Q&A: We Talked To Chef Clayton Miller A.K.A. The Spice King

Clayton Miller, the man behind the scenes at Khong River House, is a genius in the kitchen. With the endless spices used to jazz up every dish that arrives tableside, the method to his madness lies in the various flavor profiles added in his preparation. And there’s of course the secret ingredient: a touch of love. One may ask themselves: how can Asian food be so extraordinarily different? The only advice I can give you is to try Miller’s cooking for yourself and you shall see.

HL: What are the top five ingredients in the kitchen you couldn’t live without?

CM: Olive oil, bonito, salt, vinegar and my favorite flavor — fresh bay leaf.

HL: How long have you been with Khong?

CM: I have been on the team as Culinary Director of 50 Eggs since August 2013.

HL: What is the most popular dish?

CM: At Khong, the Burmese Noodle Wraps is a guest favorite and the most popular dish.

HL: Biggest compliment ever given?

CM: Outside of being called a great Dad, when a cook thanks me for making a positive impact on their life by taking the time to work with them one-on-one and teaching them something new.

HL: What differentiates Khong to the other Asian restaurants in Miami?

CM: The diversity of regions we touch on, cuisines and cultures not usually found in an Asian restaurant.  The variety is eclectic and rare.

HL: What is your dream as a chef? TV show?

CM: To be able to create and develop new dishes in a variety of cuisines; happily, that’s is exactly what I do here at 50 Eggs. With the diversity of our concepts and projects being developed, I’m conceptualizing dishes and menus from different cuisines, not day by day, but minute to minute. The reality of the dream gets even better when we will open our test kitchen; a home base for all development and recipe testing.