Pho KC Restaurant

315 Cherry Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
(816) 471-2224

Oh for the love of Pho! If you are looking for the best Pho in Kansas City, you have to go to Pho KC. Who would have thought that a small place lurking right there in the corner of 4th Street and Cherry Street served the best Pho in KC?

I first learned about Pho KC from my husband's hairstylist who was from Vietnam. I trusted her completely. A Vietnamese recommended authentic Vietnamese food? Hey, that's must be the real deal!

OK, let's talk Pho. I ordered a small bowl of Pho dac biet, the combination. It had eye of round, beef tripe, meatball, and some tendons. Their price was affordable. For a big bowl of Pho, combination or not, was only $6.39 plus tax. It's a huge bowl, complete with the fresh cilantro leaves and all the trimmings.
Their broth was simply "broth-taking"! Delicious! The broth was clear and you can really taste the beef flavor. I didn't have to add any hoisin sauce or any other additional sauce to enhance it. It tasted perfect to me. The noodle was thin, just the way I like it.

Other than that, I also had their appetizers, the Banh Tom Chien ( sweet potato shrimp fritter) and Fried quails.

Banh Tom Chien was alright. Their sweet potatoes were sweet, but I didn't think it was too special compared to any other Vietnamese restaurant out there. Price-wise, it was still cheaper than any other restaurants, though.
I do like their Fried Quails. The way they cooked them was interesting, I thought. I've had fried quails in Indonesia before. Of course it's totally different. The ones in Indonesia were way smaller than the ones in here (maybe because everything in Indonesia seemed smaller than here?). Anyway, the quails were very tasty. It had sweetness to it and very tender, too.

My husband ate their grilled pork with all the goodness. :)
That, too, was tasty. Although I still thought the Pho was their main star.

So, still looking for the best Pho in KC? Stop looking! Pho KC is the answer. Trust me! :)

Lawrence: right on the Memory Lane

We went to Lawrence, KS this afternoon right after harvesting corns right in the field (story about that later).
I met my husband there during my college years. Therefore, Lawrence is always going to be a very special place for us.

We went to our favorite place in downtown Lawrence (well, it used to be), The Orient at 1006 Massachusetts Lawrence, KS 66044. The owner, Nancy Nguyen, is a Vietnamese.
The food at The Orient is a blend of Vietnamese and Chinese food. It's a small place that most people sometimes forgot.
However, they have moved to the place next door and the former is a seafood place now, owned by her daughter.

We ordered our old favorites to go: Chicken Phad Thai and Pork Chop over rice.
Phad Thai at a Vietnamese restaurant? Don't be surprised. I always thought their Phad Thai was the best in Lawrence. Of course I've had a good share of delicious Phad Thai at Thai restaurant in Kansas City, but this was our memory being repeated and how much we loved this dish during our college years.
The Orient's Chicken Phad Thai was spicy, but sweet at the same time. It had shredded carrots and cabbages, then sauteed together with the Phad Thai noodle (rice noodle). The chicken were cubed and there were minced meats in there as well.
However, the peanut (as a staple ingredient in Phad Thai) was missing from the dish. I guessed they forgot about it.
No complains here, though. I still liked it a lot!

My husband always loved their Pork Chop over rice. This one was different though. They used to grill the pork chop with amazing marinate. This time I thought they pan-fried it. The seasonings were different, too. It had a spicy kick to it. My husband said it's still good, although not as good as the old one. :)