K'ya is back in Laguna Beach -- and the food is just as good as I remember. I used to be a regular at K'ya Bistro years ago before the space changed concepts, so I was really excited to see it return to the same location. Walking back into the space brought back a lot of great memories. I was actually surprised it wasn't busier on a Thursday night just a week after their grand opening, because this place used to always be packed. The food was great across the board. We ordered a mix of happy hour items and entrées and everything was well done. Highlights: Happy Hour / Starters * Bacon-wrapped dates - Incredible. Perfectly crispy bacon, creamy blue cheese inside, and the sweetness of the date. Easily one of the best bites of the night. * Coconut shrimp - I'm not a seafood eater, but my friend devoured them and said they were excellent. * Hummus platter - Generous portion with cucumbers, carrots, plenty of pita, and a large serving of hummus. * Wine - Very generous pours for happy hour. Entrées * Steak tips - Cooked perfectly and well seasoned. * Sausage with polenta - Really flavorful and comforting. * Salmon bites - I didn't try these, but my friends loved them. There were four of us and we ordered quite a bit -- and still couldn't finish everything. Portions were generous and the pricing felt very reasonable, especially for being right on PCH in Laguna Beach. One note for the owners: I'd love to see this place succeed long term. The food and location are great, but I think a stronger marketing push could really help bring people back in -- things like inviting local food reviewers, boosting social media, and making sure the website clearly shows the current menu and happy hour specials. Overall it's a great space with solid food and good value for Laguna Beach. I'm really excited to have K'ya back and look forward to coming again. read more

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We went to K'ya on a Thursday night. It was pretty empty so I was a little skeptical. The drinks were yummy and they had live music. She was pretty good! It's a really fun menu and all sharing plates. We ordered the hummus, deviled eggs, olives, bacon wrapped dates, beef, and meatballs and it was all really delicious. We need to keep our local eateries going! Try it, the food was great! read more

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What a letdown. My wife and I were huge fans of the former K'ya Bistro and that's why we were so excited to come back. Every dish was better than the last, the food was so fresh and flavorful. Well, the new K'ya Laguna is the exact opposite. The food is downright awful. Every dish is worse than the last. From the Hawaiian Ahi Poke which basically tastes like it's made in a batch with the lack of freshness covered by a mix of bland flavors, to the salmon bites which is just a completely flavorless filet of salmon cut into small bites. Dreadful, microwaved, hastily prepped food that should be shameful to serve for the prices they charge. The food leaves this aftertaste that's hard to get rid of. I'm sorry to say, but please skip this place. read more

Cute and quaint. We stopped in for a cocktail before heading out for dinner and it was a good time. A small menu but the bartender told us she can make us anything. They had a one-man band playing new-wave jazz which was a nice touch, it added to the relaxed beach vibe. I recommend it for a drink or two along the way, not a destination spot. read more

K'ya Laguna - Espresso Martini - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

A bit stark but good but although expensive. Nice live music. Easy to find. The ahi poke was delicious although rather minisqual

Excited to hear they'd reopened and went for my birthday. Service was lovely. Nice vibe. Great happy hour prices. Sangria sublime. Food ranged from dreadful to forgettable. We skipped dessert. read more

Ok we are sad. I was so excited to see Kya re opening but unfortunately it's not the same at all. The hibachi salmon and filet mignon were my absolute favorites. Now it's bites and totally different. Dry, over cooked because it's cut in small pieces, weird. In general the food tastes like hotel wedding food. Bummer. The drinks were good. I'd go back for that and that's it. It's also way more expensive than it was before. Disappointed. read more

Delicious, small plates, great happy hour wine and love the sliders. Service is exceptional and the best part is we can bring our dogs, our furry family. Such a local happening with music. read more

K'ya Laguna - Cocktails an coconut shrimp - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Second time here for the sax player, Jake Brown. Possibly the best sax player in Southern California. They have live music on the weekends. Anyway this restaurant is on the ground floor of La Casa del Camino and is a great space with its own bar. I've tried a few of the menu items on my two visits and everything I tried was delicious. So it's a perfect combination for a good date. read more

