Lily G.
Yelp
Food 5/5
Ambiance 5/5
Staff 5/5
NYE 2021
Such a gem! In the sea of upscale Mediterranean, cozy pub fare and mediocre sushi we stumbled across the treasure that is Edwin's. We were biding time on a sushi place nearby right off Ocean that offered patio dining but was very cramped and up to 1 hour wait.
For some reason Edwin's didn't pop up in our yelp searches but I wish it had. The menu offerings in the front caught our eye: pan-asian flared short ribs, seafood, organic chicken and a spacious, bright, and oddly empty dining room with a bar and grand piano. Edwin's looks upscale, beach chic and prices were on par with many Carmel restaurants at around $10 for apps and $25-40 for entrees, so I was a little concerned schlepping our double stroller in.
However, what made Edwin's truly shine (above the memorable Singapore chili prawns and heavenly creamy seafood curry pasta) was the hospitality. We were beckoned in, tired toddlers and all by the owner's mom, the sweetest lady ever, who treated us and our kids like family. She put us at ease and they easily spaced out a table to pull our stroller into. The restaurant is pretty spacious by Carmel standards and shortly after we were seated a couple more families came in, and by the time we left they were pretty busy.
Service from every member of the staff was so friendly, fast and the food was absolutely delicious. Dishes and recipes were obviously assembled with pride and came with large, fresh portions of seafood and organic meats so it didn't hurt the wallet quite as much as it could've to pay fine dining prices for comfort food.
Can't recommend this place enough, especially for families navigating dining options and those looking for a nice twist on some familiar Asian flavors.