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We went to Kayu for a date night and reserved a table in advance. We were seated as soon as we arrived. This was our first time so we didn't know the rules - the dinner menu is a 3-course set at $65 at minimum. However, we ordered additional dishes so we can try more stuff. For appetizers, we had Hot Chicken Bao, Dumplings, and Tuna & Watermelon. I liked the Dumplings the most. The Tuna & Watermelon is interesting though. For entrees, we had Tofu Sisig, Bistek, and Kayu Fried Rice. The Tofu Sisig was creatively served but it wasn't sizzling at all. The Bistek isn't anything like the traditional dish but the flavor profiles are great. The Kayu Fried Rice was mindblowing! For dessert, we both Calamansi Olive Oil Cake. It was okay. We also had their cocktails such as Pearl of the Orient, Pandan Old Fashion, Ube Baby Baby, and Gayuma. We loved all the cocktails! The service was fantastic and the prices were reasonable. The food was okay - we were disappointed that everything was lukewarm. We'd love to go back when their change their menu but for now, we would return for the cocktails!
I was excited to try this place since I've never had elevated Filipino food so wanted to see what that was like. We did the salo salo which was $65 per person. We got the watercress, dumplings, crab noodles, chicken, chocolate, & bread pudding. For the appetizers, we enjoys the dumplings since the sauce was interesting. A little curry like. However I wasn't the fan of the watercress salad, it was super tart and sour and I couldn't really taste the watercress so not really sure what they did with that. For the entrees, I thought the crab noodles were ok. Nothing super interesting and kind of bland but there were a few chunks of crab. It wasn't much flavor or amount wise for $43. I didn't try the chicken but I tried the potato side it came with and that was good. Lastly, for dessert, I felt like the serving size was kind of small but I think we enjoyed the banana bread and ice cream the most. The chocolate was kind of questionable since it just looking like chocolate was it was shaped like a little weird. And it was kind of small too. I'm not really seeing the Filipino elements in the food we tried (despite my husband saying the chicken he had was) so I don't think I'd go here again since it was pricey for what it was.
Went to Kayu for the first time and I must say that the food is not bad at all. This is not the typical authentic Filipino dish but the dishes we tried were very good. Nicely located in DuPont Circle area right in 17th St NW. Dinner was a set three course meal for 65.00 per person. I think the price could be a bit more reasonable than that but what do you expect, it's in DuPont area. Staff are nice and pleasant. Street parking only and if you get lucky you might be able to get parking in front of the restaurant. Ambiance is nice and clean noise level is very low making it easy to talk.
My friend and I tried the Kayu's "Salo Salo" 3-course dining experience for 65 per person last Saturday evening. When we arrived, there weren't many other diners, but it got busy pretty quickly. Our server wasn't the most available (given how crowded it was) and our food came out slower than we'd like (~25 minutes between courses). SOURDOUGH BOMBOLINI This was a small sourdough roll topped with a thin slice of prosciutto, finely-shredded manchego, and black truffle cream. This was quite good with the earthy truffle flavors, fatty and savoriness from the prosciutto. This felt more of an Italian appetizer than Filipino, but still enjoyable. TUNA & WATERMELON Is it tuna or watermelon? It was hard to tell at first glance since both are deep bright red and cut in a similar shape. The sauce surrounding it was a coconut vinaigrette paired with some herb oil. Overall, found it a bit too sweet, especially the watermelon pieces. I thought it was okay, but my friend really enjoyed this appetizer. CRAB NOODLES I think this is supposed to be pancit-inspired, but it tasted more like a an Asian-inspired pasta since it didn't have that smoky stir-fry flavor I was expecting. This was prepared with crab and peas and topped generously with salmon roe(?) with slightly spicy chili(?) sauce. Overall, a bit bland and felt like it was missing an oomph. LA BELLE FARM CHICKEN The potato gratin was my favorite, perfect potato texture with a good amount of cream and garlic. The roasted asparagus were meh, almost like it was there to fill up the plate. The chicken was roasted and seasoned simply -- juicy for the most part, but again, nothing unique. The pastel sauce on the side was savory and a nutty, which elevated the dish a bit. GRANITA This was more of a frozen dessert fruit cup with cantaloupe granita, jackfruit, strawberries, and mangos. The mangos were definitely not in season, as they were really hard. The jackfruit tasted like it was from a can. The fruity syrup tasted artificial and strange. Unfortunately, we both did not enjoy this dessert. UBE HALAYA CHOCOLATE This dessert was more unique with an ube mousse (shaped like an egg) with dry, thin vermicelli-like noodles wrapped around like a birds nest and adorned with edible flower petals. The presentation was beautiful. The ube flavor was pretty strong and the mousse was smooth. Overall, this was quite good and definitely one of the stronger dishes of the night. While there was nothing wrong or particularly bad about the food, I did find the flavors underwhelming and unimpressive. I wasn't feeling a lot of excitement throughout the meal. My friend enjoyed the food, so it's probably more of a personal preference. Overall, it was expensive (~$85 after tax and tip) for the quantity of food received, so I'm unlikely to return.