K'ya Laguna - Drinks menu - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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K'ya Laguna Beach: No View, No Excuse Let me clear something up first. K'ya does not have an ocean view. It faces the street. I mention this because the restaurant's location in Laguna Beach might lead you to expect otherwise, and you should go in with accurate expectations. There is no stunning coastal backdrop to soften the blow of what comes out of the kitchen. And the kitchen does need softening. We ordered three dishes. Every single one had a fundamental execution problem. Not a matter of taste. Not a bold swing that missed. Basic failures. The Caesar Salad arrived with the root stump of the romaine head still on the plate. Not trimmed. Not discarded. Just sitting there, pale and dense and inedible, as though someone in prep ran out of patience before finishing the job. This gets caught when someone actually looks at the plate before it leaves the kitchen. Apparently, no one did. The Patatas Bravas were a genuine puzzle. Traditional patatas bravas are fried. A reasonable modern take roasts them. What arrived at our table was neither. The potatoes had the unmistakable texture of something that had been microwaved: uniformly soft, dense throughout, with no crispiness anywhere on the surface. Not a single edge. Not a hint of browning. The flavor was that of a potato steamed into submission and then covered in sauce as a distraction. It did not distract us. The Calamari were so heavily breaded that the coating began separating from the squid the moment you picked up a piece. That is not a texture preference. That is a batter-to-protein ratio problem, and it suggests either the calamari sat too long before serving or the batter was applied carelessly. You end up eating breading and leaving the squid behind, which defeats the entire purpose. The food alone would have earned this review. But the experience did not stop there. The restroom smelled strongly of sewage, not in the way of a momentary maintenance issue, but in the persistent, soaked-in way that suggests a toilet overflowed at some point in the past and the flooring absorbed the consequences. It was the kind of smell that lingers because it has had time to settle. That is not a plumbing problem. That is a cleanliness and remediation problem, and it reflects on how the space is managed overall. The dining room floor near our table had a gouge in it roughly an inch deep and several inches long. Not a scuff. Not normal wear. A significant floor defect that is a genuine safety hazard, the kind of thing a health and safety inspector should catch on a routine walk-through. Whether it has been reported internally or simply ignored, the fact that it remains there tells you something about the attention paid to the physical space. Note to inspectors: this is near the center booth in the back. The one genuine bright spot was the service. Our server was attentive, warm, and professional throughout the meal. In a situation where the food and the facility were both letting us down, the front-of-house staff handled everything with grace. That is worth saying clearly and without qualification. They did their jobs well. It is a shame the kitchen and the maintenance team cannot say the same. Here is the reality. K'ya is charging Laguna Beach prices without the Laguna Beach view, delivering microwaved potatoes and improperly trimmed salads, and maintaining a dining room with floor hazards and a restroom that raises serious sanitation questions. The server deserves better coworkers. You deserve a better restaurant. read more

What a complete waste of a date night. We use to go to K'ya for great food in a fun atmosphere years ago. My wife and I returned with high hopes. We walked in and it looked different. Not as elegant but ok no problem. We were there for the food. We ordered steak, salmon, ribs flat bread and a salad. Everything was awful except for the ribs. They were good. So disappointed. Not sure what happened. read more

My wife and I recently had an opportunity to visit K'ya and enjoyed a few of their appetizers - deviled eggs, coconut shrimp, and sliders. The food was very tasty and the drinks were great. We absolutely loved the service as the team was fantastic. We'll be back soon. read more

Thank you for a wonderful experience! Jameson was our server and had some great recommendations. The steak bites, crab cakes and meatballs were great! We loved the several options for small plates. Service was quick and friendly, we never felt rushed. A seat near the window allows for some great people watching :-) read more

EXCITED this place is back !! We started coming here over 7 years ago and they haven't missed a beat. We enjoyed the korean ribs, wings, filet steak bites with an amazing pear martini. If you love fabulous food, delicious drinks and an amazing atmosphere then you need to come through. read more

So happy that the small plates format of K"ya's of the past has retuned and glad the menu will be expanded soon. It is much welcomed as a neighborhood gathering spot. Online presence needs to be updated and clarified soon. read more

Great food, drinks and ambience. Surprisingly not busy for a Friday night. Cauliflower bites, salmon bites were favourites. Bees knees cocktail was cute and tasty read more

Every time we come here we fall more in love! Great food and service! The angus beef sliders are what I imagine a kraby patty must taste like, SO GOOD! read more

