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Ashwin Vilkhu

@ashwinvilkhu

3.6K

followers

1911

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Husband | Father of 2 | Chef @thekingswaynola + @saffronnola
2025 James Beard Best Chef South Nominated
2018 James Beard Best New Restaurant Nominated

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Last week, we had the incredible honor of welcoming @mentorbkb @bocusedor and some of the greatest chefs in the world to our dining room.

To cook for so many people whose work has inspired generations was both humbling and unforgettable. The level of talent, passion, and dedication in one room was something we’ll never forget.

A huge congratulations to Team USA on an incredible victory. Watching American chefs continue to raise the bar on the world’s biggest culinary stage is inspiring for all of us.

Thank you to Ment’or and to our entire Kingsway team for rising to the occasion. It was a night we’ll carry with us for a long time.

Big thank you to our sponsors of the evening. @globaltablewarecollective @uncorkednola @echofoodservicemktg

#mentor #bocusedor #teamusa #thekingsway #nola 📸 @randykrauseschmidt by @ashwinvilkhu

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2 months ago

In many Asian homes, dessert isn’t always cake or pastry.

More often, it’s fruit.

Growing up, Chef Ashwin’s Mom would always end the family meals with fresh seasonal fruit and sweetened cream. It was simple, comforting, and never felt like an afterthought. It was her way of bringing the meal to a close.

At The Kingsway, that memory inspired our final course.

Alphonso mango mousse, compressed mango with fresh lime, cantaloupe granita, and citrus powder.

A dessert rooted in childhood, inspired by the Asian tradition of ending a meal with fruit, and reimagined through our kitchen.

#thekingsway #neworleans #asia #finedining #seasonalfruit by @ashwinvilkhu

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3 months ago

We are deeply honored to be recommended by the @michelinguide, among so many talented chefs and remarkable restaurants.

Our heartfelt thanks begin with our incredible teams. Thank you for your unwavering dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence. Your passion for service and craft shines through every day, and we are endlessly grateful for it.

To our guests, whose loyalty and love inspire us daily, this recognition belongs to you as much as it does to us.

And to the city of New Orleans, thank you for embracing our stories, our flavors, and our journey. There is truly no place in the world like this one, and we are proud to represent it on the global stage.

With gratitude,
The Vilkhu’s

#michelin #nola #saffronnola #thekingsway by @ashwinvilkhu

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a year ago

The Kingsway, in the @nytimes

This one means a lot.

The Kingsway was built from memories — growing up in New Orleans, the food my father cooked at home, and years of inspiration drawn from China, Singapore and Japan.

To have @brettya1 and The New York Times recognize what we’re trying to create here — and the story behind it — is incredibly special.

We’re proud to represent New Orleans, proud of our team, and grateful to everyone who has walked through our doors during this journey. Honored to be recognized among so many restaurant friends.

Thank you all so much ♥️ by @ashwinvilkhu

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18 days ago

STEAL MY ORDER @thekingswaynola
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You can now order from the bar menu instead of doing the full tasting: I’m 100000% coming back for my bday next month.
Dumplings
Curried lamb
Green curry snapper
Bread & butter
Short Rib
Bowl of fruit
Coconut cloud
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HISTORY MOMENT: The Kingsway menu is heavily influenced by Singapore. Singaporean cuisine is profoundly unique, encompassing the diversity of its citizens. Most prominently, the triad of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese food have all majorly influenced Singaporean cuisine.

#neworleansfood #michelinguide #neworleansfoodies #neworleansdining #visitneworleans by @ashwinvilkhu

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2 months ago

Tuna Solera started as a reimagined hand-roll experience and has stayed pretty true to that idea ever since.

The solera sauce was inspired by the traditional solera system, where part of the previous batch is carried into the next. Ours has been going for six years now, evolving through fermentation while always keeping a piece of its history.

Gulf yellowfin tuna is formed into a torchon, sliced and served over seasoned Koshihikari rice with the solera. Garnished with green onion and local flowers from St. Francisville and my garden at home. 🍣 🌼

Happy Friday!

