Peninsula chef-restaurateur Ajay Walia has embarked on a plan to transform his Michelin-starred Rasa in Burlingame into a second location of his San Carlos restaurant, Saffron.

Rasa closed after service on May 8. Saffron will make its debut in early June.

Walia opened his original Saffron 20 years ago with a focus on Northern Indian cuisine. The menu at the new Saffron will feature dishes such as Old Delhi-style butter chicken, General Tso’s cauliflower and daal makhani, with black lentils simmered 24 hours, while also incorporating Southern Indian influences from Rasa. And Rasa fans of the popular Bombay sliders, spiced potato fritters topped with tamarind and cilantro chutneys, needn’t worry; those will be back on the menu.

A full bar will remain, with craft cocktails such as Thyme Me Up, Indian Air Conditioning and the Maharani.

A new dessert menu is under development. Walia is also partnering with founder Priti Narayanan of the Bay Area-based Koolfi Creamery to develop an exclusive ice cream flavor for Saffron.

The remodeled restaurant will feature a midcentury-modern design in white and oak, with larger tables to encourage group sharing of dishes, more soundproofing and more space around tables.

Rasa opened in 2014. Two years later, chef Vijay Kumar and the team caught the eye of the Michelin judges. Rasa was awarded its first Michelin star in 2016 and has earned one every Michelin season since then. Last year, Kumar relocated to New York City, where he is getting raves for his South Indian cuisine at Semma in Greenwich Village.

Walia said the Rasa staff will become part of the new Saffron team; he is keeping all employed during the transition.

Details >> Dinner will be served Tuesday-Sunday and lunch Thursday-Sunday at 209 Park Road, Burlingame. Look for details on specific hours to be added to the new website, www.thesaffronrestaurant.com.

Sicilian-style pizzeria City Square in Walnut Creek

The square pizza trend has arrived in Walnut Creek.

City Square, a pizzeria specializing in gourmet Sicilian pies, has opened in downtown Walnut Creek for dinner service. The restaurant, which will serve its signature twice-baked square pan pizzas alongside Italian appetizers and local beers, is from Mike Finley, who for two years operated the German-inspired restaurant Bierhaus in the same space at 1360 Locust St.

But Finley has had Sicilian pies on the brain since he opened the original Bierhaus in Mountain View seven years ago. The opportunity to finally make the concept a reality is slightly bittersweet. In December he decided to permanently close Bierhaus after countless pivots and struggles to keep the beer house open during the pandemic.

“German beer hall and pandemic just could not coexist,” Finley says. “In January, I wiped the slate clean and decided to start again.”

Pizza has proved to be pandemic-proof, and Finley’s version is not something Walnut Creek has seen before. There’s Slice House’s Neapolitan pizza, and Pancoast Pizza’s solid New York-style slices. Montesacro is bringing Roman style pies to town soon. But City Square’s Sicilian pies, which are made using flour from Central Milling in Petaluma, offer a new regional Italian pizza to local diners. One that requires a three-day dough process.

“That’s the reason the interior is so light and fluffy,” he explains. “The bottom, where the dough meets the pan, is covered in olive oil, so the bottom is going to be crispier too.”

To help develop the pies, Finley brought on Sebastopol-based pizza whisperer Alastair Hannmann, who consults with numerous pizza brands and is currently the director of operations for San Francisco’s wildly popular Joyride Pizza.

On the City Square menu, look for seven pizzas, including the Spicy Pepe, made with Rosa Grande pepperoni, fresh Avorio mozzarella and Calabrian oregano; three Italian sandwiches and two salads. There are nine beers and two wines on the menu, with craft cocktails coming soon. Finley plans to transform the old Bierhaus bottle shop into a “square” slice shop.

And, in homage to the past, you might see a German beer on the menu.

Details >> Opening hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 1360 Locust St. Details: eatcitysquare.com.

Cambodian eatery Nyum Bai has closed in Oakland

Nyum Bai, the acclaimed Cambodian restaurant in Oakland’s Fruitvale district, has permanently closed its doors.

Chef-owner Nite Yun announced the news via Instagram. “Our lease is coming to an end after five years and we’ve quietly decided to move on from this space,” she wrote. “We are grateful to everyone who has shared a meal with us here and allowed us to share Cambodian food and culture.”

Yun went on to say that this is not the end of the James Beard-nominated restaurant, but rather the closing of its first chapter, “which has been something truly special.” Yun promised fans of her fermented Khmer-style beef sausage and fiery noodle dishes that she and the team will reopen in “the new future” in a new location.

Nyum Bai opened in the Fruitvale Transit Village in 2018 after a successful run as a La Cocina-fueled pop-up. The following year, Yun was named a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s best new restaurant award.

Send restaurant news tips to lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com and jyadegaran@bayareanewsgroup.com.