I found myself attending an artist's reception at a gallery across the street from K'ya and decided that I was way too sober to truly connect with the art. One of the gallery's owners highly recommended K'ya and even had one of the menus on hand to seal the deal. We up a few flights of steep stairs to the rooftop and it was jam packed. I decided to try my luck by asking a friendly couple if we could sit with them, and they said yes! These sparkly strangers are the embodiment of the type of people that I like to meet on a lazy Saturday afternoon while enjoying a panoramic ocean view. They shared many fun stories with us, including getting stuck in the elevator on the way to the rooftop. Apparently that happens often so use the stairs my friends. I ordered a glass of Malbec from Argentina as well as a coconut shrimp appetizer. I enjoyed both of the items, but neither was as memorable as our fun new friends. When they left we invited another couple to join us, and the festivities began once again. The fun, effervescent crowd and phenomenal views make K'ya a great stop in Laguna Beach. read more

K'ya Laguna - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

Wowowoow three words...short rib rigatoni! You'll thank me later!! It's larger than expected which is a great thing! Oh! Don't forget to order some bread you'll be wiping the plate clean with it! It's a creamy porcini mushroom sauce with large pieces of short rib all throughout. Pasta was cooked perfectly to my liking. We also ordered the lobster Mac and cheese, truffle fries with fire pesto aioli sauce, honey Brussels sprouts and steak and shrimp. Portion like I said are bigger than expected could have done without 1 or 2 and we would have been full. We made it just in time for happy hour so I got a classic mojito and she got a strawberry mojito $6 each and we got 50% off two of our tapas and it wasn't the lowest priced ones!! Score! Definitely will be back to try others and our server Janette was bomb super nice and attentive. Give it a try if your in the area!!! read more

Me and my wife loved K'ya Bistro. What a one of a kind spot. The place has a variety of small tasty tapas plates to choose from. We tried their tomato bisque, bacon-wrapped dates, Korean steak skewers, and meatballs. Everything was super good. read more

K'ya Laguna - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

K'ya is absolutely incredible - like, am currently regretting that I skipped lunch and am now reflecting on our delicious meal here. Located in La Casa del Camino on South Coast Highway, K'ya is super easy to get to, and there is a ton of street parking nearby. My husband and I made a 5:45 PM reservation via Yelp on a Wednesday for our anniversary celebration, and the place was pretty packed for being early and on a weekday. Everything at K'ya is tapas style, so you can order a bunch of different small plates to share. Be forewarned though - I've gone to tapas restaurants where you actually do need to order 3-4 plates per person - come HUNGRY to K'ya. The "small plates" are way larger than I had anticipated, but the food is so good that you'll want to order as much as possible. We were unbelievably hungry going in to dinner, so were pumped to order. The menu is broken into different categories (bread & cheese, seafood, tapas, etc.), and we were pleasantly overwhelmed by the variety available. We ended up ordering: avocado toast (delicious, the avocado was absolutely perfect), burrata with tomato basil (the burrata was unreal - super creamy and a lot of burrata on the bread), bacon wrapped dates (my husband devoured these and said they were perfect), spicy fried cauliflower with tzatziki (amazing - the tzatziki was delicious and cauliflower was perfect), and Brussels sprouts with creamy gorgonzola (oh my god - this was the hit. It was super heavy, came in a skillet, and was absolutely perfect. Wish we had an extra stomach just for this). Everything came out as it was prepared, so we had time to work our way through the things that cooked first and then have everything else brought to us when it was ready, which is always a nice progression. We had back up orders ready to put in if the food wasn't enough, but holy shit, we were STUFFED after just this order. The drink selection was lovely as well, and there was definitely something for everyone. My husband ordered a Mai Tai and I settled on a glass of sparkling rose. Another amazing aspect of K'ya was the service. Our lovely server Alejandra was amazing - bubbly, helpful with suggestions, quick, and just super warm. We had also mentioned in our reservation that we were attending for our anniversary, so she brought over a gorgeous cheesecake for us to celebrate (which we conveniently found room for - it was absolutely delicious, so save room for dessert!). We are adding K'ya onto our favorite Laguna restaurants - the service, incredible food, and delicious drinks make it a place we will continue to return to, next time after fasting for days just to have more room to try all the amazing food. read more

