Kembara

We tried out Kembara for the first time, and it was an overall wonderful experience. Kembara is located at the JW Marriott at Desert Ridge, and beautiful resort. The service was so welcoming and attentive. We appreciate being asked about food allergies up front. The food is pretty good and I really appreciated the variety! The Thai chicken soup was especially delicious with a very generous serving, easily feeding 2 or 3. We really appreciate what the restaurant does for kids, ranging from the origami activity to the healthy portion for the kids meal! We loved sitting outside at the patio with the lovely lanterns at night. We would come back to try other dishes.

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.

We had an absolutely amazing dinner at Kembara! The ambiance was incredibly welcoming from the moment we walked in. A huge shoutout to our waiter, who provided flawless service and made excellent recommendations. Thanks to their suggestions, we tried the chicken satay, vegetable fried rice, and tempura shrimp—all of which were outstanding. We topped the night off with the coconut gelato, which was to die for. We will definitely be back

Overall a great experience. Great beverage selection and the staff is attentive. We weren't fans of the long beans side and liked the sauce and water chestnuts in the asparagus side. We were seated quickly and our water glasses were constantly full. The server let us know the food would come out as soon as it was ready from the kitchen so we knew we needed to pace our orders so that we received in the order we wanted to eat them. The staff was able to modify the 3 dumpling appetizer to 4 dumplings so we could each try one. The dipping sauce had great flavor. My shaken beef did have some gristle but otherwise the flavors were good. The menu indicates the level of spice and my beef dish has hot spots which were a little more spicy than my liking but enjoyable nonetheless. We were able to be leisurely about our dinner and did not feel rushed at all. We were comped the deserts we ordered which was both delicious and a gracious touch. We will go back.

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