A signature dish that showcases Vilkhu's house-made five-year chili sauce — a sauce that's been developed and aged for depth. The tuna is pounded thin for tenderness and served nearly raw, providing texture and sweetness. Sticky rice supports and carries the sauce. This is a course that balances technique, flavor, and memory.
Tips from diners
Trust Chef Vilkhu's five-year chili sauce — the depth comes from aging and technique, not heat.
A refined take on Peking duck that incorporates tropical fruit flavors. The duck breast is cooked precisely to medium-rare, maintaining juice and tenderness. The glaze combines honey, pineapple, and orange for sweetness and brightness. This course showcases Vilkhu's playfulness with tradition while maintaining respect for technique.
Tips from diners
This course pairs beautifully with the wine pairing option — ask the sommelier about the choice.
A course that synthesizes Gulf ingredients with fine dining technique. Crab provides sweetness, brie adds richness, champagne adds elegance and lift. Lime, red chili, and curry leaf provide complexity and aromatic interest. The soup can be served warm or chilled depending on the season. This demonstrates Vilkhu's confidence in balancing ingredients from different culinary traditions.
Tips from diners
The full tasting menu is an experience — come hungry and prepared to spend 2-3 hours.
The opening course of Vilkhu's tasting menu, featuring Gulf shrimp prepared in a salt-baked crust that locks in moisture and sweetness. Served with cabbage and onions that provide textural contrast and brightness. This is refined technique applied to local ingredients — a statement about what Vilkhu's kitchen is about.
Tips from diners
The opening course sets the tone for the meal. Pay attention to the execution — it reveals the kitchen's precision.
A course inspired by family memories and Hong Kong street food, reinterpreted through fine dining technique. Noodles are chilled to refresh the palate, tossed with shrimp and black garlic (umami-rich and complex). The sauce is balanced and aromatic. This demonstrates Vilkhu's ability to elevate humble preparations to fine dining.
Tips from diners
This course appears late in the tasting — the chill and lightness refresh you before the finish.
The Kingsway opened in 2024 on Magazine Street as the vision of Chef Ashwin Vilkhu, a James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: South. The restaurant is named for the Vilkhu family's first American home on Kingsway Drive in Gretna. The kitchen presents a four-course prix fixe menu that expresses Asia's culinary diversity through refined technique and contemporary presentation. This is Vilkhu's next chapter after his work at Saffron NOLA, focused on creating a multi-sensory dining experience.
Reservations required — the restaurant seats 30 and offers only the four-course prix fixe menu.
The wine pairing option ($72 per person) is worth it — the sommelier is knowledgeable and the pairings elevate the meal.
Plan 2.5–3 hours for the full experience. Courses come with timing that allows you to savor each element.
Chef Ashwin Vilkhu is a James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: South. You're dining with one of the region's most recognized chefs.
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