Michelin-Starred Rasa To Close, Become 2nd Saffron Location

BURLINGAME, CA — Rasa, a Michelin-starred contemporary Indian restaurant in Burlingame once called “the Bay Area’s best Indian restaurant,” will close Sunday to undergo renovations, the restaurant announced via news release. When the space reopens in June, it will be called Saffron, and feature a different menu and different decor. Staff at Rasa will keep their jobs and paychecks during the renovation, and later work at Saffron, the restaurant said.

Owner and Executive Chef Ajay Walia, a New Delhi native who formerly worked in tech and finance, opened an existing restaurant in San Carlos called Saffron 20 years ago. During the pandemic, Saffron in San Carlos, which has a more laid-back, cozy atmosphere than the upscale Rasa, performed better than its Burlingame counterpart, Walia told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Walia also told The Chronicle that the pressure of maintaining the Michelin star became a burden. “We were so focused on maintaining, gaining and regaining that Michelin star year after year that we kept pushing it,” he said. “We put pressure on ourselves. That was the only thing that was driving us. We always had this thing on our head — we need to perform; if we lose it, this will happen or that will happen. Then the pandemic happened and it’s like, everything can just blow up in one second and there’s no going back.”

Walia decided to shut down Rasa, and rebrand it as Saffron’s second location. The new Burlingame location will combine the Southern Indian cuisine from Rasa with the Northern cuisine of Saffron. Guests can expect a menu “that feels as warm and comforting as a favorite pair of pajamas,” featuring signature dishes like Old Delhi Style Butter Chicken, Chicken Biryani, and General Tso’s Cauliflower.

The new location will also feature a full bar featuring one-of-a-kind cocktails, and ice cream from Koolfi Creamery.

The new space will have a “clean, mid-century modern style” with Wishbone chairs, white-and-gold dual-tone banquettes, white oak tables and other wood elements will be the stars. The restaurant aims to encourage more intimate conversations and more family-style food sharing by reducing the total number of seats in the restaurant by 12 to create more room around the tables, adding additional soundproofing, and making the tables larger.