“Right now, everything is possible”: Family-owned Khop Jai Der redefines hospitality

Laos Authentic Sausage // Photo By Lauren Textor

Khop Jai Der is a space that makes you want to linger, even though it’s genuinely tiny— even smaller than most coffee shops. The aromatic food at the Laotian and Vietnamese restaurant is served quickly, but you’ll want to slow down and savor every bite. 

Mimi Queency co-owns and operates Khop Jai Der with her sister, brother, and mother. Currently, they have no other employees— it’s all in the family. 

“We have to plan everything,” she says. “Sometimes, you don’t have time for each other. But right now, we have family time all the time.”

Queency’s young daughter is with her when I visit the restaurant. She’s shy, with huge brown eyes that peer out at me beneath her bangs. Her favorite color is pink, which is why Queency is dressed in a bubblegum-colored skirt and blazer with matching nails. 

Queency dotes on her, and she sits with us for a while before disappearing into the back to watch TikToks. 

The co-owners, operators, and siblings behind Khop Jai Der // Photo Courtesy Mimi Queency

Khop Jai Der’s rectangular dining room is small. All of it is visible from the entryway, although a privacy screen separates the door to the bathroom from the rest of the space. Large windows stretch across the entire front wall, bathing the room in natural light that makes it feel more spacious. There are money trees on the windowsills and tendrils of plants hanging across the ceiling. Miniature wooden benches and bicycles with baskets of colorful faux flowers add decor without detracting from the available room. 

There’s nowhere to hide here. This is not the place to duck your head and mumble your order while glued to your phone. Even if you’re dining alone, the layout invites connection. 

Queency is at the restaurant six days a week, from morning until night, which is more time than she spends in her own house. Because of this, she wants the space to feel comfortable— both for her and her customers. 

“We treat the customer like family. They’re a part of us,” she says. “I want them to come here and feel fresh air. If you have a lot of trees, the idea is it’s going to bring good energy to you.”

Khop Jai Der is all freshness and good energy, especially when it comes to the menu. 

Iced Coffee from Khop Jai Der // Photo by Lauren Textor

Queency sets me up with an iced coffee ($4.95) to sip while I wait for the array of food she’s recommended. It’s ultra-rich in a way that feels decadent but not sugary. I’d start every work day off with a glass if possible. 

A few minutes later, she drops off my appetizers: the Laos Authentic Sausage and Moo Ping. 

The sausage is served on a bed of lettuce with sides of whole peanuts, sliced jalapeños, and ginger. Cilantro and raw shavings of carrots top the meat, which is lightly spiced with curry and herbs. While sausage can often be a hit or miss in terms of the fat ratio, this one is an all-around winner. 

The Moo Ping (grilled and skewered pork) is similarly presented but has an added side of peanut sauce. Sweet, refreshing coconut cream permeates the juicy, succulent meat. It’s not just tender or savory. It’s round— a three-dimensional flavor that makes me question, analyze, and dismiss every other time I’ve had pork. 

Moo ping at Khop Jai Der // Photo by Lauren Textor

Queency glows with pride as we discuss each dish. She gushes about how important it is to her to honor her home country’s recipes and bring the flavors to a new American audience. 

“Our country is really small,” she says. “People don’t know… ‘Where is Laos?’ They know a lot of Thai, but they don’t know Laos. I want them to know about us.” 

Queency explains that she’s lived in Kansas City for almost eight years and that she had little personal connection to her previous job. 

“When I worked at the company, I felt like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to work. But it’s my duty. I have to go.’ The restaurant feels like I’m home. If you love something, you don’t think you’re working.”

My next dish, like everything else, is hand-picked by Queency herself. It’s the Mee Kha Tii Noodle, an authentic Laotian dish with rice noodles in a delicate red curry sauce that is sweetened with coconut milk. It contains cabbage, bean sprouts, egg, and cilantro— which, I firmly believe, improves just about everything.

Queency recommended pork as the protein accompaniment for this dish. After the show-stopping Moo Ping, I’m only too happy to follow her lead. The ribbons of meat are sliced medium-thin, perfect for scooping up with veg or noodles. 

As I’m slurping up curry, the family of three who has been sitting across the room prepare themselves for the downpour outside. Queency boxes up their leftovers. She asks if they need help getting to their car, even offering them an umbrella. 

She’s hospitality personified. No aspect of customer service eludes her. 

Mee Ka Tii Noodle at Khop Jai Der // Photo by Lauren Textor

“We have to test the food before we serve the customer,” she tells me once they leave. “We want them to feel good when they eat our food. When you go to some restaurants, some of them make the food for you, but they don’t know what it tastes like. But for us, we have to taste every order.”

After the Mee Kha Tii Noodle, I tap out. I’m stuffed. But Queency insists on boxing up my leftovers along with a Pad Basil that I can share with my family and an iced coffee for the road. She offers me the umbrella, which I gratefully decline. I promise to come back and visit soon.

Eating at Khop Jai Der is like opening a mini window to witness Queency’s family history as it unfolds. Her effusive optimism and determination to succeed is best expressed by one of her own quotes:

“Right now, everything is possible.”

Khop Jai Der Lao & Vietnam is located at 11920 W 119th St, Overland Park, KS 66213. They do not accept reservations, so call ahead for wait times or accommodation for large groups.