Morena, Kayu, where to begin? I had the most delicious rice bowls and ube lattes at Morena's grand opening (Kayu's cafe). I liked that the drinks were simple yet distinct. They were all $5.50, except the bilo bilo matcha ($6). There were five options: *ube horchata latte *bibingka latte (salted egg caramel) *sampaguita latte (jasmine) *buko pandan latte (coconut pandan) *bilo bilo matcha They also have teas, cocktails, and two mocktails. I tried the burnt coconut chicken and BBQ beef rice bowls. The meat tasted as if it came right off the grill, with great marination. Both dishes also come with papaya atsara, which adds a bold pickled flavor to the mix. I'm excited to do some work here this weekend. Kayu also has great food, and becomes Morena on Saturday and Sunday (9 am-3 pm).
Came here for restaurant week with some friends and had a lovely experience. FYI the menu online is a bit different from the one they have at the restaurant, so that threw off some of my ordering choices. We basically did the whole RW menu to split between 4 of us, and that's definitely the way to go. Loved the bao bun, and surprisingly the Chicory Salad and the tofu sisig were my favorite dishes of the night. We did the upcharge for the wagyu and I found it to be a bit of a disappointment -- i found it really tough and chewy, although the sauce and potatoes it came with were good, so it wasn't a total loss. They have a simple cocktail menu, but the bartender was super friendly and made my Asia daisy a bit less sweet per my preferences.
The food at Kayu is delicious! I attended the grand opening of the Moreno cafe and was a little underwhelmed. The pastries were delicious but the drinks tasted nothing like what they were supposed to be and were very watered down. The buko pandan latte tastes like artificial banana flavoring if you're into that and I personally am not. I will have to give the cafe another try on a regular day because they do Kayu so well that I'm sure once they get into the swing of things it'll be better!
We didn't have a reservation on a Saturday night but they were able to accommodate us in the bar area. They did ask us if there were any allergies and we said yes nuts. We mentioned it again when we ordered. Even said if there's anything with nuts please let us know. She didn't say anything so we assumed no nuts. When the food arrived is when the server told us the crab noodles had nuts. I wish they told us ahead of time as we would have ordered accordingly. This was my only complaint of the experience. The food was really incredible. The hot chicken bao bun to be honest did not look like anything special but i was pleasantly surprised. The chicken was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. The sourdough donut filled with truffle cream was tasty but I don't know if I would order it again. Dumplings packed a punch in the flavor department. The sauce was my favorite part. The pork chops was a decent portion and again cooked to perfection. Had a nice crispy skin and soft and juice meat. Lastly the crab noodles. Part of our party couldn't enjoy. It was just okay. Good but wouldn't order again or recommend. Service was great outside of the allergy note. Will definitely be back here!
I had an excellent experience at Kayu food and drinks were great too. Ube drink was very rich and flavorful. The. We all shared the restaurant week menu starting with Frisée Salad , Dumplings, Ube Bao Bun, and Ensaymada. The dumplings were favorites either wild mushroom broth bring the most flavorful. The other three were delicious with great flavor. For the main courses we got Pork Belly, sig sig, Chicken Inasal, Wagyu Adobo. My favorite was the sig sig it had a ton of savory flavor and richness. The wagyu was very good anad balanced with an excellent black sauce. Pork belly had excellent flavor and texture was an excellent dish. The chicken was good and tender. I thought the other dishes had more complexity than the chicken. For desert we shared the Ube Halaya Chocolate and hamporado S'mores both were great but the smores was my favorite its great chocolate flavor balanced against the cream. Service was excellent and the inside was beautiful too.
Had a great experience at Katy in D. The salad was delicious and fresh, and the crab pancit was definitely my favorite. The dumplings could have been a bit more flavorful, but overall everything was well prepared. I would have appreciated slightly larger portion size for the pancit, but still a solid spot worth visiting.