Came here for dinner last night with a friend and was surprised of how well-decorated the inside of the lobby to the restaurant was. It felt like walking into a scene of Tower of Terror, but not as spooky. Located on PCH, customers have the view of the town of Laguna as well a very gorgeous sunset view of the ocean at the rooftop bar ! Knowing that this restaurant is known for their small plates, we were ready to order quite a few. The restaurant just changed their menu with lots of variety and fancier meals you would not see for such an affordable price!! We came at around 530 during happy hour. It was cool to find out that one drink costing 6$ alcoholic or virgin would get you a half priced meal ! We ordered the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes to start us off. We waited a while for it, but DAMN IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT. When it arrived, my eyes sparkled and I knew just from the presentation that it was going to be delicious. Cutting right into the steak, the knife cut it so smooth, it was as easy as butter. The texture and quality was SUPERB. Ooofph and the taste EXCEEDED our expectations. For just $9, we were happy to pay for a filet mignon and its accompanied side dishes spinach and scalloped potatoes, made to order. After finishing out first plate, we were shocked that this one plate had already started to make us feel full. The food so rich, yet portioned so well, had already left us feeling satisfied. We were eager to try another plate, so we went with the short rib pasta. SO AMAZING. I think this plate was 7$, we ended up just splitting and taking some home too. The meat was cooked SO WELL, that it melted in your mouth. The flavors were phenomenal I wish I had room for dessert, but I can definitely tell you that this place is DEFINITELY A GO TO SPOT, if you're in Laguna Beach You will NOT feel dissatisfied and have a very enjoyable experience. I do think that inside the restaurant itself was very loud, so maybe next time I will sit outside. Of course you could go to the rooftop bar or even eat in the lobby! They have live music and a great vibe to their overall spot. I do reccomend coming a bit early to find parking. It is usually metered street parking, but if you find a spot a couple streets up in the residential area, it could essentially be free. read more

K'ya Laguna - Filet mignon + scalloped potatoes - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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Honestly wish I lived closer so I can come here more often. I'd have to say this is definitely on my top 3 fav restaurant in Southern California! Literally enjoyed everything about it. My gf and I came here for my birthday lunch and was super impressed! We made reservations (thankfully) and when we got there, they had a huge line of people waiting for seats. They let us go in before the other people to choose our table since we made reservations so that was pretty awesome. This restaurant is big on small bites so it's hard to choose but everything we tried was delicious! DRINK: We started with a tequila sunrise which was amazing. Perfect amount of alcohol and wasn't too sweet. We also came for happy hour so it was only $6 FOOD: we got the fried chicken breast with jalapeño cornbread and honey butter. Texture was amazing! Super tender and flavorful. The cornbread was heaven. The filet mignon with mashed potatoes was well done. Excellent taste and portion! Easy to chew and the mashed potatoes were phenomenal. And photo worthy. Fondue cheese was DELICIOUS! Never had anything like it. But make sure you order more bread. They give a good amount of cheese. Tomato soup was bomb! Very different. The deviled eggs came with bacon and oil. Loved everything about it. DESSERT: peanut butter crunch bite and brownie bite. Peanut crunch was my fav! You also get one free with yelp check in! Super sweet and tasty. SERVICE: The customer service was above average. Our waitress was friendly and quick. Also took the time to answer our questions without rushing. PRICE: The price for the food here is amazing for the portions and quality! You really get your money's worth. Their happy hour has some great deals!! I definitely will be back next time I make a trip to OC! Highly recommend. read more

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Holy AMAZING. All these reviews made me wonder if it would live up to the hype and it sure did!! This is some of the best food I've had, especially for small plates. Wow just wow! Cant wait to come back!!! We ordered the following: Fondue cheese Deviled eggs Tomato soup Petite filet mignon Fried chicken Chocolate small bite Peanut butter crunch bite Brownie bite FONDUE : FANTASTIC. We were skeptical about how it would taste and it turned out so good! We couldn't stop eating it!!! Never had anything like it in my life DEVILED EGGS: this was the only item that I did not like. The bacon was too crunchy, the egg mixture itself had no taste. It was very bland. TOMATO SOUP: came with a VERY small grilled cheese, but both were excellent. ! The soup was creamy and had a little kick to it. Portion size was good too PETIT FILET MIGNON : MY FAVORITE. I ordered it well done and it was fabulous. The mashed potatoes were a great touch. The meat was tender and juicy. Everything about it was heavenly. FRIED CHICKEN BREAST: great twist to fried chicken! Tasted like an Asian twist! The sauce was good , perfect amount on top. The CORN BREAD that came on the side was TO DIE FOR!! I only wish i could have gotten more damn cornbread. So heavenly. CHOCOLATE SMALL BITE : really rich and creamy. Tasted a little similar to dark chocolate and I'm not much of a dc fan but it was actually pretty good! PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH: MY FAV!!! So good!! Like a peanut butter wafer? mixed with recess butter finger ugh god so good! I even got some to go!!! BROWNIE BITE: only order it if u like dark chocolate . Lol i don't but my bf liked it Overall, I'm stoked to come back!! Was amazing food!! Great location too! Parking sucked a bit but it was worth it!! Would pay a meter 1.5-2 hours recommended . We didn't think we'd stay longer than 45 minutes and ended up being almost 2 hours. read more

