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We sat down with Executive Chef William Valentine of Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails in Macon, Georgia. Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails offers a taste of Asian-inspired comfort food, with a pinch of Southern flair, in a comfortable, upscale environment.

kinjo kitchen macon georgia reviews — Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails in Macon, Georgia

Where did you grow up, and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy?

Growing up as a missionary kid, I was born in a Texas border town (McAllen) while my parents were in language school, then spent my first few years of my life in South America, Bolivia and Ecuador. We moved back to the states for my school years, where I lived in Florida with my parents who were originally from the Deep South (Mississippi), so I was exposed to a broad range of cuisine.

This makes me always eager to try new authentic flavors wherever I go! Now as an adult, whether I am traveling north from Atlanta to New York City, out West, or even when I get the chance to travel overseas, I’m excited to taste how their local produce and culture shape their flavors.

Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself that reflects your cooking style?

Because of some personal health battles, I believe food can be as much medicine as it is recreation. I want the ingredients I use to be flavorful, beneficial, fresh, and as raw or unprocessed as possible.

Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.

My absolute favorite is our 12 ounce Ribeye. You should try it because it truly showcases our philosophy of food: making the most of every ingredient, being thoughtful in its preparation, cooking, pairing, plating, and even in the garnish. Our ribeye is butchered in house, brought to room temperature before it’s cooked, cooked in the tallow rendered from the loin it was taken from, rested and sliced, served over a simple carrot puree, egg yolk, carrot, and mushroom fried rice, with seasonal vegetables, and garnished with an Asian inspired, tamari-based steak sauce, flake salt, and ribbons of scallion.

What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without?

Personally: Salt, citrus or vinegar, and hot sauce. Professionally: Salt, citrus or vinegar, and probably sugar — although fat is a contender… but, now I’m just repeating the tenants of Samin Nosrat and his book “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.”

We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?

Honestly, I used to hate plating, though probably only because I was bad at it. My favorite way to plate, now that my style and attention to detail have evolved over time, encourages the diner to “play with their food”, or at least to interact with it: whether it’s simply stirring in a sauce, breaking up a crispy wonton, or adding garlic and spice to boost the flavor to their liking. I also want my dishes to look dynamic, with depth, color, texture and spacing, and for every element of garnish to add to and complement the flavor of the dish, not just add color or style.

Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve cooked up?

Our Ginger Scallion Chicken Noodle dish. It’s based around an original recipe of mine, “Asian chimichurri,” that was inspired by a chimichurri I had in the Washington Heights borough of New York City years ago. Our house made ginger scallion chimichurri is spread over a juicy grilled chicken thigh, all over a bed of house made, hand cut egg noodles that are lightly sautéed in a wok with honey miso compound butter (that’s better than Logan’s Roadhouse honey butter, but who’s keeping track?) and garnished with an old school style lemon crown. It comes together as bright, clean, but thoroughly satisfying comfort food.

What is one of your greatest accomplishments or awards you've earned?

It’s always fun when we are featured by local magazines, or even Forbes Magazine, or a couple of years ago when we made it to the Top Five in a local burger competition when we didn't even have a burger on the menu (at the time), but my favorite part about being Executive Chef at Kinjo has been the opportunities for development within my position since I started.

Whether it’s cultivating a healthy work culture, learning and honing my ability to make intelligent decisions in food and labor cost, advancing my own and my team’s creativity on the plates, or watching my team grow personally and professionally over time, under my leadership. Sometimes I feel like it makes me a nerd, but it always reminds me that I have chosen the right career.

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?

The two somewhat opposing trends I see right now are the pursuit of authenticity, as our knowledge of and exposure to other cultures and styles of cuisine grows, and the fun and freedom of re-inventing what has already been done, while honoring our own roots. Finding the right balance makes an amazing dish, and the ability to operate on a spectrum between the two is truly the beauty of fusion cuisine.

What’s your favorite cocktail or beverage of choice?

My favorite cocktail happens to be one I thought up, though I’m not sure what that says about me. It’s called “Smoking Polly.” Each of our bartenders has put their own spin on it, but it always has at least three ingredients: gin, mezcal, and pineapple juice.

What do you love about being the Executive Chef of Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails in Macon, Georgia?

The best part about being the Executive Chef at Kinjo Kitchen and Cocktails is the opportunity and encouragement for growth. I am given enough freedom to feel creative, and enough incentive to grow in my administrative skill set as an executive chef. When you combine that with ownership and co-workers that love and support me — well, it’s a really rare, unique and empowering place to work.

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