Since Filipino restaurants are few and far between where I live, I make a point to try and find one when I'm in a big city and Kayu did not disappoint. We chose their pre-fixe Salo-Salo menu which is family style dining that allows you to try a little bit of everything on the menu for $65 per person. It's not your average pre fixe where normally you get one app, entree and dessert. Instead you get ALL the available apps, entrees and dessert portioned out for 1 person assuming you can finish it all ...which we didn't. Stand outs from the first course were the hamachi and ube bao buns. I did enjoy their reimagined cassava cake which usually is topped with cheese for a sweet and savory combo, but was paired with smoked trout roe instead. Second course faves: tamarind chicken wings and the gem lettuce salad (my pick) and lamb kare kare (hubby's pick). I'm not a big lamb eater but the chops were cooked to perfection- melt in your mouth smooth! Even though we thought we had no room left, dessert came out and we cleaned our plates. I liked the silken tofu , but the malted smores was unique combining the Milo powdered drink with buko pandan. They also serve cocktails and beer/wine, and I enjoyed my calamansi mule. Service was friendly and attentive , and I even got a complimentary glass of champagne to finish my meal. Highly recommend Kayu if you are in DC.
23 days ago
Why You Need to Go: 10/10 Approachable Authenticity: The menu feels like a genius, can't-miss collaboration. It does a brilliant job of bringing true cultural authenticity to the table in a way that is incredibly welcoming and accessible. Flawless Recommendations: Trust the staff! Every single server recommendation we tried was an absolute HIT. Immaculate Vibes: We chose to sit at the bar high tops and highly recommend it. The energy was buzzing, the service was seamless, and even the music playlist was amazing. KAYU didn't just meet the high expectations we had from social media--it completely exceeded them. We already can't wait to go back just to soak in the atmosphere again. Do yourself a favor and move this to the very top of your list! *sorry... best photos are on my wife's phone. : / read more
Kayu is a creative and tasty place to eat. We love how they added a splash of color to both the cocktail menu with their ube drink and the hot chicken bao bun appetizer. The purple bun was very appealing and the chicken was nice and juicy. The sauce was good and we would have enjoyed even more of it and a little more heat. The second playful dish was the kinilaw which was a mix of ceviche tuna and watermelon. It was a trompe l'oiel as you tried to tell which cube was which. The tuna was tasty and the watermelon nice and crisp. In this dish, the sauce had a bit more zing and spice. We also enjoyed the curry angnolotti but our favorite dish was the cashew kare kare The meat was well cooked and the eggplant and the peas added to the tasty sauce. We only wished for some rice to soak up more of the sauce. For dessert we ordered the tsokolate which was a wonderful dark chocolate with a great smooth texture. The space itself is playfully decorated as well and showcases some important mementos of the chefs' careers. We look forward to finding out what other creative culinary treats await us on our next visit. read more
We went unknowingly on pride day celebrations so our saturday night dinner was not so private and quiet and serene. Regardless, I appreciated their attempts to elevate Filipino cuisine. The chicken afritada worked for me as they just broke it down to separate pieces and plated it well. They also had this curry dish that my partner enjoyed. The rest left much to be desired. Salad had too much of a texture mishmash. My partner's crab noodles were unpleasantly smothered in green onions - also what Filipino dish is this even derived from? And they gotta rethink their desserts because they had this one sweet that just does not look appetizing at all. Oh and would love larger portion sizes for the set course meal you pay per person, especially the dessert. Nice decor and warm cozy setting. Can't speak for the patio seating because the block was closed down for pride day. Loved the celebrations tho, just was so busy and jam packed for what we intended was a nice date night. Not on Kayu or the celebrations, but still unfortunate. read more
12 days ago
The food was good, but a bit overwhelming by the price, and some of it didn't seem terribly cohesive. read more
2 months ago
We went to Kayu for a date night and reserved a table in advance. We were seated as soon as we arrived. This was our first time so we didn't know the rules - the dinner menu is a 3-course set at $65 at minimum. However, we ordered additional dishes so we can try more stuff. For appetizers, we had Hot Chicken Bao, Dumplings, and Tuna & Watermelon. I liked the Dumplings the most. The Tuna & Watermelon is interesting though. For entrees, we had Tofu Sisig, Bistek, and Kayu Fried Rice. The Tofu Sisig was creatively served but it wasn't sizzling at all. The Bistek isn't anything like the traditional dish but the flavor profiles are great. The Kayu Fried Rice was mindblowing! For dessert, we both Calamansi Olive Oil Cake. It was okay. We also had their cocktails such as Pearl of the Orient, Pandan Old Fashion, Ube Baby Baby, and Gayuma. We loved all the cocktails! The service was fantastic and the prices were reasonable. The food was okay - we were disappointed that everything was lukewarm. We'd love to go back when their change their menu but for now, we would return for the cocktails! read more
