The Vilkhu family, who is behind the acclaimed Indian-Creole restaurant, Saffron Nola, at 4128 Magazine Street in New Orleans, has opened a second fine dining restaurant nearby called The Kingsway. The menu serves Pan Asian dishes with a modern twist under the direction of Chef Ashwin Vilkhu, marking his first solo venture. Wok cooking takes center stage in the kitchen with about one-third of the dishes on the menu cooked in this traditional Asian high heat culinary technique.
“I love cooking with a wok for the ‘wok hei’ – the unique flavor it brings,” Vilkhu told us. We are inspired to unpack the wok we have kept throughout all our moves and start using it again.
But on a recent Friday evening at The Kingsway we let Chef Ashwin Vilkhu and his team cook while we watched the kitchen at work from a strategically perfect corner area of the bar which we chose over the four top by the window just to be closer to the action. The dining room designed by Farouki Farouki offers a warm palette of beige and gold and a minimalist feel. The walls have framed photos of the Vilkhu family to evoke the feeling of dining in their home. Coincidentally, their first family home was located on Kingsway Drive.
Father and Son: Arvinder and Ashwin Vilkhu
But there’s more to the name than a street. “The Kingsway also represents my first solo venture, where I truly felt like the king of the project, building a restaurant that reflects my vision,” Vilkhu said.
The Kingsway’s four-course prix fixe menu expresses Asia’s culinary diversity in beautifully plated presentations. Priced at $92 per person (add $72 per person for wine pairings), the menu offered three selections for each course, with supplement pricing on some of the dishes. There is also a vegetarian prix-fixe option.
If you are still balking at the concept of larger and pricier prix-fixe dining experience and just want drinks and a light bite at the bar, there is small á la carte menu offering small plates like tuna tartar with pistachio and egg yolk, Viet calamari with nuoc cham, Indo-Chinese cauliflower with garlic, sesame and peanut, and Mongolian chicken breast with garlic, ginger and scallion.
But at The Kingsway you are taking a long-haul culinary journey through Asia. If you were flying to Asia, would you opt for a basic economy ticket when everyone around you is enjoying the premium experience?
Our dinner was paired with wines selected by Sommelier/General Manager Taylor Adams whose list is a wine voyage through Old World Europe, from the well-known wine regions in the West to further East in Hungary, Slovenia, and Georgia. For our welcome drink, Adams poured glasses of Domaine Weinbach PCC Pétillant Naturel Chasselas Clos Des Capucins 2020. When I perused the wine list and commented on the Famille Fournier Longchamps Savennières 2019 he happened to have an open bottle with just enough remaining to pour me a glass. Voila!
There is also a sizable cocktail and beer menu curated by Bar Manager Colin Williams. Williams is also a trained chef. You can see this in the cocktail menu. An example is the one drink we tasted called the Golden Hour cocktail- Scotch, with honey, ginger, lemon a wash of egg white and salt topped with a wok-roasted scallion. A tea enthusiast, Williams has also put together an impressive tea service served tableside ($7 to $9 per pot). The menu features blends from both mainland China and Taiwan, each carefully described with history and tasting notes. While we did not try the teas, Williams provided us with a thoughtful explanation of the differences in styles between Taiwanese and Chinese.
Here is what we ate and drank. The photos were taken by us unless noted. The light in the restaurant is dim, so we did the best editing we could.
First Course
Crab, Brie & Champagne Soup with lime, red chili, and curry- silky and creamy matched with Famille Fournier Longchamps Savennières 2019
Tuna Solera – yellowfin tuna with five-year chili sauce served over sticky rice – subtle flavors and shareable ($12 supplement) Domaine Louis Michel Chablis Premier Cru “Forets” 2022
Second Course
Salt baked jumbo Gulf shrimp, cabbage and onions – savory and textural paired with Insula Vinus Verdelho, Azores, Portugal, 2019
Scallion Lamb with garlic, pepper, sesame and rice noodles ($12 supplement) paired with Marqués de Tomares Gran Reserva Rioja 2018.
Third Course
Duck breast a l’orange- tender slices of duck seasoned with honey and kabocha ($12 supplement) paired with Famille Moreau Le Puy Emilion 2022
Scallops in lobster sauce with wild garlic, cashew and crispy rice ($18 supplement)
Dessert
Key Lime Pie is more like a sliver of cake accented with burnt meringue and powdered yuzu oil with Stift Kloster Neuberg Gruner Veltliner Eiswein 2018
Shanghai Moon is a pineapple granita served with chutney and lime. This cool, lighter dessert sent us over the moon, especially with the wine pairing, a Disznóko Tokaji Aszu, 6 puttonyos from Hungary – like nectar!
The Kingsway is located at 4201 Magazine St, New Orleans. Dinner is served Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00 to 9:30 PM and Friday + Saturday from 5:00 to 9:45 PM. Reservations are available on OpenTable. The Kingsway | Fine Dining Asian Cuisine
