Rasa - Burlingame
Indian restaurant · Burlingame ·
South Indian fare with Bombay sliders, dosas, and cocktails
South Indian fare with Bombay sliders, dosas, and cocktails
"Ajay Walia and Reena Miglani have reopened their award-winning restaurant Rasa in October, following a temporary closure and a shift to a second location of their casual restaurant Saffron." - Dianne de Guzman
"After two years shuttered and briefly operating under the Saffron name, the owners will revert the Burlingame location back to Rasa in October, aiming to revive the upscale modern Indian restaurant that earned a Michelin star when it opened in 2016 and held it until closing in 2022. With Ajay Walia and Reena Miglani saying they have “the right team and the right mindset” to play at that level again, the revived Rasa will keep its Southern Indian a la carte focus but lean more into seafood with new fish and lobster dishes; the signature butter chicken will be reworked dairy-free using house-made almond cream and seasonal Early Girl tomatoes to accommodate their daughter Natasha’s dairy intolerance. Longtime favorites returning include the popular Bombay sliders—fluffy pav bread with spiced, fried potato fritters—and the nearly 24-inch “White Elephant” dosa, and Rasa will offer half bottles of wine for the first time. The interior will be transformed from the muted Saffron palette into a vibrant maximalist look with new graphic black-and-white tiles on the stairs, gold wallpaper near the bar, and the entry pillar repainted its original bold red, while a new executive chef, Vivek Tamhane, a veteran of resort hotels in India, will oversee both Rasa and Saffron San Carlos." - Carolyn Jung
"In a bustling tech corridor that's also home to Indian expats with high culinary standards, Rasa has managed to find the perfect middle ground. No-joke dishes that aren't toned down for Western palates cater to the likes of software execs and area couples, and though the bi-level space boasts a gorgeous, minimalist-mod décor with bright splashes of orange, sleek pendant lights, and stylish dark wood fittings, the focus here is on food. The kitchen excels in elevating the cuisine of South India with solid technique and superlative ingredients. Get the party started with dahi vada (crispy fried lentil fritters buried in smooth yogurt), before savoring a basil-chutney dosa starring a crisp rice-lentil crêpe stuffed with potato masala and served with basil chutney as well as an ultra-spicy ghost chili version-to be risked by hardcore hotheads only. Each plate is carefully composed, as shown in the complex Andhra chicken curry, enriched with coconut and bobbing with tender dark meat. Sop up the pungent sauce with a flaky Kerala paratha, and then cool down over a creamy and smooth chikku frappe, which blends the eponymous pear-like fruit with vanilla ice cream and candied rice puffs for a captivating finale." - Azimin Saini
"In Burlingame, I noticed chef Ajay Walia’s approach of overlapping spices between food and drinks so cocktails deepen the dining experience: he recommends the For Your Eyes Only cocktail with chutney shrimp, shrimp masala, or any seafood; the Rasa—made with ghee-infused bourbon, Allesio vermouth, Cynar, orgeat, mint, and chocolate bitters—pairs well with the lamb meatballs; and the Ama Sutra, with mezcal, mango, cilantro, grilled jalapeño, and lava salt, is a match for the Bombay sliders, General Tso’s cauliflower, or spice-forward dosas." - Nandita Godbole
"In Burlingame, Saffron will offer a custom cocktail for Valentine’s nightcaps called The Sun Also Rises, an elderflower pepper–infused gin drink made with juniper gin syrup, Chambord, and prosecco, while the restaurant’s full Indian menu remains available on Valentine’s Day." - Paolo Bicchieri
