Kembara

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Asian Street Food Tradition Meets the Arizona Desert

Kembara is the latest project from acclaimed chef Angelo Sosa and long-time partner and restaurant developer Mark Stone, set inside the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. The name reflects its spirit: the menu draws from decades of traveling, cooking, and tasting across Asia — from Chiang Mai and Hanoi to Tokyo and Penang — offering a fresh interpretation of beloved recipes that honors the lineage of generational dishes without freezing them in amber.

The Chef Behind the Kitchen

Chef Sosa brings over 25 years of experience rooted in Asian flavors and techniques, shaped by a path that ran through three-star kitchens in Europe, street food stalls in Thailand, and some of the most recognized restaurant groups in the United States. A protégé of Jean-Georges Vongerichten — under whom he first explored the wide range of Asian cooking — Sosa has also worked alongside Alain Ducasse, Stephen Starr, and Masaharu Morimoto, with stints at Jean-Georges, Spice Market, Buddakan, and Morimoto NYC. His earlier solo ventures include Xie Xie in New York, which earned him StarChefs' Rising Star award for Best New Restaurant Concept, and the Michelin-recommended Añejo in NYC. He is joined at Kembara by Chef de Cuisine Penny Tagliarina, who previously worked with Sosa at Tía Carmen and is perhaps best known for defeating Bobby Flay on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay.

The space itself was designed by LA-based Thomas Schoos — the mind behind Morimoto Napa, TAO New York and Las Vegas, and Margot — resulting in a modern, eclectic interior with a vibrant color palette.

The Food and Drink

The Asian menu spans a wide and confident range. Dim sum includes hand-wrapped pork, chicken, and shrimp shu mai dumplings alongside lobster eggrolls with yuzu sweet and sour. Signature plates lean into the depth of the continent: a Thai Chicken Noodle Soup "Khao Soi" built on house-made egg noodles, cardamom, turmeric, and coconut milk broth; Beef Rendang featuring braised Wagyu short rib with coconut, lemongrass, and Fresno chili sambal; and a Fish Head Curry with yellow coconut curry and mustard seed. Sushi, skewers, and a thoughtful vegetarian section round out the menu.

The beverage program earned Kembara a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024, and it's easy to see why. The cocktail list incorporates Asian spirits in both familiar and unexpected ways — think a smoked whisky highball called The Sympathizer, made with Akashi White Oak Whisky, genmaicha tea, and cherry wood smoke, or a martini built on housemade dashi brine. The sake list, curated by sommelier and sake ambassador Eduardo Dingler, highlights key regions, styles, and producers across Japan. The bar also claims the largest collection of Asian spirits in the region, including Japanese and Taiwanese whisky, shochu, and baijiu.

Happy hour runs Tuesday through Saturday from 4–6pm at the bar, with hand-wrapped dumplings and the full cocktail menu on offer.