Kaya will be located in the former Dandelion Community Cafe building, which closed in August of 2020, at 618 North Thornton Avenue in the Mills 50 district. Chef Lordfer Lalicon opened the restaurant after leaving Kadence, an Omakase restaurant in the Audubon district.
Six years after running pop-ups and backyard parties at Kadence, Lalicon opened Kaya, a Filipino Casual Fine Dining restaurant. The menu at Kaya will feature Filipino techniques, and ingredients, as well as fresh Florida ingredients and a wide variety of beverages.
Kaya is currently hiring staff, according to the restaurant’s Instagram. The space will have 40 seats inside as well as an outdoor space.
The word Kaya is the name of Lordfer Lalicon’s daughter and also means to be able – to say kaya ko is to say I can do it.
With more than 18 years of experience in the restaurant industry as a chef, manager, and owner working at renowned Michelin-starred and World’s Best restaurants such as Blue Hill (NYC, Stone Barns), Carbone/Major Food Group, The Oak Room, Maharlika and Kadence, Chef Lordfer Lalicon, alongside seasoned org development leader and cultural organizer Jamilyn Salonga Bailey, hopes to expand the awareness and love of Filipino food and culture.
Kaya is expected to open in late summer, but an exact date has not yet been announced. Details will be updated as they become available.
