Kaya, a Filipino casual fine dining restaurant in Mills 50, has been hosting friends and family for the past week, and I was able to get a reservation to share the dining experience with you. Brought to us by Chef Lordfer Lalicon and General Manager Jamilyn Salonga Bailey, along with their family members and investors, this is a place bursting with a community feel.

While many of us may have familiarity with Filipino cuisine, this experience will likely be different from any other Filipino meal you may be used to finding locally. Most importantly, it is seafood and vegetable-focused. Every aspect of Kaya has ties to local artists, makers, farms, and creatives. It permeates the meaning behind the name. Kaya means capable, and “kaya natin” means “we can.” If you go back and watch Kaya’s Instagram highlights from the past year and a half, you can see that capable "we can'”attitude comes from the backing of a strong core of family and friends that worked to bring Kaya to life.

THE VIBE

Set inside the now-renovated bungalow that used to house the Dandelion, you enter a warm space that feels like the comfortable dining room of a friend more than a bustling restaurant. Family and community is the focal point right as you step in the door and your eyes lock with the large image by artist Kristina Corre depicting the coming together of communities, working together, lifting each other up. Behind the host stand sits a piano with photos of family members, those no longer with us, as a tribute and remembrance. The feeling of gratitude came across as we were greeted by Kelsey and got a full explanation of the experience we were about to have.

The dining room is small and warm, not just from the golden hue of the terra cotta tile but from each person who touches your table, as though they were an extended member of the family that is hosting you.

The bar has a more modern feel, with clean waves, fitting for the five waves of food we were about to enjoy. The kitchen is fully open but not too boisterous. As your eyes wander you get the same anticipation and serotonin boost you feel sitting in your friends living space, half hearing the chatter of the kitchen and half hearing the variation of the hosts' music. At one point, I heard "I wanna be bad" by Willa Ford, a house party jam if there ever was one.

Everything is thoughtful, down to the flowers and plates at your table, which are locally made by Hip Nguyen + Tammy Truong - Hita Ceramics, each unique.

THE FOOD

The first thing to keep in mind about this culinary journey is that no two trips may be the same, so don’t get hung up on the food I experienced because it will likely differ from the waves you receive. Most dinner hosts aren’t offering the exact same meal visit after visit, and Kaya will be the same. 

General Manager Jami Salonga Bailey explained it best when she shared that the most Filipino way of cooking is to use what is in your backyard. They do just that by showcasing the many local farms and purveyors local to Florida and blending them with Filipino techniques, ingredients, and stories.

 “The menu changes slightly daily based on what produce and seafood we are getting in, Jami shared, but the general format/waves stay the same. The fourth wave changes often, and we’re pulling from a set of 6-10 ulam (entrees), so it can be pretty dynamic. Guests may get different dishes from even the table next to them based on dietary restrictions; what we know about the guest's preferences/experiences with Filipino Food, their last visit, as well as chef’s choice of which dishes complement one another best.”

Our server Hannah explained each wave with beautiful pronunciation and let us know where each element came from, whether it was as close as Everoak Farms to Snapper from Key West.

I will list the entirety of my meal below, but these were some standouts for me (while everything was delicious):

Sinigang: I’ve never had anything I can refer to as “sour soup,” and when I first heard it described that way, I was curious just how sour it would be. The broth quickly became addictive after each spoonful, so I grabbed my clay pot and poured as much of it as possible into the smaller bowl of tamarind-miso-guava paste. It was a flavorful soup with just the right amount of pucker, balanced with my flounder and bok choy, that I would welcome again.

Pancit Sotanghon: Pancit was one of the dishes that most people who have had Filipino food before would likely be familiar with and a favorite. The only bad thing is you will not want to share this with your table mates, so may the fastest serving fork be in your favor.

Garlic rice and vegetables: Having a heaping plate of garlic rice and mixed local vegetables may seem like a simplistic part of the five waves, but they offered a feeling of comfort and pleasure for me. In my everyday life, I’m not usually eating locally grown squash, eggplant, dragon beans, lion’s mane, and oyster mushrooms. Certainly, if I were, they wouldn't have the same beautiful flavors and textures.

