Star City Six: Jonah King
Located in south Lincoln at 77th and Pioneers Blvd, MōMō Pizzeria & Ristorante offers an extraordinary dining experience that is as fresh and unique as the beautiful interior of the restaurant. Jonah King is the Head Chef at MōMō Pizzeria & Ristorante (momospizzeria.com).
Tell us a little about your business. – We are a scratch-based authentic Italian restaurant and pizzeria. True to concept, we make our own Italian sourdough pizza crust and we grind beef chuck at our restaurant for our meatballs, just to name a couple of examples. We source as many of our ingredients as possible locally and seasonally.
With respect to your role in the business, what are you the most proud of? – The wine dinners that we host at MōMō are some of the most intense and rewarding events. My staff and I get the chance to plan and execute an amazing menu which often requires a full week of preparation.
Tell us a little about your family. – My wife and I have been together for 11 years. We are the proud parents of two children, a daughter who just turned two and a newborn baby boy who arrived in November. My last mouth to feed is my cat Apollo, who just turned eight.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I am a project guy. I enjoy any outlet that lets me be creative. I have always found the need to keep my hands busy, which is part of the reason why I love the kitchen so much. Over the last few years at my house I’ve constructed my own 160-square-foot brick patio with a built-in propane cook stove and an 8’ cement counter top.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – One of my favorite chefs I trained with had one piece of advice to live and work by, “Taste everything.” This is more than just checking your risotto for seasoning. Explore cultural cuisines, forage and find food around your area, try new foods that you have never had before, eat strange things that you never thought you would, and cook foods you don’t like in different ways and try it again. Never stop exploring the world of food, because no one truly will ever get the chance to “taste everything.”
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Happy. My life goal is to spread it and be it.
If you could have a super power, what would it be? – In my line of work I think it would have to be laser vision. Specifically for cooking, cutting, and saving the world one dish at a time.
Which talent would you most like to have? – I wish I knew how to play the guitar. Many of my family members, specifically my brother and my dad, are talented musicians.
What is your favorite movie? – The Princess Bride. Really any movie with Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, or John Candy is also up there.
What is your favorite local restaurant? – Aside from my restaurant (of course) it’s Pho Nguyenn, a small Vietnamese restaurant that has the best Pho noodle soup broth in town.
If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be? – From the past it would be Auguste Escoffier, a pioneer of the modern kitchen. From the present, it would be Alton Brown because of his culinary knowledge.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – Call (402) 261-5966, visit MōMō Pizzeria & Ristorante at momospizzeria.com, or follow us on Facebook (momopizzeria).