Ayre by Karma Charts a Fresh Course for Modern Indian Cuisine

“The philosophy of wellness with healthy eating and our focus on Indian spices provided a great platform to offer an experience like none other,” says Sachin Mahajan, the founder of Karma.

When it comes to Singer Island, where days revolve around spa circuits and long walks by the water, a restaurant here has to earn its place. It has to feed guests who are paying attention to how they feel, not just how they eat. And that’s why it’s the ideal home for Ayre.

The restaurant’s Indian cooking is crafted to fit comfortably alongside a wellness program and doesn’t feel like a compromise because the food is purposeful, and the setting – studio kitchen, open terrace, Atlantic in full view — is all part of the show.

1. You could say the path to opening was karmic.

The flagship location of Karma Modern Indian, which debuted in D.C. nearly a decade ago, has built a following among our capital’s movers and shakers. Its reputation rests on quality, consistency, and a tightly run service model.

“We continuously refresh our menu, and we’ve evolved the concept by introducing both a la carte dining and tasting menu experiences with newly reimagined dishes,” Mahajan says.

The first spark for a South Florida location came early last year, when Amrit Ocean Resort founder, Dilip Barot, dined at Karma during an event. Conversations followed, and the idea of bringing the concept to Singer Island began to take shape.

2. It offers a coastal take on modern Indian cooking.

The menu was built specifically for this stretch of coastline. In addition to offering Karma favorites, the team worked on developing dishes that reflect both Indian regional cooking and South Florida’s palate.

“We focused on dishes that are coastal, like Amritsari snapper, mango shrimp, and Malvani chicken curry, a coconut milk-based chicken dish from India’s coast, rather than butter chicken or tikka masala,” Mahajan says.

A la carte staples from the D.C. restaurant — from signature tandoor breads to lobster masala and Pindi chickpeas — also appear alongside the new dishes created for Ayre. (Don’t miss Karma’s signature chèvre and herb naan, a goat cheese-stuffed version served piping-hot that tastes like a cheesy Indian flatbread.)

Plates are vibrant, aromatic and artfully presented. As each course is dropped, servers explain which region of India the ingredients in a dish originate from, enhanced with local twists that are specific to South Florida.

For those who want to see the full range, there are three-, five-, and seven-course tasting menus (the route that most guests opt for). “We encourage guests to choose the tasting menu experience, specifically the five-course option, as it offers the most comprehensive expression of the menu,” Mahajan says.

3. The space spotlights South Florida’s oceanfront setting.

You’ll actually enter Ayre through the resort’s spa. The restaurant welcomes diners into an intimate yet airy space — with the Atlantic as a constant presence and the kitchen as a quiet form of theater.

Live-fire cooking anchors the restaurant. The studio kitchen sits in full view, with the dining room opening directly onto an elevated oceanfront terrace. “The ability to open the doors and offer the open experience with terrace and ocean views is unique to Ayre,” Mahajan says.

The kitchen, he adds, is part of the point: “The studio kitchen allows guests to view the chefs in action, and that adds to the experience as the food is being prepared fresh.”

4. Its chef is comfortable with big stages.

Leading the kitchen is chef Asif R. Syed, whose resume includes cooking at the James Beard House along with competing on multiple Food Network shows (and even defeating Bobby Flay).

Until recently, the Indian American chef ran his own acclaimed Indian fine-dining restaurant on the Gulf Coast of Florida. “He has been cooking in Naples for the last decade and is very familiar with the local palate and customer preferences,” Mahajan says.

Syed’s own favorites are two grilled dishes on the tasting menu: lamb chops with cumin potatoes and rogan josh sauce, and grilled branzino with tempered spinach. They reflect the balance Ayre is aiming for: Food that feels at home inside a wellness resort without sacrificing flavor.

Ayre by Karma is open Wednesday to Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Lyssa Goldberg is a Miami-based freelance writer and content strategist. She loves telling stories about food, wellness and travel, and you can find her byline in Parade, American Way, Mashable, Miami New Times, Time Out and more. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Resy, too.