The Main course 7-5
Rating: 
Instead, chef-owner Michael Hawthorne’s dishes are eclectic, multicultural combinations using elements of two or more cuisines, frequently resulting in unusual food and flavor juxtapositions on the same plate. (More on these later.)
A number of his dishes are certainly creative, but his food sense is on target. The combinations are not absurdly out of sync in taste, texture or appearance. Sometimes chefs put together oddball combinations just to be creative or different.
This family-run B.Y.O.B. is co-owned by Hawthorne’s wife, Jessica. Her sister was our attentive server. Her brother, also a server, contributed to the dining room’s attractive interior design.
This small space only seats 40 people. Its open design can make for a rather high noise level.
The dark-burgundy walls are highlighted with rich, wood-grained panels and hung with eye-catching, color-coordinated paintings.
The black ceiling and the black tables (unclothed except for maroon linen napkins) are dramatically offset by tea-lights and candle-lit orange table sconces.
The meal’s most delicious dish was an appetizer. It combined — OK, it “fused” — two of the more wonderful foods on the planet, usually offered and eaten separately: grilled jumbo shrimp and guacamole. Any Mexican restaurant would be proud of the latter.
The plump shrimp were marinated in “Cabo Wabo” (a brand of tequila) — what fun just to say the name — and were expertly grilled with lime juice and fresh herbs, leaving them moist with a lovely grilled taste ($10). It is a prime example of Hawthorne’s “fusion” ideas.
The luxurious cream of lump crab soup with a touch of fennel ($6) is in close pursuit for top honors.
It was brimming with top-quality, sweet crabmeat — every spoon had two or three lumps suspended in a super-creamy bisque with wonderful, mild fennel flavor.
One of three salads offered on the menu was the fresh spring mix ($7). It was another example of creative fusion by combining three cuisines.
The greens had a sublime goat cheese from the Oakmont Farmers Market, which is continental style. It also featured chopped avocado and couscous for a Mediterranean twist and had roasted red peppers rolled into mini-maki rolls for Japanese style.
We shared a main dish of sliced, pan-seared duck breast ($22) that was served over creamy gruyere polenta with caramelized onions. The dish was finished with a sour cherry pinot noir demiglace and dotted with plum sauce.
The duck was neither fatty nor gamey, but was a perfect trifecta: tender, tasty and moist. The polenta was a nice change from the usual boring garlic mashed potatoes served in many restaurants. But in this context, it was not a perfect fusion. The strong gruyere cheese flavor and the polenta’s grainy texture competed unpleasantly with the delightful duck.
All of Kaya’s desserts are homemade and include peanut butter mousse, strawberry shortcake with buttermilk biscuits and “Grandma’s chocolate chip cheesecake,” which was more of a cake and not like the richer, creamier New York-style cheesecake.
Overall Rating: Eclectic, creative dishes at this very good little B.Y.O.B. earn mmmm (out of 5 m’s).
To contact Mitch Davis, e-mail him at: MdavisMainCourse@aol.com.
Kaya’s Fusion Cuisine Location: 5 Brookline Blvd., Havertown Phone Number: 610-446-2780 Cuisine: Contemporary, eclectic Ambience: Contemporary, cozy and buzzing
Hours: Dinner: Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m.; Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Prices: Appetizers, soups and salads: $6 to $10; Entrées: $14 to $23; Sunday brunch $5 to $14 Alcoholic Beverages: B.Y.O.B. Lunch Special: Three courses for $8.95 Web site: www.kayascuisine.com Reservations: Highly recommended
