In the heart of Oklahoma City’s bustling Midtown, a new restaurant burst onto the scene like a fever dream of pink velvet and wisteria blossoms. JK by Chef King, the brainchild of culinary mavericks Josh Balan and King Dey, opened its doors in August of last year, bringing a dash of Miami glitz and Asian-French fusion to the Sooner State.
Step inside, and you might think you’ve stumbled into a fairy tale wonderland or an avant-garde art installation. But make no mistake –this is serious food with a playful twist.
“Definitely the first thing you notice is the ambiance,” says Dey. “You’ll feel like you are walking in a different world, almost like Alice in Wonderland or something like that. As for the cuisine, expect a lot of flavor, a lot of texture. And of course, if you like Asian food, I think you will just fall in love.”
In a city known more for chicken-fried steak than caviar, JK by Chef King is betting big on Oklahoma City’s evolving palate. The menu reads like a culinary love letter to Asia, filtered through the lens of classical French technique.
Dey grew up among the flavors of both Indian and English cuisine, born in India and later living in London. His culinary journey reads like a gastronomic odyssey, spanning continents and cuisines. His formal culinary education began at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu. However, it was a post-graduation trip to Japan that would truly ignite Dey’s passion.
“I decided to learn sushi, and so I literally took my backpack and just moved to Tokyo,” he says. At first, no one would hire him as a sushi chef – he wasn’t Japanese and his skin was too dark to work in front of customers, he was told. However, a chef in a fish market took him under his wing, and Dey began to immerse himself in all things Asian cuisine.
He returned to London, working for the likes of Gordon Ramsay and at groundbreaking French/Asian fusion restaurants, before falling in love and moving to the U.S. After years of globe-trotting and collecting accolades, Dey found himself crystallizing his vision for a restaurant of his own. He reconnected with Josh Balan, a friend from his London days, and the concept for JK by Chef King was born.
“I was sitting on my sofa in my Lawton house, and I was just Googling that restaurant space available near me, and this Oklahoma City [spot] popped up. Everything started falling into place,” says Dey. “We [he and Balan] are both very artistic, and we knew what we wanted to do.”
One of JK’s signature dishes is the oxtail and bone marrow fried rice, a plate that wouldn’t be out of place in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Dey slow-cooks the oxtail for a full 24 hours before tossing it in a sizzling wok with rice and serving it alongside grilled bone marrow. The rest of the dinner menu is eclectic and delicious, offering up dishes like Wagyu short ribs, Norwegian salmon spiced with Yuzu miso, prime beef filet and the eye-popping ‘Pornstar Burger’ with its wagyu beef, truffle mayo, mushrooms and 24K edible gold.
But it’s not just about the food. Balan, the mastermind behind the bar, serves up cocktails that are part science experiment, part work of art. The Love Birds, for instance, is made with fig vodka, Supasawa (sour cocktail mixer) and prickly pear, while the Lavender Haze shimmers with Empress gin, yuzu puree lavender, lemon and egg white.
The décor of the new restaurant is also worth admiring. A 20-foot wisteria tree dominates the dining room, its branches dripping with flowers and twinkling Norwegian lamps. Pink velvet booths nestle against walls covered in lush floral arrangements. Even the bathrooms are a sight to behold, wallpapered in Versace prints.
JK by Chef King is a far cry from the majority of restaurants that many associate with Oklahoma City. But Dey and Balan are betting that OKC is ready for something different.
“I always tell people that, of course the food and service matter, but ambience has a huge role to play,” says Dey. “It adds to the experience of where you are, how you are eating and what you are eating.”
Main image: Blending whimsical ambiance with seriously delicious cuisine, JK by Chef King is a step away from the OKC restaurant scene you may be used to. Photos courtesy JK by Chef King
