Spring rolls at Le Monde: Get ’em now!
| Julie Le’s spring rolls are a Le Monde tradition |
I don’t know if the Vietnamese spring rolls served at the Le Monde Bakery & Cafe in North Kansas City are “world famous,” as the restaurant’s blackboard suggests. But they are famous among fans of this storefront bistro and bake shop, where owner Jef Dover’s sister — noted Celtic singer, poet and songwriter Connie Dover — can sometimes be seen working in the kitchen. She was there yesterday, looking gorgeous but unfortunately not singing.
I had been craving the Cafe’s spring rolls and made the mistake of stopping in on a Tuesday, forgetting that Le Monde only offers the freshly made spring rolls on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. That’s when Julie Le, the wife of Le Monde’s head baker Houng Le, prepares the soft, fat rolls and the homemade peanut sauce served with them.
Le Monde’s Glenn Reynolds says that the spring rolls — three for $5.45 — are so popular that they frequently sell out early. There’s nothing like an order of the rolls with a gorgeous piece of Houng Le’s apple strudel. I wonder if the strudel planned for the new Grunauer Restaurant in the Freighthouse will be anywhere near as delectable?
