Dish & Drink KC: Hủ tiếu at Pho Lan and calamari at Khai-Noy

Tom Cary At Pho Lan. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Pho Lan

On Saturday, I celebrated my sister’s cat’s first birthday. My sisters and I hit the River Market (sans cat—which seems a little unfair, looking back on it) and then walked to lunch at Pho Lan in Columbus Park. 

My middle sister Ana, ordered the Tôm Cary, a spicy shrimp curry with carrots, thick slices of yellow onions, and a few sprinkles of green onions. After several minutes of deliberating over the menu, I panic-ordered the hủ tiếu tôm gà when the server arrived.

Hu Tieu Tom Ga At Pho Lan. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Hủ tiếu is a steaming bowl of rice noodle soup with shrimp, chicken, and slices of green, white, and red onions. It’s served with a side plate of bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil leaves, and a lime wedge. 

Chicken broth is already hearty and homey. Combined with the veggies, it has an appealing light, refreshing taste, further amplified by a few drops of citrus juice. The chicken was much chewier than I like, even when shredded. Other than a few especially tough pieces, I downed the whole bowl. 

Our server came by several times to wordlessly refill my sister’s water glass. She was polite, but quiet, without any empty chatter or cheery questions about how we were enjoying our meal. This didn’t bother any of us, though it did take us a while to realize that we could grab our to-go boxes ourselves and pay at the front counter. 

Pho Lan is located at 315 Cherry St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Calamari At Khai Noy. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Khai-Noy

Khai-Noy is located inside Strang Chef Collective’s third location, housed inside the Cascade Hotel on the Plaza. As I was relieved to find, it’s actually more Plaza-adjacent on a slightly less busy (albeit hilly) street with ample parking. 

Entering through the hotel felt weird to me, so I walked up the side steps to the patio, peeking inside the windows to see if it was open. It was, but during happy hour on a Monday, it was also nearly deserted. The two cooks were crouched below the counter when I approached with a timid “Hello?” Both quickly bounced to their feet with unabashed smiles. 

I ordered a Thai tea and the fried calamari—one of the two happy hour options. The other is a plate of honey garlic wings. 

I’ve heard the Cascade described as “sleek industrial chic,” which is not at all my vibe. I much prefer eclectic and artsy, but credit where credit is due: It’s a clean concept with a lot of space, and the patio has a gorgeous view of the Plaza. 

Thai Tea At Khai Noy. // Photo By Lauren Textor

Monday evening’s temperatures were in the sunny 20-degree range, and I was the only one on the patio. This suited me fine. I picked up my food and drink when I received the text, then sat with my book—Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations—at a corner table. 

The evening was chilly and sparkling. My hands slowly numbed as I stabbed at the fried calamari rings. They were the right amount of tender, not over-fried, and paired well with the sauce. There wasn’t any toasted rice, as the online menu promised, but that might’ve been due to the happy hour deal. I’m not sure if the aioli on the side was meant to be the advertised kimchi. I would’ve pegged it for a lemon garlic or maybe a chipotle. 

The Thai tea had a balanced sweetness that I now constantly crave. Seriously, I’ve been researching the best recipes for Thai tea because I’m spending too much money on it. It’s almost unfortunate that this one was also delicious. 

Strang Hall has three locations at 4620 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, MO 64112, 1100 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64105, and 7313 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS 66204.