Husband and wife, Ajay Walia and Reena Miglani may have had successful careers in tech and finance. But ever since earning MBAs in Chicago, they always knew that some day they would open their own restaurant after growing disenchanted by the Indian food they found then in the Windy City.

In 2003, they made good on that, opening Saffron in San Carlos in 2003. That was followed by the fine-dining Indian restaurant, Rasa in Burlingame in 2016, which held a Michelin star for 10 years. Although Rasa morphed for two years into another outpost of Saffron, it returned in force in October 2024.

Now, the couple has broken from the mode of Indian cuisine to open their first non-Indian restaurant: Amara in Belmont, which serves Mediterranean fare.

The restaurant had a soft opening in late-December, when I was invited in as a guest during a “Friends & Family” night to try some of the menu offerings and to offer feedback. The restaurant, located in the Carlmont Village Shopping Center for easy parking, will have its grand opening on Jan. 7.

The dining room, done up in serene teal and white, evokes the seaside. Come late-spring, the restaurant will open its garden with seating overlooking a man-made stream with a footbridge. In total, Amara boasts 220 seats — more than Rasa and Saffron combined.

The couple said they tired of driving to San Francisco to get simple, well-executed Mediterranean dishes that they like, so they decided to open a restaurant of their own. The name, Miglani explains, means “love,” “grace,” and “beauty” in various languages, the feeling they hope to convey with this restaurant.

Executive Chef Brett Tulis, formerly of Michelin-starred Campton Place and Michael Mina restaurant in Las Vegas, oversees the kitchen.

Sit back with a Grand Especia ($20), a riff on a margarita that carries extra warmth and savoriness with saffron-infused tequila, Grand Marnier, paprika, ginger syrup, and lime. Just be careful of the “liquid salt rim,” which is more like a salty goo that has a way of finding your fingers when you grab the glass.

Those who want to refrain from alcohol will enjoy the UVA ($14), a zero-proof sip that’s sweet, floral, and refreshing liked souped-up spa water with green grape juice, mint, cucumber, fig leaf soda, and a dash of saline.

The mixed seasonal pickles ($9) are lightly tangy and very crunchy with a mix of fennel, carrots, and cauliflower.

The restaurant makes its own pita, which is incredibly soft and puffy, like a pillow you just want to lay your head upon. But it’s best used for the dips it accompanies, such as the creamy and garlicky white hummus ($16), made with whipped lemon creme fraiche; and the smoky baba ghanoush ($15).

Among the small plates is the braised octopus ($17), with its tender, smoky appendages topping papas bravas potato rounds and topped with crisp sunchoke slivers.

A small plate of barbecue lamb ribs ($17) was the hit of the night. Juicy and well seasoned, the ribs are fall-apart succulent, and served with a garlicky tahini sauce. And when no one is looking, you know you’ll be picking up the bones with your fingers to gnaw off every last bite.

For more lamb goodness, there’s the smoked lamb tagine ($44) in the “large plates” section of the menu. The tender chunks of lamb are fortified with chickpeas, dried apricots, almonds, and tender onions.

The whole branzino ($42) arrives at the table butterflied with head and tail attached. It’s done simply — grilled until moist and flaky, and finished with a zingy lemon chermoula.

A side of spiced chickpeas ($8) had a lovely nutty taste and a delightfully creamy texture, while a side of roasted fingerling potatoes ($6) got a nice dusting of fragrant oregano, thyme, and marjoram.

For dessert, the restaurant reinvigorates a chocolate lava cake by infusing it with the surprise of harissa ($15). The North African pepper paste, with its earthy, savory, smoky and peppery notes, actually marries wonderfully well with the bitter edge of the dark chocolate. With more of a creamy ganache texture rather than a flowing molten one, the cake is garnished with buckwheat crunch and vanilla ice cream.

The baklava sundae ($14) reminds me a little of the Greek yogurt with baklava crumbles at Souvla in San Francisco, only this is made with honeycomb ice cream. With rose, saffron, pistachio, and walnut, the crunchy phyllo clusters are irresistible and none too sweet.

Can’t wait to see what Walia and Miglani end up craving next.

More: A Visit to Saffron in San Carlos

And: A Visit to Rasa in Burlingame