I was excited to try this place since I've never had elevated Filipino food so wanted to see what that was like. We did the salo salo which was $65 per person. We got the watercress, dumplings, crab noodles, chicken, chocolate, & bread pudding. For the appetizers, we enjoys the dumplings since the sauce was interesting. A little curry like. However I wasn't the fan of the watercress salad, it was super tart and sour and I couldn't really taste the watercress so not really sure what they did with that. For the entrees, I thought the crab noodles were ok. Nothing super interesting and kind of bland but there were a few chunks of crab. It wasn't much flavor or amount wise for $43. I didn't try the chicken but I tried the potato side it came with and that was good. Lastly, for dessert, I felt like the serving size was kind of small but I think we enjoyed the banana bread and ice cream the most. The chocolate was kind of questionable since it just looking like chocolate was it was shaped like a little weird. And it was kind of small too. I'm not really seeing the Filipino elements in the food we tried (despite my husband saying the chicken he had was) so I don't think I'd go here again since it was pricey for what it was. read more
26 days ago
Went to Kayu for the first time and I must say that the food is not bad at all. This is not the typical authentic Filipino dish but the dishes we tried were very good. Nicely located in DuPont Circle area right in 17th St NW. Dinner was a set three course meal for 65.00 per person. I think the price could be a bit more reasonable than that but what do you expect, it's in DuPont area. Staff are nice and pleasant. Street parking only and if you get lucky you might be able to get parking in front of the restaurant. Ambiance is nice and clean noise level is very low making it easy to talk. read more
My friend and I tried the Kayu's "Salo Salo" 3-course dining experience for 65 per person last Saturday evening. When we arrived, there weren't many other diners, but it got busy pretty quickly. Our server wasn't the most available (given how crowded it was) and our food came out slower than we'd like (~25 minutes between courses). SOURDOUGH BOMBOLINI This was a small sourdough roll topped with a thin slice of prosciutto, finely-shredded manchego, and black truffle cream. This was quite good with the earthy truffle flavors, fatty and savoriness from the prosciutto. This felt more of an Italian appetizer than Filipino, but still enjoyable. TUNA & WATERMELON Is it tuna or watermelon? It was hard to tell at first glance since both are deep bright red and cut in a similar shape. The sauce surrounding it was a coconut vinaigrette paired with some herb oil. Overall, found it a bit too sweet, especially the watermelon pieces. I thought it was okay, but my friend really enjoyed this appetizer. CRAB NOODLES I think this is supposed to be pancit-inspired, but it tasted more like a an Asian-inspired pasta since it didn't have that smoky stir-fry flavor I was expecting. This was prepared with crab and peas and topped generously with salmon roe(?) with slightly spicy chili(?) sauce. Overall, a bit bland and felt like it was missing an oomph. LA BELLE FARM CHICKEN The potato gratin was my favorite, perfect potato texture with a good amount of cream and garlic. The roasted asparagus were meh, almost like it was there to fill up the plate. The chicken was roasted and seasoned simply -- juicy for the most part, but again, nothing unique. The pastel sauce on the side was savory and a nutty, which elevated the dish a bit. GRANITA This was more of a frozen dessert fruit cup with cantaloupe granita, jackfruit, strawberries, and mangos. The mangos were definitely not in season, as they were really hard. The jackfruit tasted like it was from a can. The fruity syrup tasted artificial and strange. Unfortunately, we both did not enjoy this dessert. UBE HALAYA CHOCOLATE This dessert was more unique with an ube mousse (shaped like an egg) with dry, thin vermicelli-like noodles wrapped around like a birds nest and adorned with edible flower petals. The presentation was beautiful. The ube flavor was pretty strong and the mousse was smooth. Overall, this was quite good and definitely one of the stronger dishes of the night. While there was nothing wrong or particularly bad about the food, I did find the flavors underwhelming and unimpressive. I wasn't feeling a lot of excitement throughout the meal. My friend enjoyed the food, so it's probably more of a personal preference. Overall, it was expensive (~$85 after tax and tip) for the quantity of food received, so I'm unlikely to return. read more
Morena, Kayu, where to begin? I had the most delicious rice bowls and ube lattes at Morena's grand opening (Kayu's cafe). I liked that the drinks were simple yet distinct. They were all $5.50, except the bilo bilo matcha ($6). There were five options: *ube horchata latte *bibingka latte (salted egg caramel) *sampaguita latte (jasmine) *buko pandan latte (coconut pandan) *bilo bilo matcha They also have teas, cocktails, and two mocktails. I tried the burnt coconut chicken and BBQ beef rice bowls. The meat tasted as if it came right off the grill, with great marination. Both dishes also come with papaya atsara, which adds a bold pickled flavor to the mix. I'm excited to do some work here this weekend. Kayu also has great food, and becomes Morena on Saturday and Sunday (9 am-3 pm). read more
