Good morning, KC!

I realized recently that I have not written an entry about Asian cuisine in Kansas City yet. And since I happen to be Asian, that's sort of a travesty.

We'll start with cuisine from my family's homeland, Vietnam. There are many Vietnamese restaurants in KC, which was sort of amazing to me, since people are just now starting to really appreciate the savory flavors from this country. I mean, for years, I've always heard about how great Thai food was (and sorry, but I'm not really a fan unless it's like Pad Thai), but no one had Vietnamese food except those who are culinarily adventurous. Now, it's really starting to hit the mainstream, with the help of some signature dishes like Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), and spring rolls, which ARE VIETNAMESE and not Chinese or Thai. Trust me, I've spent a lifetime trying to dodge anyone who tries to put one in front of me.

Sung Son: This small Westport eatery is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in town. Okay, so their food isn't the most authentic I've ever tasted, and their service sort of gets really slow (if you want a refill on your water glass, you better track down the waitress yourself), but I like the atmosphere in which the food is presented. When you enter, you see a simple reception desk. There's a small space for waiting, but there's never any wait. I've never really seen the place packed at all. There are curtain of muslin (?) hanging from the walls separating some tables. I really like this touch, it gives diners privacy without enclosing them. It also looks really hip and sophisticated. I could see a restaurant like this in LA or NYC. There are huge paintings from Vietnam depicting asian women in traditional scenes on the walls hanging over the small glass tables. On the other side of the restaurant (the two sides are sort of connected by a tiny bar), there are more tables and a few large booths. The tables are pretty spread out, and there aren't that many, which I like. It's not too busy ever. On to the food, I really like their Bun Tom Thit Nuong, which is rice vermicelli with grilled pork and shrimp on a bed of sprouts and assorted greens. You top this with as much fish sauce as you can handle (I use pretty much the entire bowl because the noodles don't soak it up). I think the meat tastes a little more buttery than what is deemed authentic (I do hail from the OC, which has one of the largest Viet communities outside of Vietnam), but other than that, I love it. Their appetizer of Banh Tom Chien (sweet potato fries with fried shrimp) is amazing too. A lot of my friends have had the spring rolls, egg rolls, other types of Bun and Com (rice dishes). My parents had the pho, and thought it was pretty good, which is possibly the highest compliment from them to a Vietnamese restaurant. They also have Chinese food and a pretty large Vegetarian menu.

PHO is possibly the most popular national dish in Vietnam. There are man varieties, Chicken, Beef, and you can order an assortment of other items on them like tripe and tendon which is not for the faint hearted. I've tried the Pho Bo Vien, which has beef meatballs in the noodle soup, and it is awesome. I really thought the broth was just the right amount of sweetness. I really liked it. And if you're going to any Vietnamese restaurant, you need to have an Iced French Coffee. It is strong, and delicious. You need it. Plus, it's like $2. So I'd say, if you want ambiance and fair food, this would be your best bet,

Viet Nam Cafe: This is by KU med, on Rainbow. I've been here twice, and I mean, it's not as nice as Sung Son in terms of decoration, but their food is decent. Their Banh Tom Chien is really good, and their nuoc mam dipping sauce (fish sauce) is probably better than that of Sung Son. However, if you're not an experienced fish sauce eater like me, you're probably not going to notice anything but the odor, so don't sweat it. Their Bun is possibly more authentic.

I've not been to Saigon 39 also near KU Med on 39th, but that's only because I do not really enjoy the dishes that they serve there. It seems to be pretty popular, and I'm sure the Pho is pretty good. I just don't really like their small selection. I have heard that the spring rolls are very good here.

Hien Vuong: It's a shame that the proprieter of this restaurant was so rude to me, because their food wasn't that bad. However, I will never return to this restaurant because the lady gave me a lot of attitude. First of all, I ordered a drink to go, they didn't have lids. I ask her for one, she barks at me. Then, I'm reading a newspaper that was left on a table. She comes over to me, takes it away, and snarls, "You have to leave that here." Like, lady, chill. I'm not interested in your newspaper. I can't really even read Vietnamese. It really is of no use to me. However, to be fair, their food is decent. The portions seem to be smaller than the other restaurants. It is in the City Market, so the location is sort of out of the way, but it is always pretty crowded. I think the service and cleanliness need to be worked on though.

Next time, I'll talk about Chinese food, or lack thereof, in KC.

And please, please tell me, you get the title of this entry after reading it.