Meet Deron Kawamoto | Chef and Gourmand

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deron Kawamoto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deron, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The key for me has been an eclectic background with a wide range of experiences. In a word: Diversity.

I was born and raised in Hawaii, which is the home of Asian Fusion. People from many different Asian cultures live and cook side by side there and the exchange of ideas is amazing. Hawaii was Multicultural before most people had even heard that term. We moved to Texas when I was in high school and I began to appreciate the very different cuisine of my new home.

In college I found that I would have to cook in order to eat decently on a budget. Eventually several neighbors made a deal with me: I would cook for everyone and they would buy the ingredients. This was a great deal for the poor student that I was. I served in the Army, including 2 years in Korea where I learned a lot about the local culture and food. You can see a strong Korean influence in my cooking from this period.

After a career in finance, I retired and cooked a lot for my family. This kids especially loved it and my nieces told me I should open a restaurant. I laughed at the time but thought about it later. That was 3 years ago and here we are today.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are unique. I had to create a description for our cooking style. It’s Asian-Redneck Fusion: combining Southern Country staples with Asian flavors and cooking technique. Our first 2 products were Korean fried chicken and BBQ brisket wontons. No one can tell me that fried chicken and brisket aren’t redneck food.

Our cuisine is a combination of traditional Asian and newly created dishes. The fried chicken is modified traditional. Korean and Japanese (Karaage) are the best sellers there. The wontons are entirely my creation. Some use Southern fillings like Brisket. Others have Asian fillings like Japanese curry chicken. Some combine both, like our KalBels: Korean Kalbi beef rib, Portobello mushrooms, sautéed garlic and spinach. That one was inspired by my wife Jess, who asked for a steak dinner in a wonton. Like the fusion chefs from Hawaii, I wanted to take local ingredients and imported ideas and combine them in unique ways.

The biggest challenge for us has been COVID. The original focus of Redneck Ronin was catering. That was fine in 2019, not so much in 2020. When catering went away, we were forced to change course. One of the few venues that remained open and viable was the open air markets. We switched but it was an entirely new business to learn. It required advertising and appeal to a mass market instead of smaller numbers of corporate customers. I feel we have made the transition successfully.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is huge and full of wonderful spots. I prefer Fort Worth for the more traditional feel and slower pace. I would start with the FW Botanical Gardens. It is a beautiful and relaxing experience worthy of a full day. The Japanese gardens and Tea House on the grounds are breathtaking. The museum district is nearby and the Kimbell has a tremendous standing collection of Asian art as well as hosting exhibits such as Turner’s modern world. The Sid Richardson focuses on Western art and has a large collection of Remingtons.

When you’re ready to change pace, go see the FW Stockyards. There are often rodeos and stock shows in town and if you have kids, there is nothing more entertaining than mutton busting. For those with a historical bent, the JFK memorial in Dallas is a somber must see. Also on the Dallas side, there is the Korea Town area off Royal Lane. You can do a spa day, some great food and top it off by renting a room for karaoke with friends.

Since this is Texas, you have to try the barbecue. My recommendations would be Heim in FW, Hurtado in Arlington and Pecan Lodge in Dallas. If you eat at Hurtado in Arlington, walk next door for a beer at Legal Draft Brewery. It’s family friendly, they have a wonderful variety of brews and your kids will love their root beer.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Mom and Grandma who taught me to cook. Nieces: Malia, Aiyana and Kaya who inspired me to launch the business. And my wife Jess who has supported me through it all.

Website: https://www.redneck-ronin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asianredneckfusion/

Image Credits
Hope Song