22 days ago
We did a food experience and it was very delicious. It was a tasting with hot chicken boa and curry agnolotti were out of this world with much flavor. The tuna and watermelon not so much. However, the other dishes made up for it. read more
Came here for restaurant week with some friends and had a lovely experience. FYI the menu online is a bit different from the one they have at the restaurant, so that threw off some of my ordering choices. We basically did the whole RW menu to split between 4 of us, and that's definitely the way to go. Loved the bao bun, and surprisingly the Chicory Salad and the tofu sisig were my favorite dishes of the night. We did the upcharge for the wagyu and I found it to be a bit of a disappointment -- i found it really tough and chewy, although the sauce and potatoes it came with were good, so it wasn't a total loss. They have a simple cocktail menu, but the bartender was super friendly and made my Asia daisy a bit less sweet per my preferences. read more
The food at Kayu is delicious! I attended the grand opening of the Moreno cafe and was a little underwhelmed. The pastries were delicious but the drinks tasted nothing like what they were supposed to be and were very watered down. The buko pandan latte tastes like artificial banana flavoring if you're into that and I personally am not. I will have to give the cafe another try on a regular day because they do Kayu so well that I'm sure once they get into the swing of things it'll be better! read more
We didn't have a reservation on a Saturday night but they were able to accommodate us in the bar area. They did ask us if there were any allergies and we said yes nuts. We mentioned it again when we ordered. Even said if there's anything with nuts please let us know. She didn't say anything so we assumed no nuts. When the food arrived is when the server told us the crab noodles had nuts. I wish they told us ahead of time as we would have ordered accordingly. This was my only complaint of the experience. The food was really incredible. The hot chicken bao bun to be honest did not look like anything special but i was pleasantly surprised. The chicken was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. The sourdough donut filled with truffle cream was tasty but I don't know if I would order it again. Dumplings packed a punch in the flavor department. The sauce was my favorite part. The pork chops was a decent portion and again cooked to perfection. Had a nice crispy skin and soft and juice meat. Lastly the crab noodles. Part of our party couldn't enjoy. It was just okay. Good but wouldn't order again or recommend. Service was great outside of the allergy note. Will definitely be back here! read more
I had an excellent experience at Kayu food and drinks were great too. Ube drink was very rich and flavorful. The. We all shared the restaurant week menu starting with Frisée Salad , Dumplings, Ube Bao Bun, and Ensaymada. The dumplings were favorites either wild mushroom broth bring the most flavorful. The other three were delicious with great flavor. For the main courses we got Pork Belly, sig sig, Chicken Inasal, Wagyu Adobo. My favorite was the sig sig it had a ton of savory flavor and richness. The wagyu was very good anad balanced with an excellent black sauce. Pork belly had excellent flavor and texture was an excellent dish. The chicken was good and tender. I thought the other dishes had more complexity than the chicken. For desert we shared the Ube Halaya Chocolate and hamporado S'mores both were great but the smores was my favorite its great chocolate flavor balanced against the cream. Service was excellent and the inside was beautiful too. read more
4 months ago
Had a great experience at Katy in D. The salad was delicious and fresh, and the crab pancit was definitely my favorite. The dumplings could have been a bit more flavorful, but overall everything was well prepared. I would have appreciated slightly larger portion size for the pancit, but still a solid spot worth visiting. read more
11 months ago
Since Filipino restaurants are few and far between where I live, I make a point to try and find one when I'm in a big city and Kayu did not disappoint. We chose their pre-fixe Salo-Salo menu which is family style dining that allows you to try a little bit of everything on the menu for $65 per person. It's not your average pre fixe where normally you get one app, entree and dessert. Instead you get ALL the available apps, entrees and dessert portioned out for 1 person assuming you can finish it all ...which we didn't. Stand outs from the first course were the hamachi and ube bao buns. I did enjoy their reimagined cassava cake which usually is topped with cheese for a sweet and savory combo, but was paired with smoked trout roe instead. Second course faves: tamarind chicken wings and the gem lettuce salad (my pick) and lamb kare kare (hubby's pick). I'm not a big lamb eater but the chops were cooked to perfection- melt in your mouth smooth! Even though we thought we had no room left, dessert came out and we cleaned our plates. I liked the silken tofu , but the malted smores was unique combining the Milo powdered drink with buko pandan. They also serve cocktails and beer/wine, and I enjoyed my calamansi mule. Service was friendly and attentive , and I even got a complimentary glass of champagne to finish my meal. Highly recommend Kayu if you are in DC. read more
