Eat This Now: Shrimp Wonton with Chili Sauce at ABC Cafe

Shrimp wonton at ABC Cafe. // Photo by Kala Elkinton

In a tiny, no-frills dining room just west of “Old OP” on 87th, Kansas Citians can find some of the best Chinese food in the area. With only around a dozen tables at ABC Cafe, it’s often full, but food comes out, and seats rotate open quickly.   

At ABC Cafe, diners can browse an extensive dim sum menu and traditional Chinese dishes. While many of the dish names are represented in Chinese characters, the efficient team at ABC has, thankfully, also included the English version of each name as well. The size of the menu and ingredients that aren’t commonly seen around Kansas City, see intestine with black bean sauce, can be overwhelming for a firstimer. The good thing about dim sum is that you can try many options, but don’t skip the shrimp wonton with chili sauce. 

The shrimp wonton with chili sauce comes with plenty for two people for $8.88, but a second order is never off the table. The shrimp filling is light and fresh, and the wonton pastry is soft but firm. The wontons are bite-sized and perfectly cooked, then served in a drinkable chili sauce and topped with cilantro and a crunchy flake on top. The chili sauce has a kick of heat but it’s balanced in a way that keeps you wanting bite after bite. Don’t stop there, keep ordering other dim sum options, and end your meal with a light and buttery egg custard. 

Visit ABC Cafe from 11:45am to 9:30pm, Thursday through Monday each week at 10001 W 87th Street, Overland Park, Kansas.