Kabana Rooftop relaunches menu with local focus with newly-appointed chef Mike Ledesma

Kabana Rooftop has relaunched their rooftop bar overlooking Downtown Richmond with a brand new menu concept that owners hope will take the establishment to new heights.

Led by newly-appointed Executive Chef Mike Ledesma–whose name you might recognize from Max’s On Broad and the Richmond Restaurant Group collection of restaurants around town–the new menu moves away from what the establishment called “hotel lounge” fare to a more approachable selection of classic dishes with an epicurean twist, infusing local ingredients and flavors.

Described as a New American, seafood-centric menu, Kabana’s menu features a raw bar, small plates, salads, entrées, and desserts.

For light bites, the raw bar features a selection of local seafood including oysters on the half shell, Middleneck Clams, and ceviche mango jalapeño. Snacks include peppered rosemary cashews, crispy Brussels sprouts, fried clam strips, and local meats and cheeses.

Photo: Kabana Rooftop

Larger plates include a crab gazpacho made with cold tomato, cucumber, red peppers, and jumbo lump crab; hush puppy fried oysters crusted with cornmeal and served with succotash and chili vinaigrette; beef tartare with lemon goat cheese espuma and lavosh; a tuna poke bowl with cucumbers, truffle soy sauce, seaweed, avocado, rice and chili aioli; Autumn Olive Farms pork belly confit smoked with potato croquette and poached egg; and the Top Floor Burger with angus beef, local pimento cheese and a jalapeño cheddar bun.

Entrees include a Maryland crab cake with jumbo lump crab, summer succotash, pickled vegetables and remoulade; coconut curry vegetable ratatouille with zucchini, squash, tomatoes, peppers and rice; Tandoori half rack of lamb with green tomato mint chutney, glazed rainbow carrots and tzatziki; and a pan-seared sea bass with farro, heirloom tomatoes, and scallion soubise.

House-made desserts include a lemon ginger crème brulee, seasonal cobbler a la mode, and tres leche shortcake with strawberries and vanilla cream.

“Our direction with this new menu is to capture a brand identity for Kabana Rooftop with innovative menu items that stand out from the norm and will truly set our restaurant apart,” said Managing Partner Kunal Shah. “We are excited to have prominent Richmond chef Mike Ledesma on board and are confident he will help take our food and beverage program at Kabana to new heights. Along with a more accessible layout, we are now offering a more varied and contemporary seafood-centric menu full of exceptional and local flavors, while continuing to maintain the high standard of service our guests have come to expect.”