Wow this place is so great! The food is all fabulous and the service fantastic. Not one dish was bad and the ube bao bun was so so good! They could use going to a more upscale spot, but the win is the food. Also the drinks could use some more creativity. They're not as good as the food. read more
10 months ago
I was visiting town for a work conference and was looking for a place to eat because I didn't want to eat at the hotel restaurant. I checked on yelp and saw there was a close by Filipino restaurant in the neighborhood. I invited some colleagues to join me and I'm so glad we went. When we walked in the restaurant was buzzing and was pretty full. We had the option to sit at the bar or a high table and chose the latter. Good energy and vibe. Curious what it would be like during the day. We started off with drinks which were made with so much care and tasted lovely. I ordered a pomegranate margarita less sweet and The Bartender made it twice which I really appreciated. The food was a balance of Filipino fusion, hearty portions, and nuanced flavors that made my stomach very happy. I later learned the restaurant is led by Chef Paolo Dunca and was proud to support. Come check this place out the next time you're in DC. read more
What a great addition to the neighborhood! I love what they did with this space and I look forward to going to their patio for drinks. Their cocktail list is awesome. I had a bourbon drink with calamansi, and I could drink three of those (dangerous). They also have a really unique wine list with wine from Arizona and MD. The food is really good and hard to define. I've only had Purple Patch and friend's Filipino food to compare. This is definitely more Filipino flavors with a twist on presentation--in a great way! The pimento dip with crab chips is a must order! I'll get two next time. They're sides should not be slept on. They have delicious roasted veggies and great yellow rice. We did that with their crispy chicken wings small plate and that was enough for a meal. Their sizes are better for sharing/a group. The main plates are good for sharing, but my friend and I had some dietary restrictions, so we didn't order those. It seems like their menu is constantly changing, so I'm excited to go back and try something new! But please, keep the chips and dip on the menu!! Pretty reasonably price for two people. The service is very friendly and our waiter was great about explaining items on the menu we were unfamiliar with. read more
Kayu (a newly moved location from what I could understand) was amazing from cocktails to mains to vibes! The space was warm and inviting and service was great. We were treated to delicious Filipino inspired and flavored dishes and delicious cocktails with a tropical twist. Standouts were the perfectly cooked pork belly of the pork and beans appetizer, the umami-bomb mushroom tea that we had delicate dumplings served in, and the crispy skin of our chicken tocino. Everything was so flavorful, and by the time we were done with dinner, the dining room was deservedly full. I can't wait to go back and eat through the menu, knowing each bite will be crafted with a dedication to cuisine and deliciousness! read more
Kayu is a fantastic foray into Filipino cuisine - one that isn't the pancit and lumpia you may be familiar with. Starting off with a Red Horse was the best decision I've made at dinner, but the food didn't need the bliss provided by the strong kick. The food (pork belly and beans, mushroom dumplings in mushroom broth, and the best chicken tocino I've had that wasn't made on a ship) was all seasoned to perfection and presented beautifully! The service was extremely kind and attentive, while the atmosphere, less a few items indicative of Pinoy culture (read: boxing gloves) highlighted the stark transition from an amazing experience of the Philippines to the bustling street outdoors. The calm and collected atmosphere really made it feel like we were in a whole other place. 10/10, will eat here again. Welcome to the new spot! read more
7 months ago
Love supporting local restaurant. Highly recommend reservation. We had the $85 tasting menu, since we had 3 people we ended up almost trying everything on the menu. The food was great, our friend who follows the chef really wanted to meet them again, so when the chefs were done with cooking they ended up coming upstairs to chat with us which was awesome. Loved the food and the service. Parking is a little rough though. We would out there are only two chefs and they cook the entire night by themselves in a small kitchen. Now that's what i call being Pros. read more
I love the way Kayu elevated Filipino dishes. We ordered ala carte instead of their course dinners and had plenty of food to take home because of the generous portions. The flavors were flavorful and reminiscent of traditional dishes but they definitely put their own spin to it. The only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars is because some of the cooking was a bit uneven like for the chicken, and some of the descriptions in the menu do not reflect the dish exactly. Still a great experience. The service was attentive and the space is warm and inviting. read more
1 year ago
