Kembara

We had an absolutely wonderful experience at Kembara, and it reminded us why we keep coming back to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa year after year as locals. We happened to visit during Lunar New Year and were genuinely surprised and delighted with a beautiful gift bag from Rémy Martin, along with a thoughtfully crafted cocktail highlighting the brand. Such a classy, unexpected touch that immediately set the tone for the evening. Our server, Megan, was an absolute standout—warm, knowledgeable, and perfectly attentive without ever feeling intrusive. She elevated the entire experience. Every dish we ordered hit the mark. The edamame was outstanding, topped with perfectly crispy garlic that was savory and salty without even a hint of bitterness. The smashed cucumber was refreshing, and the green papaya salad was beautifully balanced, featuring a perfectly jammy salted egg that tied everything together. We were thrilled to see that the brown butter crab hand roll is now offered as a sushi roll—still just as indulgent and delicious. The vegetable lo mein was a surprise highlight, deeply flavorful and comforting, and the crab fried rice was packed with large, sweet pieces of crab that felt truly generous. My husband ordered the Sympathizer cocktail, which arrived with a stunning smoked presentation tableside—dramatic, aromatic, and absolutely delicious. From the thoughtful Lunar New Year touches to the exceptional food and service, this meal was memorable from start to finish. We’ve been visiting the JW for years, and thanks to Kembara, we now have yet another reason to keep coming back.

Beckie Bernard

Located inside the JW Marriott where Roy’s used to be. Booked a reservation within 2 days. Came here for the lamb spring rolls, and James Beard award-winning chef Angelo Sosa! Did not disappoint

Halle

Fantastic night at Kembara! The food was outstanding — the shrimp siu mai, the perfectly seasoned asparagus, and the beautifully cooked salmon were all packed with flavour and beautifully presented. The Joy Luck Club cocktail was amazing, and the Vietnamese coffee donuts were warm, fluffy, and absolutely delicious. Nicole’s service was exceptional — friendly, attentive, and great with recommendations. Highly recommend!

Raluca Kubaszky

The food, ambience, and service here is absolutely incredible. I highly recommend the beef rendang (approved by my Malaysian friend ), fried rice, and Thai tuna jewel . Our server Cole was super attentive and gave us recommendations for food and cocktails based on our preferences. Would 100% recommend and would love to come back again.

Cindy H.

Just arrived at the JW Marriott for a conference. I decided to get dinner at Kembara. I’m glad I did. The service was exceptionally friendly. I decided on the Banana Leaf Icelandic Cod. I was going to pass on the side dish, but the server convinced me to give the asparagus with water chestnuts a try. Dinner came relatively quickly. Both were delicious! I recommend Kembara Restaurant.

Jim Averna

Shout out to our server Cole and chefs Stephanie and Penny for giving us one of the best meals we’ve experienced. Amazing food and amazing service, plus you can’t beat being at the JW. We absolutely LOVED the Tuna Thai Jewel appetizer (must get) along with everything else we ordered… Shrimp Shu Mai, Crab Fried Rice, Beef Rendang, Vietnamese Coffee Donuts, and Ube Delight. The cocktails were fantastic too. Hands down one of our new favorite restaurants. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Kyle Frashier

This was our first time, there are certainly some creative spins on Asian dishes. By and large we enjoyed the ambience, and the dinner. The service could’ve been slightly better as it seemed like our server was engaged with multiple tables. You can endorse your parking ticket before you exit. The Lamb rolls were excellent. The kimchi rice was excellent too.

roadtrip couple

Wonderful service, they ALL ensured my allergies were respected and communicated with every dish. Lo mein and fried rice were the best I have ever had, simple and full of flavor. Of course their most popular dishes were everything expected and more. Chef Sosa was absolutely charming-good luck on your upcoming competitions! , Lizzy our waitress was attentive, Daniel was absolutely passionate about the food and quality, Elizabeth recommended excellent cocktails and Maritza-great playlist! All of the staff really went out of their way to accommodate. 1000% recommended. Merci infiniment!

Sara Vergnes