Big Taste on a Small Plate
Big Taste on a Small Plate K’ya Bistro Bar adds new favorites for fall. – By LBM Staff
If you want a quiet, intimate dinner, don’t go to K’ya Bistro. K’ya is the opposite of intimate. It’s convivial, hip and burgeoning like pretty much everything the dynamic team of Chris Keller (the entrepreneurial head of Casa Resorts) and Executive Chef Craig Connole touches. From The Rooftop Lounge to The House of Big Fish & Ice Cold Beer to K’ya Bistro, these restaurants are the places people go to see, eat and be seen—and not necessarily in that order. There’s one significant difference from other eateries in the same category: The food is really good.
K’ya has made a name for itself over the years with its small-plates menu. There’s a wide range of dishes to choose from and most are under $10.“Small plates are the way to go,” Craig says. “Small plates means variety and people like variety. With this tapas style, two people can try eight dishes for the price of two entrees.”And now there’s more reason to go to K’ya as chef Craig has just tweaked the menu for the fall.
“My inspiration was just keeping things fresh for the regulars and working toward a healthier and farm-fresh attitude with organic and local products,” Craig says.Whether you call it Cal-Asian, Cal-Mediterranean, or Cal-Hawaiian, chef Craig expertly crafts everyday fare into decadent dishes. “I like to let the food speak for itself,” he continues. “We use high-quality ingredients and try to provide a good value.”
A few new standout additions include bacon-wrapped scallops with creamed corn and black truffles, pan roasted spicy prawns and grilled lamb chops. Regulars will also be happy to know that a number of dishes will probably never leave the menu. Forever keepers include hibachi salmon with spicy coconut sauce, grilled filet mignon with blue cheese demi, lobster and truffle risotto and the curry seared wild ahi.
With the hallowed Rooftop Lounge above and K’ya holding court on the ground floor of 1287 S. Coast Hwy.—also known as La Casa Del Camino—it’s no small wonder that K’ya has remained a popular gathering spot for many years. It’s definitely not intimate. But the consistent quality of the dishes and the genuinely groovy ambiance keep people coming back for more. LBM