Was excited to try a nice place for Filipino food in DC! Got the chef's corner menu with I believe seven items, alongside some complimentary things too. Overall, I think the food was okay but not worth the price (especially after tip and fees). The food items I liked: the radish soup (refreshing to start with), the chicken heart skewers (I am a fan of heart tastes) , the pasta (the curry sauce went well with everything), the ending cake (not too sweet and airy). The food items I thought were okay: the tuna (tuna tasted normal but the sauce and vinaigrette were tasty), dirty rice (the rice itself was good but the pork belly was rather dry, lacking flavour, too crispy), the lamb (I thought it was fine with peanut sauce and bok choy, rest of the sweets (just nothing too spectacular, but a good amount were complimentary, which was kind of them). The staff were really friendly and attentive though, so I liked that. The place is cute and played a variety of different music. I'm unsure if this is authentic Filipino food; not too familiar with Filipino food and I mostly treated it as a culinary experience in general! read more
9 months ago
9 months ago
I visited this restaurant over the weekend, and overall it was a nice experience, but not what I expected in terms of authentic Filipino flavors. The place itself is small, cute, and nicely decorated, with only a few tables, giving it an intimate atmosphere. The customer service was great the staff were friendly and attentive. The menu is small, which I usually appreciate because it isn't overwhelming. However, when we tried to order a few items, we were told they didn't have them available. We asked our server for recommendations, and she suggested the chicken. So we ordered the chicken as our shared entrée and the Ceviche as our appetizer. The chicken was good and not overcooked, but the flavor wasn't authentic. The Ceviche appetizer was fine as well, but overall the dishes didn't capture the true Filipino taste we were hoping for. We ended up bringing some of the food home. One thing to note is that the restaurant is very pricey. The drinks, however, were good. If you're looking for authentic Filipino cuisine, this probably isn't the place you might leave disappointed. But if you want a cute spot for date night, good service, nice ambiance, and are okay with the higher prices, it's worth trying once. Would I return? Probably not, at least not for authentic flavors. But I'm glad I experienced it. read more
Not new, but new to the neighborhood, Kayu represents some of the best of Filipino food , coming from a Filipino. Their food takes traditional Filipino flavors and mixes it with other inspirations to make something new. Highlights of our meal were the lamb rack kare-kare and the ube bao bun. Both dishes were super delicious. Our drinks were solid as well. The service was friendly and warm. The space and neighborhood is really nice, I really hope they thrive here! Will definitely recommend. read more
5 months ago
The restaurant is nice but definitely do not order their adult jolly meal. It's just a basic cheeseburger with regular fries. It took a really long time to come out for 3 of us, and we noticed a lot of other people who came in after us were getting served, even when they also ordered the same burger as us. Our fault for choosing that and felt like we should've chosen the actual entrees on the menu instead. The fries were also cold but they were nice enough to make hot ones for us. I will say that while the food choice was subpar, the service is amazing here. The staff was so nice and accommodating, and they were very apologetic about the long delay in food and made up for it with us with their service recovery. Will def go back just for the wonderful staff and to try the actual menu again next time read more
2 months ago
What an AMAZING dinner @ Kayu! Everything was absolutely delectable I had the pleasure of meeting Chefs Julie and Paolo with special latte and treats from Bless. I will easily become a regular here! Thank you, Kayu Staff read more
Had a group of 7 and we were seated in possibly the darkest part of the restaurant, which was fine. Service was supper great as we were placing orders but waiting for our food was a nightmare. Unsure if it was just a bad night for them or what but I'm glad we stuck with the 4 course over the 8 as it may have taken way longer. All in all, this whole dinner took 4 hours. The food itself was great in presentation but I was expecting a little more in terms of how they prepare items. I also had a mocktail that was great for the first two sips but then felt like I was drinking sugar water. read more
My friend told me about Chef Paolo and this spot. If you were a fan of the legendary Bad Saint restaurant, Chef Paolo was a product of the magical kitchen! AMBIANCE: Parking: Street parking. It can get busy so be sure to come early, ride share, or do public transportation. Seating: I came here on a Friday and things started to get popping in the later evening so be sure to RSVP. Feels: I'm not too familiar with DC but it's about a 15-minute drive from the National Mall. The place is a mix of houses and restaurants. The spot itself is dimmed for a nice intimate vibe. I liked how it's clean with scattered decor of Filipino art/culture from the baskets to the paintings. They even had a good mix of Filipino music and pop music. Great place for date night or a food adventure. FOOD: Salo Salo Experience (4 Courses) Cassava cake (Recommend) Not your usual cassava (like flour) cake that's usually sweet. A nice soft texture that was fluffy with savory flavors such as crab fat, mangalista lardo (pig) and was topped with smoked trout roe. Maryland Crab Crake Crepe (Recommend) A nice soft and warm omelet with good flavors of egg gribiche (mayo), crab, and other