As a journalist, I don’t ask questions to get what I want to hear, but as a food journalist, it often works out by accident.
This morning I got on the phone with Kaya co-owner Jamilyn Salonga Bailey to ask about the new desserts coming at her Mill’s 50 Boy, a 2024 James Beard Foundation Award finalist for Best New Restaurant.
“Well, we also have Adobo Caramel Apple Tart, Silvana Alaska, Calamansi Coconut Cream Pie…”
She continues to list them, but I get distracted and find myself floating on a dreamy cloud of ube marshmallows. That happened to be another one of the flavors.
Each incorporates classic elements, but with Kaya’s signature move: using Filipino ingredients.
Each of them quietly wishes that this had been a face-to-face interview.
And that he had a spoon.
Normally I might not be all that interested in some new desserts, but there are other factors at play here.
The first is that Kaya will be offering a ton of products for pre-order during the holiday season.
The second is that it is about to embark on a series of Saturday pop-ups highlighting the impressive French techniques of its new executive pastry chef (possibly a predecessor to the regular kapu (Filipino cafe) earlier in the day).
Third, the pastry chef is Clarice Lamb.
Her CV reads like the secret secrets of a Bond villain if Jacques Torres were running MI6.
International model. Classically trained chef and pastry chef. A successful owner of a bakery in Brooklyn. Food Network competitors. James Beard nominated cookbook author.
Lamb also has a good-natured sense of humor, so Austin Powers would probably work, but I still wouldn’t call her Ivana Baquearot.
Born in Canada and raised in Los Angeles by immigrant parents from Hong Kong, she pursued a career in modeling right out of high school and literally traveled the world. Lam has lived in Britain, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Italy, Hong Kong and the Philippines, but in most cases he began each stay without any local connections.
“I didn’t have any friends, I didn’t necessarily know the language, so the easiest way to get to know the local culture was through food.”
Success continued, but Mr. Lam was not naive. — “Modeling only lasts so long until the job is done” — and her time in Paris sparked her classic laminated creations. After graduating from culinary school, she initially aimed to establish herself in the savory world, but it turned out to be far from savory.
“I hated it,” she says with a laugh.
“It was too hot and brutal and no one was nice to me. But then I saw the pastry chefs in the corner. They were so gentle… And it was fully air conditioned. I thought, “That’s my style.” ”
Pastry is as much math and science as art, so using the left and right parts of her brain became part of the love affair. This is also how I would describe her relationship with Kaya, a restaurant she happened to try out when Orlando was becoming her second home.
“I Googled ‘best restaurants in Orlando,'” she says.
Bailey laughs, thanking the algorithm.
“Kaya was at the top of our list and looked really cool. When we drove up, it seemed like a weird place hidden in a residential area. But it was the best service, the best hospitality we’ve had in our lives.”
Everyone was so nice, she says. Everyone is right.
“And the food was really good too. We were so impressed that we decided to do some research on the food.”
As fate would have it, the day she stepped out of an Uber to attend the 2024 James Beard Awards in Chicago, co-owner and executive chef Lordfur Laricon was there.
“I recognized him and introduced myself, and we all spent a little bit of time together over the weekend,” she says.
Rooted in Kapwa ties, Kaya is named Orlando Sentinel Restaurant of the Year
Fast forward to her book tour, and they teamed up to host a collaborative pop-up at Kaya. We also offer holiday desserts such as Christmas and Chinese New Year.
“We all worked really well together,” she says. “Law and I are very like-minded in terms of work philosophy and creativity.”
And Kaya is proud to announce Ram as a permanent player on the team. That means you can go try out some delicious new treats like her Alaska Silvana, a spicy take on the classic Filipino cookie sandwich.
Here, the coconut cookies are filled with pandan French buttercream, dulce de leche, and shredded buco (young coconut). It’s wrapped in Swiss buttercream, browned beautifully, and served with pandan anglaise on the side.
Sounds good? Pre-order at kayaorlando.com/store and take home a Silvana 6-pack ($50, with flavors like Ube Coquito and Strawberry Shortcake).
And for those looking for a little bit of Christmas cheer, Lamb’s large pie will be available for pre-order starting November 26th and will serve as a sweet, star-studded supermodel for your holiday table.
Adobo Caramel Apple Tart: Sucre Crust/Almond Cream/Adobo Caramel, $50
Chocolate pili nut pecan: phyllo crust/60% chocolate/brown sugar chantilly
Ube Marshmallow: Homemade Graham Cracker Crust/Toasted Swiss Meringue/Ube Marshmallow/Cornflake Crunch, $55
Calamansi Coconut Cream: All Butter Crust/Calamansi Curd/Buko/Coconut Diplomat, $45
For Lam, it was a foray into familiar flavors — her maternal grandfather grew up in Manila — but far from typical.
“I’m used to Hong Kong-style and Chinese-style cooking,” she says. “So it’s been really fun exploring options in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. I love it.”
But in a professional sense, France feels very much like home.
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Lamb’s laminations will be on full display at the “Kape” pop-up in December, where pastries from around the world and Filipino-inspired pastries will take center stage.
“At Cape Kaya, we had been testing things we wanted to implement for weeks,” says Bailey. She literally giggles with joy every time Mr. Lam lets her taste something.
“It’s unbelievable,” she says.
“Orlando is in for a real treat. I don’t think Orlando is ready for what we’re about to see in Cape Kaya or even the dessert he’s going to have for dinner,” says Bailey.
Lam is also keen for her guests to get to know her. And in Orlando, she’s seeing a more open-minded space than ever before.
“I go to Asian markets and sometimes I feel like 85% of the people there aren’t Asian. So I think people are ready to see and try and taste a lot of new things. It’s very exciting. And I’m excited to be a part of that too.”
Want to lend a hand? Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @amydroo or the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For even more foodie fun, join our Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
If you go
Kaya: 618 N. Thornton Ave., Orlando; 407-627-9117; kayaorando.com
