Kaya

Kaya is a neighborhood restaurant and bar in Orlando’s Mills50 district presenting inspired Filipino cuisine with a pronounced focus on community and hospitality. The name kaya means "capable," and the team uses "kaya natin" ("we can") as a collaborative, can‑do philosophy that informs menu, events and service. Chef Lordfer Lalicon (Chef Lo) leads the kitchen through regular supper‑club offerings and collaborations; the program holds a Michelin Green Star and a 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards nomination. The restaurant blends soulful, approachable Filipino dishes with seasonal pastries and stages recurring concepts — a Saturday Kapé Kaya pastry café, a monthly Chef’s Supper Club and one‑night collaborative dinners — to broaden awareness of Filipino food and culture. The dining room is warm and decorated with framed photos and wooden carvings; a laid‑back tropical outdoor patio and garden called the Bayani Bar hosts live music, market‑style events and community gatherings. Seating includes indoor tables and the outdoor garden/patio for casual, community‑focused gatherings. Cuisine pairs traditional Filipino flavors with contemporary touches across a dinner menu, bar program and a pastry‑driven morning café, emphasizing soulful, scratch‑made items and collaborative tasting‑style dinners. Clarice Lam serves as executive pastry chef. Specialties include scratch‑made Filipino pastries, meticulously laminated croissants, Bayani Bar cocktails, Chef Lo’s Supper Club (an at‑home dinner series) and garlic rice featured in collaboration menus.