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Kembara, Phoenix, AZ

Kembara

4.5
4.5
276 Reviews
$30 and under
Asian
5350 E Marriott Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85054

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
11:00 p.m.
Booked 16 times today

About this restaurant

  • Innovative
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
Kembara is the latest project from Chef Angelo Sosa that embraces Asian street food cultures, exemplifying the tradition of cherishing time-honored recipes, while also playfully innovating upon familiar flavors and techniques for fresh takes.

The menu is an homage to Chef Sosa’s travels across Asia, with inspiration drawn from countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, Singapore and Japan.

Each dish is constructed around Chef Sosa’s concept of a “trinity of flavors”—a balance between sweet, sour and salty elements that culminate in a perfect bite of harmony.

Located inside of the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Asian, Cantonese, Southeast Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Resort Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Angelo Sosa
  • Private party facilities
    Private Dining Room Available. Please inquire for details.
  • Neighbourhood
    Desert Ridge
  • Cross Street
    Tatum Blvd and Deer Valley Rd
  • Parking details
    Hotel Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Offers

  • Sips & Bites $9 and less

    Multiple dates available
    Tue - Sat - 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    Unwind at Kembara Bar with our Dim Sum Happy Hour! From 4pm to 5pm, savor delicious drinks and Asian-inspired bites, all for $9 or less!

    Sips & Bites $9 and less photo

What 276 people are saying

Kembara reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Phoenix / Arizona

    Innovative

  • Phoenix

    Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Kembara offers an "amazing dining experience" with a unique blend of flavors. Guests admire the "fantastic dumplings" and "delicious" dishes like the Tuna Thai Jewel and Beef Rendang. While some find service slow and music choices odd, the "beautiful ambiance," attentive staff, and "incredible" culinary options make it a standout choice.
276 Reviews
  1. Marmy VIP

    Phoenix153 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We've dined at Kembara several times and we come back because the unique culture of foods is wonderful. We enjoy being able to share the different tastes among the table so that everyone gets a little of everything. Please don't skip dessert, you won't be disappointed. If you are too full to think about that after your meal, just top it off with a wonderful french press style coffee!
    KembaraResponded 4 days ago
    Dear Marmy, We appreciate you taking the time to share how much you enjoy dining at Kembara. We love knowing we were able to provide you with a great dining experience, bringing you back again and again! Providing a simple, elegant atmosphere combined with delicious food served by our devoted team is our top priority; therefore, we are thrilled we delivered on this promise to you. Thank you so much for making us your preferred choice, and we look forward to your next visit soon. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  2. Nancy VIP

    New York City7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Happy hour small plates were very good. Nice selections of wine by the glass. Friendly service. Get your parking validated and it’s only $10.
    KembaraResponded 7 days ago
    Dear Nancy, It is always exciting to hear from our guests. We are delighted you enjoyed our combination of service with culinary excellence, creating the perfect dining experience. We also appreciate you mentioning that you liked our Wine selection. It was our pleasure serving you at Kembara, and we hope to see you again soon. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  3. Jennifer VIP

    Phoenix5 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is exactly as you would expect for a hotel Asian restaurant. Portions are small, prices are high. A lot of the food was over salted, had to send one dish back bc it was like taking a bite out of a salt block. They are stingy with what they give. The pork noodles barely had any veggies and 5 small pieces of thin pork. They say the bottom of the menu are to be shared family style, maybe for a family of 1. Dessert was very simple and small, expensive but enjoyable
    KembaraResponded on April 4, 2025
    Dear Jennifer, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are happy your overall visit was satisfactory, but we want it to be perfect. We strive to exceed our guests' expectations; therefore, we hope you will accept our apologies for not doing so during your time with us. Your feedback is invaluable, and we will address this with the appropriate teams as we continually strive to excel in our customer service. We appreciate you choosing us and hope you will give us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional dining experience you deserve. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  4. Eugenia VIP

    Phoenix32 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Bad service - we waited 25 minutes before acknowledged by a waiter. Our food did not come together, so by the time the last person go their food, the first person was already done. The food was less than average. I got pork belly noodles and counted four tiny slivers of pork belly. Big disappointment especially for the price. Forbidden rice was tasteless. Coconut rice was watery, almost soupy. Chicken soup was the only dish that was good. This was a huge let down.
    KembaraResponded on April 1, 2025
    Dear Eugenia, Thank you for your feedback. I sincerely apologize for the delay in service and for your experience falling short of expectations. We take great care in crafting our dishes to create a balanced harmony of flavors, and I regret that this was not reflected in your visit. Providing high-quality hospitality is at the core of what we do, and I am truly sorry that we missed the mark. Please know that we take your concerns seriously and will be addressing them with our team to improve moving forward. Your input is valuable, and we appreciate you taking the time to share it. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  5. john

