Angelo Sosa, the celebrated chef behind Latin restaurant Tia Carmen, has opened a second eatery at the J.W. Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in north Phoenix. Kembara opens to the public on Dec. 7. The restaurant is located just across from Tia Carmen and the menu includes dishes inspired by Sosa and his business partner Mark Stone's travels throughout Asia.
“I wanted to dive very, very deep into the culture because the culture is where the story and the beauty is,” Sosa told Phoenix New Times a few days prior to the restaurant's opening.
Dishes include all handmade noodles and fresh seafood, paired with ingredients such as curry leaves grown in the resort's on-site garden. The drinks menu is stacked as well. Pick from a sake list curated by sake judge, ambassador and sommelier Eduardo Dingler or sip cocktails that mirror the food with ingredients such as coconut milk and toasted rice. The restaurant's decor takes inspiration from the streets of the Malaysian state of Penang. Here's a look inside the swanky new spot.