Kaya's is the kind of place that's alright, but has the potential to be so much better.
I'll explain exactly what I mean. Central New Jersey is thankfully full of plenty of vegan and veg-friendly restaurants. We almost always cook dinner at home, but if we're in the mood to grab something out, we have at least three or four go-to options that are always reliable and awesome. However, if we want to go out for a fine-dining experience, we are pretty much out of luck. That's where my first issue begins...
My first issue with this place is the false impression it gives. At first glace, Kaya's gives the impression of being a rather fancy or swanky vegan restaurant. The decor is beyond lovely, the ambiance seems quite nice, and the lighting is even dimmed to give it the look of a place that is perfect for dates and special occasions. Unfortunately, the overall atmosphere of the place is extremely casual, overtly so. The staff is sort of friendly, but again, far too casual. I might be okay with that if the place had a more casual look, but it doesn't. The seating arrangements are not exactly fantastic either; when I make a Valentine's Day reservation two weeks in advance I expect to be seated at a booth or at least an individual table, not on a bench with strangers. To me, this is unacceptable. Also, if you show your server a dirty fork, he or she should probably bring you a clean fork in under five minutes... just saying.
My second issue is the pricing. If you're going to be an overtly casual restaurant, then please give overtly casual prices. I won't say anything against the food, but I've never been particularly blown away by it. It is certainly good, but if I'm dropping close to 100 dollars on a dinner, I should walk away wanting to write rave-reviews about the place. Instead I walked away feeling a bit annoyed that I spent so much on an otherwise mediocre experience. Once again, the food is decent, but I truly don't agree with what they are charging. To be completely honest, our favorite part of our last meal there was a cupcake... and they don't even make them themselves (Papa Ganache Bakery in Matawan supplies them).
My third issue with this place is rather unique. The entire restaurant apparently took an impromptu vacation to India in January but failed to post about it on their website. My girlfriend and I wanted to celebrate our anniversary there, so we drove the 45 minutes south, pulled up in front, and saw the place was dark. Now, I'm not saying people aren't allowed to go on vacation, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't angry that night. When I went back to check, they had posted about it on their facebook page, but I didn't think to check their facebook after already checking their main website the night before (which made no mention of any closure)... honestly, who checks facebook pages of restaurants to make sure they're open on a Friday at 6PM anyway?
Over all, the place is okay, but a bit too pricey for me, given both the quality of the food and the service. I'd like to say we'll be going back, but we probably won't be. Needless to say, there are far better vegan restaurants in central New Jersey where we'd rather spend our money. read more