Bar Review: The Kingsway, New Orleans

When one thinks of great New Orleans cuisines, one rarely considers Asian cuisine in the hierarchy. But I’m here to tell you that skipping out on a bar and restaurant like The Kingsway would clearly be a mistake.

The Kingsway is a sister restaurant to Ashwin Vilkhu’s Saffron restaurant, which is located right across the street. But while Saffron is an upscale Indian restaurant, The Kingsway draws its inspiration from Singapore — and the dishes that Vilkhu grew up with.

I have to admit that I didn’t know much about Singaporean food before stepping into The Kingsway, but Vilkhu was happy to guide me through the melting pot approach of the cuisine and the restaurant, with dishes that variously lean more Indian, more Chinese, or more Thai at times. Dinner service is a build-your-own four-course menu ($92 per person, not including any supplement-priced dishes), with three choices for each of the four courses.

I’ll confess that of the eight dishes my wife and I samples on a recent visit here, it was hard to pick out a favorite. Everything came out of the kitchen cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. If you twist my arm, I might suggest the must-tries include the Crab, Brie & Champagne Soup, the Salt Baked Shrimp, and the unique Chocolate Cake for dessert. But I don’t see how you could go wrong with anything on the menu.

Of course, Drinkhacker was really here for the beverage service, and we tried six of the eight cocktails on the current menu (not including the “dealers choice” option). Nearly all the cocktails are clearly inspired by traditional classics, including the Golden Hour (a penicillin with wok-roasted scallion in the recipe) and the Johnny 5 Old Fashioned (which masterfully adds soy and Chinese five-spice to the iconic drink).

Again, there’s lots to like here, but my top pick was the Day Dreamer (rum, lychee, blanc vermouth, lemongrass, lime, and milk), a clarified milk punch riff on a lychee martini that looks innocuous but which is bursting with lychee flavor without being overpowering. Amazingly well balanced.

Nearly as good was the Special Delivery (tequila, Thai tea cream, orange, lemon, lime, egg white, and bitters), a riff on the hometown favorite Ramos gin fizz, but made with tequila and orange instead of gin and lemon. It’s an adult orange Creamsicle, where the tequila influence is very subtle.

The Kingsway’s espresso martini riff, Keep You Yeunyeung, is perhaps its most familiar presentation, with Imperial black tea and coconut sugar added to the standard recipe — but it made for a perfect dessert pairing at the end of the meal.

If you’re not into cocktails, the bar has an extensive and thoughtful wine list and even adds some unique imported Asian beers that I’ve never seen elsewhere — and which were helpful in cutting through some of the sweeter flavors encountered over the evening.

It’s hard to believe that, at the time of our visit, The Kingsway had only been open for 8 weeks. The place is busy, the service seems to be running like clockwork, and the vibes are immaculate. Just the way they ought to be for anything hailing from Singapore, right?

4201 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
kingswaynola.com

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