#chef #tuna #nola by @ashwinvilkhu

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2 months ago

Omakase Short Rib 🥩

We named this dish “Omakase” because we want every guest to create their own perfect bite.

Start with Koshihikari rice topped with Japanese nori, then add our Pennsylvania-raised beef short rib, crisp local daikon and carrot salad, and finish by dragging the bite through our Kashmiri-apple tare sauce.

Our tare is inspired by the master sauces found in Japanese kitchens. Each batch is built from the one before it, creating a living sauce that continues to evolve while preserving its foundation.

The ginger-pickled plums are there to cleanse the palate between bites, allowing each one to taste as vibrant as the first.

Unlike the traditional fall-apart short rib, we intentionally leave ours with a little resistance. That texture gives the meat structure, making each bite more satisfying and ideal for building your own omakase experience.

Every bite is different. Every bite is yours to create.

#shortrib #omakase #beef #chef #nola by @ashwinvilkhu

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2 months ago

Our Green Curry Snapper starts with Gulf snapper, served skin-on with perfectly crisped skin.

Every day, we make our green curry paste from scratch. While traditional green curry is often built on chicken stock, we prepare ours with a deeply flavored vegetable stock made from vegetable trimmings collected throughout our kitchen—a more thoughtful approach that helps minimize waste without sacrificing depth.

The dish is finished with raw kohlrabi, pickled Hakurei turnips, from @2_dog_farms, smoked trout roe delicately smoked over @pappyvanwinkle barrel chips, and fresh thai basil picked from our garden. Every ingredient has a purpose, bringing freshness, texture, and balance to the final dish.

#greencurry #gulf #snapper by @ashwinvilkhu

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3 months ago

Two @mentorbkb @bocusedor events. One unforgettable dinner at @thekingswaynola

What a week!

The Ment’or dinner at the Houghtailing residence raised over $175,000 in support of the Ment’or BKB Foundation and the next generation of American chefs. To then have the honor of hosting everyone along with Team USA at The Kingsway was something I’ll never forget.

It was surreal to look around the room and see so many chefs I have admired throughout my career. To cook for them, learn from them, and share the evening together was truly special.

A huge thank you to @ynyun03 and @jaimiechew for bringing it all together and making it happen.

To my team, you guys killed it! What an amazing night. I feel so lucky to be able to work with you everyday.

And thank you to our incredible sponsors, @globaltablewarecollective @echofoodservicemktg @uncorkednola @fortunegulfstates for your support.

Cheers!

#mentor #bocusedor #nolaforever by @ashwinvilkhu

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3 months ago

From our à la carte bar menu 🐟 🔪

Our Tuna Tartare celebrates the simplicity of exceptional ingredients. Fresh Gulf yellowfin is seasoned with roasted sesame oil from Kadoya, @leekumkeeusa aged dark soy, and freshly cracked black pepper, Korean pear, pickled daikon, ginger-pickled plums, toasted pistachios, fresh coriander, and a Louisiana farm egg.

A balance of richness, acidity, sweetness, crunch, and umami in every bite.

#bar #cocktails #imbibe #alacarte #nola 📸 @randykrauseschmidt by @ashwinvilkhu

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3 months ago

Every dish on our menu has a story 🍤 ♥️

Our Salt Baked Shrimp is our homage to Kim Son—a restaurant that has been part of our family’s dining tradition for more than 20 years. Long before The Kingsway existed, it was one of the places we returned to again and again, drawn back by a simple shrimp dish that left a lasting impression.

Despite its name, there’s no actual salt baking. Instead, Gulf shrimp are lightly coated in rice flour, flash-fried, and finished over high heat with garlic, ginger, onions, cabbage, and peppers, capturing the smoky aroma and energy that only a hot wok can create. The goal was not to re-create the dish but really to say thank you for all of the great memories over the years.

The Kingsway was built on the idea that great food is shaped by the people and places that inspire us. This dish is our way of honoring one of ours.

#memory #tradition #migration #nola by @ashwinvilkhu

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3 months ago