THE KINGSWAY, NEW ORLEANS: REVIEW
the kingsway, new orleans
Review by Gia Martinez
We ventured to one of my uptown stomping grounds, Magazine Street, and one of New Orleans' newest culinary additions, The Kingsway. This spot opened up on Magazine street in May of this year and has created a real buzz in the city. Helmed by Chef Ashwin Vilkhu (it's the sister eatery of acclaimed local restaurant Saffron), The Kingsway is bringing refined Asian cuisine to the culinary tapestry of New Orleans.
To start we had Crab, Brie and Champagne soup. I loved the idea of this soup, but I did not expect to immediately have my favorite dish of the evening. This soup was exactly what I needed and just in time for soup season. The flavor profile was rich, buttery, sweet and spicy. The presentation of this soup was elegant and tasteful. The crab was perfectly cooked, so tender it felt like it melted in your mouth. Without a doubt, my favorite part of this dish was the little kick from the chili oil. The Brie flavor really shone through and added a creaminess and a different level of sweetness than the crab, complimented by a kick from the chilli oil– cutting through just
enough to keep your taste buds tingling. Beautiful work.
For the second course, we had the Salt Baked Shrimp. In this dish, the shrimp is prepared using a rare cooking method where the shrimp is covered in salt entirely and baked. The jumbo shrimp with the outer salty crunch really packs a good initial punch, followed by a burst of the juicy shrimp. It was really incredible, texturally. The shrimp served over a bed of stir fried onions, bell peppers and cabbage, remained the star. The cooking method made this an instant statement dish. With this, Chef Vilkhu certainly achieved the feeling of a refined homemade dinner.
For my third course, I had the Izakaya steak, cooked medium rare. It was served over tare, shishito, katsuobushi, and mushroom. This steak was wonderfully charred on the outside, which gave it a nice bite. Still perfectly medium-rare, the steak was topped with grilled shishito peppers which added a bright note. I thought this was a very smart move, the added flavor of the shishito made the flavors of the wine and beef reduction sauce pop. The unique flavor profile did not end there, it was also topped with a dried and fermented bonito fish which gave the steak a salty seasoning with a twist.
Finally, my favorite part of every meal– dessert. I ordered the chocolate cake. This deconstructed chocolate cake came with a dollop of rich chocolate cremeux, toasted peanuts, and szechuan ice cream. Every part of this dessert was delicious and integral. Honorable
mention to the Szechuan ice cream, I would buy this a la carte! This dessert was fun, interactive and delicious– a perfect way to end the meal.
The dishes were all beautiful and suitable for upscale plating, and The Kingsway should certainly be top of the list for your next upscale date night.
The Kingsway is at 4201 Magazine St. - Click here for more information, hours and menus.
MEXICAN MAGNIFICENCE: ACAMAYA
MORE NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT REVIEWS
We ventured to one of my uptown stomping grounds, Magazine Street, and one of New Orleans' newest culinary additions, The Kingsway. This spot opened up on Magazine street in May of this year and has created a real buzz in the city. Helmed by Chef Ashwin Vilkhu (it's the sister eatery of acclaimed local restaurant Saffron), The Kingsway is bringing refined Asian cuisine to the culinary tapestry of New Orleans.
To start we had Crab, Brie and Champagne soup. I loved the idea of this soup, but I did not expect to immediately have my favorite dish of the evening. This soup was exactly what I needed and just in time for soup season. The flavor profile was rich, buttery, sweet and spicy. The presentation of this soup was elegant and tasteful. The crab was perfectly cooked, so tender it felt like it melted in your mouth. Without a doubt, my favorite part of this dish was the little kick from the chili oil. The Brie flavor really shone through and added a creaminess and a different level of sweetness than the crab, complimented by a kick from the chilli oil– cutting through just
enough to keep your taste buds tingling. Beautiful work.
For the second course, we had the Salt Baked Shrimp. In this dish, the shrimp is prepared using a rare cooking method where the shrimp is covered in salt entirely and baked. The jumbo shrimp with the outer salty crunch really packs a good initial punch, followed by a burst of the juicy shrimp. It was really incredible, texturally. The shrimp served over a bed of stir fried onions, bell peppers and cabbage, remained the star. The cooking method made this an instant statement dish. With this, Chef Vilkhu certainly achieved the feeling of a refined homemade dinner.
For my third course, I had the Izakaya steak, cooked medium rare. It was served over tare, shishito, katsuobushi, and mushroom. This steak was wonderfully charred on the outside, which gave it a nice bite. Still perfectly medium-rare, the steak was topped with grilled shishito peppers which added a bright note. I thought this was a very smart move, the added flavor of the shishito made the flavors of the wine and beef reduction sauce pop. The unique flavor profile did not end there, it was also topped with a dried and fermented bonito fish which gave the steak a salty seasoning with a twist.
Finally, my favorite part of every meal– dessert. I ordered the chocolate cake. This deconstructed chocolate cake came with a dollop of rich chocolate cremeux, toasted peanuts, and szechuan ice cream. Every part of this dessert was delicious and integral. Honorable
mention to the Szechuan ice cream, I would buy this a la carte! This dessert was fun, interactive and delicious– a perfect way to end the meal.
The dishes were all beautiful and suitable for upscale plating, and The Kingsway should certainly be top of the list for your next upscale date night.
The Kingsway is at 4201 Magazine St. - Click here for more information, hours and menus.
MEXICAN MAGNIFICENCE: ACAMAYA
MORE NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANT REVIEWS