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Wonderful. Just wonderful. Not Happy Hour so noise level is mostly music. Hibachi Salmon is delish ! So is Golden Beet salad. Big small plates in my opinion. Go for Happy Hour for great deals! Then down Cress St just steps to a great view of the Pacific Warm, Friendly quick and efficient service. read more

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Quick service, great menu options and awesome roof top bar! What more do you need for a great place to have dinner and a drink? Tapas style menu with an extensive variety in small plate formats. Several people help your server with water refills, running out food as soon as it's ready in the kitchen and bringing out cocktails. It works! Not the quietest place or strong on a cool vibe but well worth it for the food and drinks. The roof top bar gets really busy especially in the weekends and when the weather is nice. Let's face it, you have an amazing view of the Laguna Beach coastline and you're a few stories up so it's a great place to hang out. read more

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Great tapas food. Sunday is 1/2 price bottles of wine. Mixed olives are good. Roasted mushrooms are very flavorful. Salmon is good. Overall great food. Highly recommend. Part 2- Our second visit was equally as good. The dates and fondue are my favorite. Delicious! I recommend the bread pudding for dessert. So good! read more

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One of my girlfriends and I decided to take a spontaneous weekend trip to Laguna Beach and one of our favorite parts of the trip was finding new food to try while we were there. Without a doubt, K'ya Bistro won out against everywhere else we went. I'm in love with the concept of tapas, and this place does tapas really well. We were able to try quite a few different menu items without spending more than 15 or 20 dollars each and the quality and flavor was amazing. I love the pita bread appetizer and really enjoyed their poki as well. The poki was served on large, warm tortilla chips which really gave an interesting contrast between soft and crunchy textures. Not pictured, we also tried to creme brulee (delicious!) and their brownie bite was an excellent sweet ending without being too much. We almost came back two days in a row, and I kind of wish we had because I already miss the unique Mediterranean flavors! Our waitress (I forgot her name) was very friendly, courteous, and had a lot of bright energy that added to the experience. Additionally, the atmosphere was beautiful, open, and elegant but we didn't feel out of place despite being some of the youngest people there. I will definitely return here the next time I visit Laguna Beach! read more

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Love this spot! Simple small portions/plates, but amazing flavors and a variety of options. SETTING: Place is located on PCH in Laguna Beach, CA. Parking is really tough since this is a very busy street and parking spots are limited. The location is inside of a hotel so do not get confused when you get there. The outside porch is really tight and can fit maximum 8 people, but inside can fit a good amount. Not really meant for big parties. I would say 4 or 5 people max. Very live inside! SERVICE: Service here was really good. The hostesses are a bit rude in how they talk to guests. It is not welcoming at all. But the servers are amazing here. Very helpful and extremely fast. No issues whatsoever with any of the waiters that helped me here. FOOD: Food is phenomenal. I ordered so many plates just to try it all! Have a look at the images to see everything I ordered. But the meat is perfectly cooked. The veggies are all fresh. Everything is so yummy and made on the spot. I could not even tell you which plate was my favorite because literally every single dish was delicious! Definitely try this place. Average per person: $23-$35 depending how hungry you are. FIRE! See you soon!!! read more

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We made a reservation and drove an hour and half to go to this Happy Hour. We had been here once before in October. To our disappointment, the menu had changed. The menu now read for every one drink purchased get one tapa half price. Before you just had to buy one drink and you could order whatever you wanted at half price. We ordered the filet mignon, the lobster Mac and cheese, bacon wrapped dates and bacon wrapped scallops and had the sangria. The food is good but I would not pay $13 for two scallops. We won't be returning now that the happy hour has changed. read more

