I am so excited to share with you’ll my first restaurant review. The restaurant that I have chosen this week was completely out of my comfort zone. I wanted to try something new and different from my usual routine of eatery’s. So while traveling I had originally planned to go to a restaurant just outside of the city market. But it just so happened that I parked inside the heart of city market and began to walk to the restaurant. When the enticing smells of one peaked my interest so much that I just had to walk in the restaurant. The restaurant’s name is Hien Vuong and to my ignorance I originally though it was chinese food, but quickly learned it was not. So I dashed out of the restaurant to re-read the sign. It was Vietnamese cuisine. Ok, Vietnamese cuisine, But how does it taste? I couldn’t wait… the hunger started to take over. So I walked in and I was greet my a nice old lady who said, “Yes, What would you like to order?” Order? I was thinking.. .MMM.. There was like over 80 items on the menu? What do chose? The lady realized I had no idea to order, so she asked, “What do you like..Shrimp, Chicken, Beef, Veggies, Noodles?” I replied, “I like shrimp, noodles, and veggies”. She replied, “Ok. Number 49 it is!” Number 49 it has shrimp, mushrooms, and veggies, in a broth.
The wait time for my food took all but six minutes! Wow, A six-minute wait time is nothing. When my food came out I was very impressed. Ok Let’s evaluate shall we….
Appearance: The food looked amazing. The vegetables were bright in color and the noodles looked perfectly cooked.
Taste: The noodles were light and cooked al’dente. The vegetables were fresh “not frozen” with a slight crisp, the shrimp slightly over cooked to my liking, and the broth was so delicious unlike anything I’ve ever had.
While sitting outside I had the opportunity to speak with some locals who were regular’s here. One of which was a clergyman, I asked him what he loves about the restaurant? He replied: Well, They have fresh vegetables because they buy them all here at the city market. All of their meats *chicken, fish, beef, pork* is slaughtered here locally and served here weekly. I eat here every week and I havent got tired of it yet.
I began to ask more locals what they liked about the restaurants and here is what they said: I have #17 which is a broth served with noodles and beef. It comes with a side plate of lime to add some acidity, bean sprouts for crunch and cilantro for flavor. All which add’s extra flavor to the broth. If you have high blood pressure be aware some items can be high in sodium. You can also add their house made hot sauce or siracha to make it spicy. One of the other locals what I would describe as shrimp lo-mein, She told me it’s packed with veggies and seasoned perfectly with plump shrimp and they aren’t skimpy on the shrimp she replied.
My recommendation: If you are looking to try something new? I would recommend Hien Vuong, they have very inexpensive lunch specials like chicken and shrimp fried rice for $4.00-$5.00. or crab Rangoon 3 for $3.50. My lunch cost under $10. Their service is fast, the workers are very attentive and the restaurant is small, yet inviting. You can also eat outside the restaurant in a picnic table setting.
Hien Voung Restaurant / 417 Main Street KCMO 64116/ 816-842-1020
FPKC