Leche Flan: As a massive lover of a good flan and usually being extremely underwhelmed when ordering it at any restaurant, the flan was absolute perfection. 

full list of waves

First bite/amuse: Balaw balaw
Cape Canaveral shrimp fermented with rice then sautéed with garlic, onions and tomato - served with harukei turnips from winter park urban farm

First wave: Kinilaw (kinilaw means “eaten raw”)
kombu cured flounder from ponce inlet, radish + chili salad, coconut kinilaw foam

Second wave: Sinigang (served in traditional clay pot called palayok. Made locally by Filipino potter Jesus Minguez) red snapper from key west, fish + lemon lemongrass broth, tamarind-miso-guava paste, dashi marinated farm vegetables from sugar top farms (hinona turnips, green beans, baby bok choy)

Third wave: Pancit + Gulay (noodles + vegetables)
Pancit Sotanghon
Mung bean noodles sautéed with mushroom jus and oyster sauce, Italian brown mushrooms (fungi jon), red napa cabbage, rainbow carrots, green + yellow beans, bokchoy, okra, poached egg, kalamansi (Frog Song farms)
Ginataan na Kalabasa
Seminole Squash from Worden Farm, coconut milk, crab fat, bagoong, garlic onion, dragon tongue beans

Fourth wave: Ulam + Kanin (main dishes + rice)
Garlic Rice Tamaki Gold short grain rice from California steamed in a clay pot, garlic chips, garlic oil, sesame
Ginataan na Hipon
U10 hopper from cape canaveral with a coconut milk crab fat + bagoong sauce, ginger notes, quick pickled pattypan squash from Frog Song farm (lee’s mandarin vinegar), mick’s farm zucchini
Humba
berkshire pork belly cooked three times, marinated in a vinegar, soy, peanut, fermented black beans, seminole squash puree topped w/ sweet potato greens
Adobong Kabute
lion’s mane, chestnut, oyster mushrooms (fungi jon) braised in vinegar with soy sauce, garlic, peppercorn + a bit of coconut milk, pickled coral mushrooms on top, glazed breakfast radishes, waterleaf spinach
Tomato + Salted Egg Salad - grape + cherry tomatoes marinated in mango vinegar + kalamansi gastrique, house made salted egg, fried anchovies, sliced radish, melon microgreens, surinam spinach, kalamansi gastrique, herbs, basil, hibiscus leaves, marinated salmon roe

Fifth wave: Matamis (sweets)
Leche Flan
Egg yolk flan topped with toasted coconut, served with citrus salad (from clermont farms) marinated in lee’s mandarin vinegar melon tops
Ube Suman w/ coconut caramel - Sticky rice cooked in coconut milk then steamed in banana leaf with ube halaya
Mango Ice Cream from Sampaguita Ice Cream
Cookie Pili nut meringue

what to know before you go

How long was the meal: Our reservation was at 5:30, and we left around 8 PM. The waves followed each other at a good pace, and we never felt rushed to move along.

Is it worth the $95 per person price point: In my opinion, yes. The final price will be determined by what drinks you add on, and a 20% service charge is added to the bill as your tip, so in total, my cost for myself was $133. While I understand that this is beyond what many can or would be willing to pay for a night out, I can justify the cost in a few ways: the experience, the quality, and the amount of food. As I've been dining out during the current inflation crisis, I've been paying pretty insane prices for mediocre meals without any experience to speak of. So I would rather forgo a few overhyped, subpar experiences to indulge in what Kaya offers. Not to mention, co-owner Lo brings his Michelin star experience that anyone who has dined at Kadence can refer to in terms of worth. This isn't just another meal; there is real substance here.

How do I make my reservation: Keep an eye on when Kaya announces reservations are back open; at this time they are not. 

Where do I park: There is a small parking lot right next to the building, and you can park on Thornton Avenue.

What is the dress code: There is no a dress code, however, being a casual fine-dining theme, it wouldn't hurt to leave the shorts and flip-flops at home. 

Is it vegan-friendly: Dietary restrictions are taken when you make a reservation, so the kitchen takes into consideration those limitations. 

Is there outdoor dining: At the moment, no, but Jami shared with me that more offerings will be added with time and includes outdoor dining on the patio.

What else can be expected from Kaya: The service will be expanded to include an a la carte/bar menu, outdoor seating, as well as private dining and special events.

This meal was not sponsored or hosted, it was paid for personally and all opinions are my own.