greens. I enjoyed the southeast flavors of toned pungent fish sauce. Tocino Aged Pork Chop (Recommend) This is a bit of an additional cost to the Salo Salo Experience but it was fulfilling and worth it. The rice was delicious and had pleasant flavors of garlic. The boiled egg gave it a nice umami kick to it. The pork chop was delicious. I got a good balance of meat and fat that was well sauced and juicy. I love the sweetness of the tocino and pineapple. I believe I got daing (fried fish) or fried pig crisps added to it which added a good mix to the flavor. Mixed with some lychee and mint, the greens were a delight! Malted Tcho Chocolate (Recommend) For something more familiar, can't go wrong with chocolate. Thick, soft, and sweet cocoa ice cream with popcorn for a good crunch and dolce de leche for another level of sweetness. Melon Ranger (Recommend) For those looking to drink, this is a good sweet choice. A mix of coconut rum, melon, condensed milk, and madeira! You're in for a delight. CUSTOMER SERVICE: I can't remember their names but Bruno and crew were all great people! TL; DR OVERALL: 5 Stars. Good food, fair prices for delicious elevated flavors, and all in all a pleasant experience. There are some great Filipino delights here in DC just like Purple Patch! What made this stand out is there elevated menu, so if you're looking for something different, this is the way to go. Thank you, Chef Paolo and team. I wish you all the best! #FilipinoFoodMovement #RepresentASIAN TIPS: * Check out their morning delights next door, Hiraya (available morning and afternoon) * Ask them for their daily specials! read more
6 months ago
Went here for restaurant week. Very chill, quaint vibes. The cocktails were very good ($16 each). My favorite plate was the ube chorizo bao bun. Each course was brought in a timely matter. Friendly workers explained what was served with each course as they came out. read more
7 months ago
Service was amazing! The food was fab. Def get the mushroom dumpling and the ube bao bun. The pork entree and scallops were also a big hit! read more
Really wanted to like this place bc of rave reviews about Hiraya and I love supporting minority businesses especially Asian ones but needless to say I was very disappointed. Went as a group on a Saturday night and the place was mostly full. Decor was trendy with rattan chairs and lighting but was very dimly lit to the point where I was reading the menu from the light that spilled through the window. Seems like you'll need those camping head lights in here to see anything loll Service was extremely slow and a bit disappointing bc they kept telling us various menu items from the food and drink weren't available. We were all ready to order the chef's tasting but opted not to bc of this. Little did we know this was just the beginning. We ordered the salo salo menu and drinks. Drinks were creative and the group seemed to like all of theirs. I got the Frankie Minoza which was refreshing but got too sweet for me after a while. Got the cassava cake (this was actually good but it was literally one piece. I wish they gave more of this), hamachi crudo (meh), scallops,mussels & clam (there was only one scallop and sand in the mussels), and crepe brulee (regrettable). Idk if they were intentionally spacing out the courses but each course was spaced put by 30min or more. Our first dish came after over an hour of our res time I saw other tables looking pretty unhappy about the slow service too. Food wasn't up to my expectation and everyone else seemed to feel the same. We did share some other dishes and I found the pig ear salad was unique and sauce for the grilled prawns and calamansi pie was good. The bathroom was even darker than the dining area and wasn't the cleanest. I think Anthony Bourdain said the cleanliness of the bathroom is the cleanliness of the kitchen, in which case I'll pass. All in all, I don't recommend this place and do not plan to return. Maybe Hiraya is better but who knows if I'll try read more
3 months ago
The BEST. Not a traditional filipino restaurant. It was such an amazing meal. We did the Salo-salo which is a 3-course meal and every single dish served was a chef's kiss. read more
Firstly, the decor was so chic, warm, beautiful and very nostalgic. Artworks seems to include Filipino handmade/painted pieces along with a really cool custom mural on the far end of the bar. The staff was kind, efficient, knowledgable and attentive. Chic & comfortable seating. Food and drinks (with and without alcohol) were all delicious, beautifully presented and came in great portion sizes. My favorite items from my visit were the Cassava Cake, Panna Cotta and the Salabat. The Smoked Trout was seasoned sooooo well also! Great for dates and dinner with friends from out of town. Can't wait for my next visit! read more
Service is good, in that the servers are attentive and make sure you're not eating anything you're allergic to. We did the tasting menu with a wine pairing. Unfortunately, all of the wines are from MD which means they're not top tier despite paying a premium for the pairing. One of the wines tasted straight up like flavored water and another tasted artificial. Would recommend that the restaurant work with a professional to improve their pairings (e.g. wines from California or France). The food was fine, but overall, it's an overpriced tasting menu for what you get. Cocktails and overall ambiance are good. read more
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