Table Hopping – April 2013
“Oodles of Noodle Bowls”
Sama Zama
425 Westport Road
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 756-3600
Owner, Erika Koike, opened her first restaurant, One Bite Japanese, in south JoCo, but she soon realized she needed to reach a more diverse and urban audience. Sama Zama, which means “varied” in Japanese, now calls Westport home. Her exposed and distressed brick walls and streamlined Asian décor seems much more of a fit on Westport’s new restaurant row. Looking for comfort in a bowl? Get her Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (dine-in only) with its light, pork-based broth, topped with tender slices of pork over ramen noodles for $13. TAKE: the Spicy Ramen Challenge, and if you finished the entire bowl in 10 minutes or less, it’s free, and you get your picture on the wall.
Sushi House
5041 W. 117th Street
Leawood, KS 66211
(913) 633-3333
Sushi House is a restaurant concept based out of Chicago, even though it has been open in Town Center for many years. Owned by Tom Johnson, a local KC restaurant veteran, Sushi House has modern decor and servers who are attentive and quick. The sushi is good, but try something more comforting, get the Nabeyaki Udon for $13. A large hot pot will come to your table filled with a fragrant broth, chewy udon noodles, a poached egg, sliced fish cake, spinach, mushrooms and a single tempura shrimp. USE: the tiny shaker of Shichimi Togarashi, which translates to seven spice, to dial up the heat in your noodle bowl. The spice blend adds a welcome zip with spicy dried chilies and orange zest.
Vietnam Cafe
522 Campbell St
Kansas
City, MO 64106
(816) 472-4888
I first heard about Vietnam Café years ago, from Chef friends, who swore by the place. It is family run, friendly, cheap and delicious. You’ll be charmed by the inside of the place, as it still retains many of the original architectural features of the drugstore it used to be years ago. Located in Columbus Park, this is a fantastic pit stop to hit after you have shopped at the City Market downtown. The Pho is a stand-out star here. An incredibly rich and flavorful broth is cooked with your choice of meat and served over noodles with fresh bean sprouts, sweet basil, cilantro, sliced jalapeno, and lime wedges on the side for $7 a bowl. GET: your Pho on, 7 days a week. Open Monday-Saturday 9 am – 8 pm and Sundays from 9 am – 6 pm.
Iron Horse
918 Old 56 Hwy
Olathe, KS 66061
(913) 829-9898
Chef Peter Wong lived and cooked all over Asia, before landing in Los Angeles. There, in his restaurant at the time, he made special hand-pulled noodles for celebrities like Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr. and even former President George Bush Sr. when he was Vice President. These days, Peter, his wife and family have made their home in Olathe, and for years have been quietly serving up the fresh hand-pulled noodles and delicious Asian dishes that earned him a stellar reputation all those years ago. Seriously, get any dish on the menu that comes with their noodles. All dishes are between $6-$10. CALL: 24 hours ahead of time to order the Beggar’s Chicken, a tender chicken is stuffed with vegetables, covered in tin foil, then dirt and clay and slow cooked, sealing in all of the juices inside the dish.
