    Las Vegas32 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So, good solid food, the atmosphere is sophisticated and clean. The service and staff were amazing! I think I just expected a little more elevated food. The crab fried rice was the star of the show. I wood eat there again, but that would be because chef Angelo Sosa is an amazing chef and I would love to see when the restaurant is firing on all cylinders.
    KembaraResponded on March 30, 2025
    Dear John, Our restaurant is a reflection of Chef Angelo Sosa’s culinary odysseys, traveling, cooking, and tasting across the broad continent of Asia; we are pleased you loved the experience and appreciated the overall ambiance along with our excellent customer service. We appreciate your valuable feedback and look forward to welcoming you back soon for the exceptional visit you deserve. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  6. Noah

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food! Great service and a perfect dinner spot
    KembaraResponded on March 29, 2025
    Dear Noah, What a delight for us to read your kind comments! We enjoy offering our guests a simple, elegant atmosphere combined with delicious food served by our devoted staff. Thank you for choosing Kembara for your dinner plans, and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  7. TrinaR

    Denver4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was slightly over salted. It was busy so a bit loud as one would expect. Waitress didn’t refill our water glasses which compounded the saltiness issue.
    KembaraResponded on March 25, 2025
    Dear Trina, We are disappointed to hear about your dissatisfaction with your food selections and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. Providing delicious, quality meals is at the heart of what we strive for; therefore, we truly regret not meeting your expectations. We will address your comments to our culinary team as we continually strive to improve our guest experience going forward. In addition, we are also sorry for the service shortfalls you experienced and your frustration is completely understandable. We will convey your remarks to the relevant teams to ensure such instances are not repeated. Thank you for your patience, and we do hope to have another opportunity to serve you again. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  8. Michael

    Phoenix5 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    As a big fan of Chef Angelo Sosa and frequent guest at Tía Carmen, I was excited to try Kembara—but sadly, it was a major disappointment. Despite having a reservation, we waited nearly 20 minutes before anyone took our order. The drinks were weak, the appetizers were overly salty, and my friend’s pork belly noodles were undercooked and barely had any pork. Worse, my entrée didn’t arrive until 30 minutes after his, and by then I had lost interest. When I declined the dish, the manager told me they serve “family style”—something we were never informed of. He made it sound like a favor not to charge me for food I never received. Service was slow, disorganized, and indifferent. The final bill—$125 for two bad appetizers, two weak drinks, and one barely edible entrée—felt outrageous. I won’t be going back and can’t recommend Kembara to anyone.
    KembaraResponded on March 24, 2025
    Dear Michael, We truly appreciate your support for Chef Angelo Sosa and your visits to Tía Carmen. We’re very sorry to hear that your experience at Kembara did not meet your expectations. Please accept our apologies for the several issues you outlined with the food and service. We understand your frustration and disappointment and very much appreciate your patience. We are grateful for your honest feedback as we are continually striving to craft enriching experiences for our guests through our inspired service and commitment to quality. We never want our guests to leave dissatisfied, so if you want to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  9. Courtney

    New Orleans4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Kembara was a truly unique dining experience with flavors we can’t find anywhere else. We were especially impressed with the Tuna Thai Jewel that explored so many:different flavors We were less excited about other plates like the garlic chicken noodles. Overall - fun date night and beautiful restaurant.
    KembaraResponded on March 23, 2025
    Dear Courtney, We are delighted that Kembara was your choice for a romantic evening in Phoenix! We are glad you enjoyed our ambiance and appreciate you mentioning how much you loved our Tuna Thai Jewel dish. However, we are sorry some of our dishes did not leave the same impact. Thank you for being our guest. We hope to see you again soon. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

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  10. peter VIP

    New York City28 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Decor excellent. Food delicious. Music choices odd for ambience. Drinks pricey.
    KembaraResponded on March 22, 2025
    Dear Peter, We are pleased you enjoyed our beautiful restaurant and exquisite food. However, we are sorry for not meeting your expectations with the drinks and music. We will share your comments appropriately, as we are always looking for ways to amplify our guest experience. Thank you for dining at Kembara, and we hope to see you again soon. Christopher Biguet Restaurant General Manager

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Kembara is rated 4.5 stars by 276 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Phoenix / Arizona
  4. Phoenix
  5. Desert Ridge

Make a reservation


Booked 16 times today
Google Map for Kembara

5350 E Marriott Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85054

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Tatum Blvd and Deer Valley Rd
  • Neighbourhood
    Desert Ridge
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Asian, Cantonese, Southeast Asian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Resort Casual
  • Parking details
    Hotel Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Angelo Sosa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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