santa Clara County, exploring how these shops function as far more than places to buy spices and lentils. For many South Asian immigrants and their children, these stores are repositories of nostalgia — places where the smell of familiar ingredients and the sound of a mother tongue can transport shoppers back to their roots. The piece celebrates the quiet but essential role these neighborhood establishments play in anchoring community identity across generations. [6]
📦 Tariffs Are Hitting Bay Area Indian Restaurants and Grocery Stores Hard
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that U.S. tariffs are creating serious financial strain for Bay Area Indian restaurants and grocery stores, many of which depend heavily on imported goods from India and other South Asian countries. Business owners warn that the cost pressures could worsen, threatening both their bottom lines and the affordability of South Asian food for local customers. The situation puts a particularly sharp spotlight on the vulnerability of immigrant-owned food businesses that rely on a specialized supply chain that is difficult to substitute domestically. [7]
Sources: [3] KQED · [8] The Mercury News · [9] The Business Journals · [10] Eater San Francisco · [6] India Currents · [7] San Francisco Chronicle