Two restaurants opening in Wichita this week to join a growing list of new Asian eateries
If you like Asian food, it’s a good time to live in Wichita.
Although the city has lost a few Asian restaurants over the past several months — including Hibachi Boy on Tyler, No. 1 Kitchen on Maize Road BD’s Mongolion Grill on Rock Road, and two Great Wall restaurants — it’s gained even more.
Here’s a list of the new Asian restaurants that have recently popped up and information about the two that will be ready to go later this week:
A&J Poke Ramen, 550 N. Ridge Road: This new restaurant opens on Thursday, Oct. 17, in the space that was previously occupied by Bento Cafe. It’s owned by Jimmy Liu, who also has Dragon City at 3008 W. Central. (Don’t worry: He’s not closing Dragon City.)
His new restaurant is a quick-service place with a menu that includes hibachi combo meals as well as build-your-own ramen and poke bowls, sashimi, fried rice, boba and more. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Order online at www.anjpokeramen.com/order or by phone at 316-352-7421.
Vo’s Kitchen, 2130 N. Tyler: This new Asian restaurant, which opens on Friday, Oct. 18, has taken over the space that Great Wall vacated earlier this month. It’s owned by Huong Vo, a longtime Wichita restaurateur who 20 years ago owned the Lotus Garden restaurant when it operated at 2135 W. 21st St.
Vo has worked in other restaurant kitchens since then, including at Grandma Thuy’s, which was owned by his sister-in-law, Mai Vo. That restaurant closed in June, and Huong had the option to take it over or open his own place. He chose the latter.
His new quick-service restaurant will have a menu similar to Great Wall’s, said Vo’s daughter, Anny Vo, adding that her father is known for his lo mein, fried rice and egg drop soup. Vo’s Kitchen will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Oct. 26, when it will start its normal hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, closed Sundays and Mondays.
Ben’s Big Bowl, 3811 W. 13th St.: This new Vietnamese restaurant has just opened in the space that Bann Thai vacated back in June. For now, it’s offering a limited menu of dishes like pho, beef noodles, shrimp and crab meatball noodles, and dumpling noodles. The restaurant originally opened earlier this year as a to-go and delivery business. Customers also were previously able to pick up the food at local Asian market Dong Huong, but the owners decided to expand into a brick-and-mortar business when the Bann Thai space became available. Its hours for now are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Cao’s Wok, 8728 W. Maple: A new owner took over the space at Maple and Tyler that Grandma Thuy’s vacated in June and reopened it in September as Cao’s Wok. The takeout restaurant now serves Chinese dishes like General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, lo mein, beef and broccoli, fried rice, egg rolls, chicken wings, firecracker shrimp, crab Rangoon and dumplings. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. It also offers Monday-through-Friday lunch specials that are $11 and include choice of entree, two appetizers and a drink. See the full menu or place an order for pickup at caoswok.clusterpos.com/menu
Hikari Sushi and Ramen, 240 N. Main St., Haysville: Owned by Candra Wijanarko, this eatery opened in late September in a restaurant space in Haysville that was previously occupied by Sunny Hibachi, Sushi & Indonesian Food. It features sushi, sashimi, a long list of rolls, ramen, fried rice, bento boxes and more. The restaurant, which offers both dine-in and to-go service, also has a menu of lunch specials offered from 11 a.m. to 2:30 pm. Mondays through Saturdays.
The owner, who has experience running a restaurant in Texas, serves authentic ramen from Japan and always-fresh sushi. Hikari’s hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. It’s closed on Tuesdays.
Bella’s Lao Beef Jerky & Cafe, 1885 S. Rock Road: Don’t let the name fool you: This restaurant doesn’t serve the kind of beef jerky you pick up in the convenience store. It opened in mid-September and is owned by husband and wife Vail Rajamountry and Malaythong Vongdala, who also have a bubble tea truck called Metta Lao Bubble Tea. (Both businesses have an artistic logo that features the couple’s young daughter.)
Bella’s is Wichita’s only Laotian restaurant, said Rajamountry, who moved with his family from Ohio eight months ago. Among the dishes on its menu are Lao beef jerky — made by marinating thin slices of beef then frying them — Lao sausage with sticky rice, fried pork belly with rice, spicy chicken red curry with rice, Larb made with chicken or beef, papaya salad, and a variety of Lao ramen noodle soups. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays For more information, visit bellalaobeefjerky.com
Yum Mi Express, 6524 E. 37th St.: This restaurant took over a space left vacant by another Great Wall. It opened in late August and has a menu that features both Chinese and Vietnamese fare, from lo mein to pho. Its hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. To place an order or see the menu, visit www.yummiexpress.com
Choux, inside Joy Tea at 11414 E. Central: The owners of Mi No Bakery at 2528 Oliver have added this dessert shop inside an east-side boba business. It offers classic and deluxe cream puffs filled with flavors like chocolate, apple, mango and Oreo crunch. It also has cream puffs topped with things like cereal and shaved coconut as well as a few savory cream puffs filled with chicken or pork. Macarons and mini cream puffs are also on the menu.
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