Rasa Contemporary Indian - Burlingame

The food was fantastic, and the service was equally impressive. However, the butter naan was subpar, and the aam sutra cocktail and rasa drinks were overly sweet and not enjoyable. On the positive side, the Rum Old Fashioned was quite good. The ambiance was extremely loud for such a small space, with both the music and chatter making it difficult to relax; we could only appreciate the atmosphere after 8:15 PM. Considering the prices and the ambiance, I would rate the experience at 3.5 stars.

The restaurant offers excellent South Indian cuisine, staying true to the traditional southeastern cooking style of India. The vada pav, although more typical of the Midwest, is prepared exceptionally well and is a must-try. Additionally, the dosa is also highly recommended.

The Genovese dosa offers a creative twist on the traditional masala dosa, and I absolutely loved it. The pumpkin kofta paired with Kerala parotta was also delightful. Make sure to try the Coconut Espuma for dessert—it's absolutely mind-blowing and truly deserves a Michelin star! While the service was good, it didn't quite meet the high standards we expected from a restaurant with such a stellar reputation, which was a bit disappointing. Although we were celebrating a special occasion, the atmosphere felt more like that of a casual dining spot. We understand that they are facing challenges with staffing and managing operations during these tough times, which may have contributed to this experience. Overall, we were happy to have dined at Rasa. The food is undoubtedly a must-try!

This restaurant stands out from the usual upscale Indian dining options, offering a unique selection on its menu. I particularly enjoyed the appetizers, which were quite impressive. The presentation of the main dishes was excellent, just like the appetizers, but I didn’t find any of the four dishes we ordered to be particularly exceptional. The desserts were on the expensive side, but they did taste good.

The food is quite good, and they offer a wide variety of vegan options. However, their service doesn't measure up to other Michelin 1-star restaurants I've visited. We expected all the main courses to be served at the same time, yet we had to wait an additional 15 minutes for two halibut dishes to arrive.