Williamsburg is getting extra tropical this summer!
Celebrated Jamaican-born chef Andre Fowles is partnering with Kings County Imperial (20 Skillman Ave.) chefs Josh Grinker and Tracy Young for a special, limited-time Jamaican and Chinese collaborative menu. Fowles, a three-time Food Network “Chopped” Champion and the Culinary Director of Manhattan’s Miss Lily’s, is bringing his distinct Caribbean technique and style to Kings County Imperial’s beloved Chinese, market-driven menu in Williamsburg.
“There are so many Chinese influences in Jamaican cooking, so the flavors are familiar to me. I grew up eating Chinese food in Jamaica made with local ingredients from the island,” says Fowles. “The first time I tried Kings County Imperial, I was hooked! The boldness and the spice hit home for me. Combining scotch bonnet peppers and pimento with Sichuan peppers and chili oil just screams deliciousness.”
The summertime Jamaican x Chinese menu, exclusive to Kings County Imperial’s Williamsburg location includes:
- Callaloo Vegetable Potstickers with sesame chili sauce
- Chinese Beef Patties with five spice beef filling and flaky pastry
- Curry Shrimp White Cloud Dumplings with spicy Chinese mustard
- Coconut Shrimp Toast with lime chili dipping sauce
- Jerk Pan Chicken & Corn with Andre’s house-made hot sauce and papaya chutney
- Fried Whole Fish with escovitch pickle, Sichuan sauce
- Hot Peppa Lobster Lo Mein with scotch bonnet scallion pesto
- Tamarind Hanging Pork Ribs with pork cracklings
- Jamaican Oxtail Stew with butter beans, crispy shallots, spinner dumplings
“Andre and I met at Kings County Imperial and immediately bonded over our mutual realization that both Chinese and Jamaican cuisine share so many similarities in terms of spice and depth of flavor,” says Grinker. “I’ve also been somewhat obsessed with the Afro-Caribbean flavors of the West Indies, particularly Jamaica. As a kid I’d ride my ten-speed to Christie’s on Flatbush to get a beef patty and coco bread, and as an adult my travels lead me to the roadside jerk grills near Saint Ann’s Bay that really informed my cooking. I’m thrilled to work alongside Andre for this collaboration.”
The Jamaican x Chinese menu at Kings County Imperial is available everyday, from 5:30pm -10pm for in-restaurant (outside or inside, for a limited time. Reservations are not required but can be booked through Resy.