This was the perfect date night. A cute little bistro in an even cuter hotel in Laguna Beach. We brought our 2 month old baby and was sat in the corner so we would be out of the way. Every dish we had was delicious. We got the Valentine's Day menu. The fondue was awesome The poke was awesome The Caesar salad was ok The short rib was awesome The mac n cheese was awesome The dessert was awesome. We will be coming back just for the amazing customer service alone. read more

K'ya Laguna - Valentine's Day menu! - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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OVERALL: Great spot that's not too pricey, and happy hour is a must!!! --- Came here when it opened because it was happy hour! I believe it is buy a drink, get an entree half off. It was great! The food looked so good, I didn't know what to choose from. The two of us got two plates each and a mojito each. I didn't like my mojito (too much alcohol) but my friend's was delicious!!!! Wild berry mojito for the win! We got the chicken wings, filet mignon, Carolina ribs (with the delicious creamed corn), and the truffle risotto. SOOOO GOOD! We loved everything!! And the service was so great! BONUS: its right near the beach and we walked down stairs and hung out before and after coming to the restaurant! And upstairs is the rooftop bar so you can grab a drink and watch the sunset with the beautiful view. Can't wait to come back!! read more

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K'ya is an awesome Bistro with amazing staff. Most of their food we tried were absolutely Delicious. Their salads are amazing. The dish of steak and shrimp was exceptional but the meatballs were Not eatable. They were bad tasting and bad textured with sweet BBQ sauce very hard and dry! One bite and we returned them. The truffle fries were awesome too. Love the small portions and reasonable prices so No food is wasted. Also you don't overeat. Love the place. I highly recommend the pkace read more

Great Tapas spot, intimate setting, I would of sat outside if it wasn't cold outside (no heaters). They won't seat you until it's exactly 5 so don't come early, unless you want to go to the happy hour upstairs three flights up (no elevator). Rooftop happy hour 3-5, bistro happy hour 5-6. Will definitely come back, great prices, great food. Mixed crowd, but casual attire is allowed. read more

K'ya Laguna - Happy Hour - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

More like 3.5 stars, rounding up for the rooftop view. I came here for happy hour with my friend (4:30-5:30 everyday) , and we ordered the filet mignon tips, proscuitto and fig flatbread, caprese skewers, and ahi poke. Each item on their list is $5, and portions run a little small. My favorite was the ahi poke - so fresh with lots of flavors! I also liked the caprese skewers - very light. The mignon tips we had at first were overcooked, so they took it back and brought out a new plate that was much better. They forgot about our flatbread and didn't bring it out until the end when we asked about it. Unfortunately, I liked this the least - the flat bread was not even toasted - just a plain piece of cold flat bread that was overly sweet from the fig. I also had a mojito - pretty strong and a good size for $5! Service at the bar wasn't the best, but a walk to the rooftop to enjoy the view makes up for that. read more

K'ya Laguna - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

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OC restaurant week dinner menu $40: Wild Hawaiian Ahi Poke (Onion, seaweed, avocado, spicy soy): 4 stars Good portion of fresh pieces of ahi & sprinkles of masago fish eggs made this dish yummy. Cajun Spiced Shrimp (Polenta, tomato, garlic butter): 3 stars Shrimp was over seasoned & bit burnt on the sides. Seasoning on this dish was spicy and had a kick at the end too. Organic Yellow Beet Baby Tomatoes & Feta Salad (Greens, candied walnuts, white balsamic vinaigrette): 3 stars This salad needed more pieces of yellow beets & the dressing was too heavy & tart. Kale Salad (Avocado, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, lime vinaigrette): 2.5 stars The vinaigrette was very heavy in this salad but the kale was very fresh & the texture is nice. Lobster & Truffle Risotto (Lobster-cognac cream, herb crust): 2 stars Risotto was buttery but on the plain side & there wasn't enough pieces of asparagus to compliment the risotto. There was no smell or taste of truffle in this dish. Shavings of Parmesan cheese did little to add flavor to this dish. Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee: 4 stars Very light & fluffy consistently but a little too liquidy compared to other crème brulees that I've had before but the top was not burned which is great. Service: B- Attentive service but when I asked for my left overs to be boxed, she just handed me a box & a bag to to do it myself. I thought that this being such a fancy place with all those waiters just hanging around doing nothing that maybe they'd do it but I guess not. Decor: B Inside is a lot smaller & crowded with tables & chairs than I expected because after I looked at the place from the outside it looked to be spacious but I guess not. Overall: 3.5 stars I looked at the prices of the items on the regular menu & compared it to the OC Restaurant Week menu & they were about the same & the only thing that you'd really be saving on would be the 1/2 full glass of house wine that came with the OC Restaurant Week meal. read more

