Jaya

JAYA THE BEST FOOD EVER
ASIAN INDIAN we ordered duck /​dumplings /​chicken all with rich bold flavor
Served by a caring staff of gentle people who are there to please YOU and you can watch the food being prepared
I love sitting next to the cooking stations
You can even have a conversation at your table and hear each other!!!
Ps the hotel bar is one of the best on south beach say hello to Philip master among masters in the art of mixology

This place is incredible! The food is out of this world. You must order the Peking Duck. Definitely worth the price. Great service and very intimate atmosphere.

I came here to Jaya restaurant at The Setai with 2 others at around 9 on Friday night. As others have said, the lobby/​restaurant/​bar area overall is very classy with lots of dark woods, a dark brown painted brick floor, modern lighting fixtures and a few large round bowls of perfectly arranged roses. To boot, from the restaurant and bar, one can look out the windows and see the stunning courtyard dining area and reflection pool.
We arrived without a reservation, which was fine as the place was nearly dead aside from maybe 2 tables with patrons at them and a handful of people at the bar. We were seated immediately and our server was quite good throughout the night, including giving us his own recommendations from each section of Jaya’s menu and telling us which items were spicy or were highly commented on by past patrons, both positively and negatively. That said, this restaurant did fall short in a few areas during this visit, thus the 3 star rating: 1) this restaurant, which features Asian inspired foods with a bit of an Indian twist was somehow out of sticky rice on this night. Also, 2 of us ordered mojitos from the drink menu, only for the server to return a few minutes later and tell us the bar was out of ingredients to make mojitos. 2) IMO, the portions were quite small here for the price. For an appetizer, I had the steam egg boa which was 2 smallish taco shaped appetizers that barely put a dent in my appetite. For the main course, I ordered the dish with 3 types of sushi. The server pointed out that this dish wasn’t very large, and I found that to be an understatement. The presentation was impressive. A white rectangular dish filled with crushed ice, topped with a long, wide leaf and 3 different types of fish, garnished with carrot and delivered with 3 sauces. That said, presentation aside, the actual amount of fish was pretty tiny, especially considering the price.
This is a nice restaurant to bring a special someone or to come to simply get away from the madness of Miami Beach as the reflecting pool and outdoor courtyard area really is nice and peaceful. That said, they were out of a few key things during prime dining time on a weekend evening, even though the place was nearly empty. Also, again, don’t expect to walk away from this place with a full stomach, unless you’re willing to pay dearly to do so.

The long-​awaited opening of Jaya at The Setai is finally here. Many South Floridans have been waiting for this new restaurant concept to open for many reasons. One of them being that Chopped star Mathias Gervais is the Executive Chef behind the concept. The second, of course, being the food.
The restaurant, which seats 200 people, is serving very approachable regional specialities from Southeast and Northern Asian cultures. I have to admit, I had never tried Indian food before until the night I checked out Jaya. Definitely not disappointed.
Jaya, which means ‘victory’ in Sanskrit, was chosen by the team to honor of The Setai’s renowned interior designer Jaya Ibrahim and the hotel’s first decade of successful Asian-​inspired hospitality. Executive Chef Mathias Gervais and Executive Sous Chef Vijayudu Veena have collaborated to create standout dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, India, China and Japan.
To start off I suggest you try the pork belly bao. This plate comes three to an order, so if you aren’t very fond of sharing I would order two. It’s that good. You have to order at least one dumpling, and my personal favorite at the moment has to be the truffle dumplings. These guys come with both white truffle mixed into the sauce, as well as topped with black truffle.
Then for your main plates there are so many delicious dishes to choose from. For first timers I would suggest getting the thai plate. When I went to the restaurant the plate came with lamb bhuna, sea bass amirithabi, chicken masala, bhindi tamatar, eggplant kara curry, and saag chana. So flavorful, and the perfect dish to share. Don’t want to share? Order the sea bass, it literally melts in your mouth.
Lastly, for dessert I would suggest you order the dessert tasting because that way you get to try a little bit of everything. Something to note here, this changes everyday depending on what the pastry chef wants make that day! So exciting. I tried the tofu cheesecake, almond bread pudding, nougat glacé, and the mochi.

Attended the friends and family preview tonight. I give this restaurant 5 stars because it really is! We shared an abundance of appetizers and main dishes and everything was incredible to say the least. My favorites include the papaya salad and chicken tikka. Our server Gretchen was Amazing and introduced us spicy fans to some incredibly spicy sauces. The atmosphere was appealing and sexy. Perfect for a date night. We will definitely be back.

I came here for dinner during Art Basel and their first week being open. The staff was fabulous from the start. The hostess let me chose my table close to the open kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare the various courses. The Sommelier was very helpful in selecting a wine and actually chose the less expensive of the 2 bottles I was deciding between. I had the scallop dumplings (under the Dim Sum heading) to start and a lovely French Grenache blend to sip. The second course of chicken and coconut soup was just as wonderful as the first. I finished my meal with the pecking duck which was also delectable. To top it all off, the chefs gave me free Naan to try which came with an amazing peanut sauce that I dipped the duck in. I would recommend sitting by the open kitchen if you enjoy watching the action and taking in all the smells.