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I was very skeptical when the hostess took us down this narrow windy staircase to the "dugeon" basement... torture chamber in those old medieval films? It turned out to one of the best things I did, cuz it lead me to some tasty a** food. The waitress was super professional and told us that 3 small-plate of food per person was probably good and she was absolutely right. I was stuffed after 2.5 plates. I came with a group of 10 ppl, and we ordered boat load of different tapas and shared. NOTHING I tasted was not incredible AND we didn't even break the bank doing it! read more

Had the desires to check out Laguna on a Sunday afternoon. We were in the mood for something "different" this was fairly different from conventional fast food joints, they're food was also well above average. Ambiance Parking | It gets pretty tricky here. It always depends on the day, weekends are always tough. If you're lucky, then street parking. Best bet is neighborhood parking which is a good 5-10 minutes away but timing isn't limited. Seating | According to the room, the occupancy is 120. The seatings are all inside. There is a place on the roof but I am not sure if they're the same. Feels | Quite a charming place. As you enter, the left will be the bar with some tvs on the sports channel. Next to it is a fire place, a great place to be just in case if you're a bit wet from the beach right outside. On a Sunday evening, we were also greeted by live acoustic performance in the lobby. In the restaurant, is a lightly dimmed room playing light alternative music. On the wall are historic painting of the city of Laguna. Food: Porcini Mushroom Penne - (Recommend) My favorite out of my other orders. The sauce was not watered down but properly thick and flavorful. Brussel Sprouts - (Recommend) What makes this order of brussel sprouts stand out is the extra crisp of crumbs added to this entre. Ahi Poke - (Recommend) Served fresh and the chips are not your everyday chips. My only issue is that I wish there was more. Smoked Salmon Bruschetta - (A-OK) Two slices served, strong flavor but too much arugula in my opinion. Customer Service | Solid. Our server was attentive and our food came in a fairly reasonable time. Overall | 4.5 stars. I can't hate place. The price was affordable, food was delicious, and the location was awesome. The music and food was on point. It's a great place to check out on a date night or self care day. TL;DR Tips: * They only have Cholula hot sauce and Sriracha * Happy hour is literally 1 hr only and it changes seasonally, all meals are family style, so be sure to order at least 2 for yourself. read more

K'ya Laguna - Smoked salmon bruschetta, porcini mushroom penne, Brussels sprouts & ahi poke! - New American Near Me - Laguna Beach, California

It was a special day and we wanted to finish our evening off with something sweet. We don't eat sweets often so we were really hoping that it would be worth it. After scanning the menu on desserts were about try a different location but our server, Amy came by and assured us we were in the right place for dessert. As recommend by Amy I ordered the Creme Brûlée' which is a wonderfully tasty custard with berries. Really good. My husband got the Peanut Butter Crunch Bar. This Came with a Jalapeño cream. He couldn't taste the spice at all but that's because he's used to Scorching his mouth with tons of peppers. As for me I did taste the spice. It's not enough to make you beg for some milk but it's subtle and compliments the dessert very well. We of course had to try the brownie and truffle bites. Especially since they were priced where you simply couldn't resist. So delicious but a bit sweet for me. Thanks to Amy we will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. read more

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Yay for tasty food at this tapas-style restaurant. Biggest downside is that it was very loud.. - Tuna tartare: super fresh tuna, well marinated and served with crispy wonton skins - Buffalo mozzarella salad: fresh and juicy cherry tomatoes sliced in half, with rich and tasty mozzarella. Perfect amount of balsamic too, so yummy - Lobster mac and cheese: a bit too rich (creamy and buttery) for my taste, served with bread crumbs on top - Flourless chocolate cake: came a bit too dry, so it stuck to the sides of the cup. found the white chocolate raspberry ice cream to be a bit too sweet - Banana bread pudding: buttery and rich, imagine banana bread that's got a good chewy texture to it. Warmed and buttered, served with lightly sweet vanilla ice cream Food came out quickly, service was friendly. Expect it to be dark and loud in there, but definitely would come back :) read more

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