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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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Blue Koi is a favorite spot. Lychee bubble tea, dumplings galore. Lots to love in this little shop.
Pot roast is killer --tender and GREAT flavor. -- Get any dish w/ noodles, big fat slurpy delicousness.
TIP: Get Awesome Sauce for your dumplings, pure win!
The Green Onion Flatbread/biscuit is a great little side to munch on!
Great ecclectic assortment of asian food. If you are looking for a quick lunch joint, however, I would steer clear. It took quite a long time to get seated and even longer to get our food. However, when we did get it, it was DELICIOUS and lots of it!
If you plan to give it a try, I would call ahead and do takeout to save yourself the wait, or be prepared to wait awhile for everything, even refills on water.
After reading the yelp reviews on this place, my expectations were high. Although, I must admit that reviews on Asian restaurants which are written by non-Asians are taken with a grain of salt (or a big fat block of salt).
Let me start off with the service. It was about 2 PM during the week and my friend and I were some of the only people in the restaurant. Service was sllllloooowwww.
We both ordered bubble tea, I got strawberry smoothie and he got taro smoothie. We were both satisfied. The tapioca was the perfect texture. The flavor of the tea was good.
For an appetizer, we got the scallion biscuit and boiled chicken/pork/shrimp dumplings. The scallion biscuit was ok, there was certainly nothing special about it and probably not worth the money that we spent on it. The dumplings were decent. I was not disappointed with them, but I've certainly had better. I ordered the braised pork and shitake mushroom noodles. It didn't make me have the urge to vomit, but I would not order it again. My friend ordered the wonton soup, and gives it zero stars out of five. He said that it was more like ginger soup. There was way too much ginger. The wontons were quite disappointing as well.
I've been there a few times and it's never been particularly good. The pot roast was okay, chicken dumplings okaaay.... Last week I had chicken with asparagus and the asparagus was fresh but the sauce had no distinct taste at all. The sun-dried tomatoes and almonds seemed like an afterthought because the flavors didn't work together at all. Bland my friend, just bland. On the up side, it's got cute decor and I could see myself possibly having a casual business lunch there.
Just okay, won't need to go back for another 4 years again. The Pot Roast reminded me how good Pine and Bamboo does it, and so much more authentic. When beef comes to the table with that rainbow trout sheen on it... not so appetizing. Did not get dumplings this time, but once again go to Pine and Bamboo on the weekend for Dim Sum, it is so good. I got the Tofu with Awesome Sauce as other reviewers loved it and it was good. Won't go back for it though. Oh and the Firebird was good but heavy with bamboo shoots, very spicy, good noodles. There was enough flavor there that I was able to stretch the left overs with some sauteed halibut and I think I added some green veg with it needed.
I love Blue Koi and miss it tremendously since moving away from KC about four years ago. Lucky for me, I got to visit last week while in town. Score!
The jasmine and oolong teas are insanely good. The tofu with the awesome sauce is in a category of its own. The braised pork (or tofu - I like both) with the shitake mushrooms is ridiculously tasty, and my husband swears by their pot roast. Furthermore, you can't go wrong with their boiled dumplings. I prefer the pork or combination, but who are we kidding - they're all good.
And I didn't even mention their boba. For the love of tapioca pearls, batman. The honeydew and the lychee are my favorites. I never did get my nerve up to try the green bean flavor, and I sort of (only sort of) regret that fact.
The decor is relaxing, the staff is friendly, the prices are beyond reasonable, and aside from having a less than stellar parking situation, I'd recommend that just about anyone go here.
excellent high quality food! You wont regret this savory meal...
I used to work at KU and would go to lunch here 2-3 times a week. Awesome food, very tasty.
Blue Koi was one of the first restaurants I visited when I moved to Kansas City a few years ago, and I find myself going back here more often than most anywhere else in town. The food is always so simple yet delicious, the service is always efficient and unobtrusive, and the people watching is generally top notch.
Well every other review said it, so i should as well. The Fried Tofu with Awesome Sauce is ridiculously good. Really heavy on cilantro, but i dig cilantro, so it works out well for me. Whenever i find out that one of my friends hasn't been here, we immediately go and i insist that we order this dish. On my last visit i found out that for only $5, they'll sell you a pint of awesome sauce to take home! I grilled up some shrimp and this is the perfect sauce for dipping. Warning though, it goes bad fast.
The dumplings are also supposed to be fantastic, but i don't eat dumplings (bad food poisoning experience) so I can't help you there.
I alternate between two different entrees here. Either the ginger chicken on noodles (add steamed tofu please!), or the Cantonese roast duck. I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to spicy food, so there are a lot of things that I haven't tried that my friends swear are delicious.
I have no complaints about this place. In fact, while writing this review, I think i've decided that i'll go back to Blue Koi again tomorrow.
Yum. Yum. Yum. The dumplings are awesome. Fried Tofu. Eggplant pockets.... braised beef... phoenix nest. I have never had a bad experience here. Blue Koi has been around for years and to this day my only complaint is that with such a LIMITED wine list - a server had to consult a cheat sheet to help pair my wine and food.
The staff is young and friendly. The food never disappoints. I would eat here every day if i could. One of the many cute and quality restaurants on 39th St.
I try to visit Blue Koi every time I travel to Kansas City. Great food and atmosphere.
Dishes to try:
Chinese Style Pot Roast
Ants on a Tree
Tofu with Chinese Curry Sauce
Pork Dumplings
I can't wait to stop in when I'm back in KC!
This place was alright, I had mushrooms with noodles or something along those lines. It was good and plentiful, but not super stellar. My friend did order the eggplant pockets which were delicious. My other friend ordered something that he has gotten before at another location, it was not similar and he was put off by it. If you are a vegetarian, they do use fish sauce in some of there items, so don't forget to ask.
What a weirdo? What type of vegetarian goes into a Chinese food restaurant expecting a vast array of food and hates tofu? Thats like being a veg, going to a Mexican food place and hating beans!!! Don't listen to this woman!
I was vegetarian for 13 years and I have eaten good tofu and bad tofu, and this place has wonderful tofu. My husband ordered chicken and ended up eating half of my tofu entree! There is a dish with a black bean sauce on tofu with veggies that is TO DIE FOR!
The service was good, the food was above good, and I sincerely thank this place for being one of the truly vegetarian restaurants in KC that is both delicious and healthy.
Vegetarian with no tofu = snickers bar for dinner??? I have no idea, but as a former veg, I ate a ton of tofu... its part of the package... dont knock a restaurant for serving something you dont like.
I think I'll name my first born "Awesome Sauce."
I'm slowly but surely making advances in my chopstick training, but in the middle of my braised tofu with portobellos I had to dig into the rice with a fork to get bigger bites because it was SO FACKING DELICIOUS. My roommate loved her chicken curry dish and we both had tons of leftovers (not that we didn't try to or want to demolish the meals). The crispy tofu as an appetizer was perfect and like I said...I'm a little obsessed with the Awesome Sauce.
Blue Koi is such a cute restaurant. If I liked bubble tea, I'm sure I'd appreciate the wide array of available flavors (tapioca pearls remind me of goldfish eyeballs--ptooey!). Service was great, if a little slow at time. The dreamboat of a manager who I tried to make lovey-dovey eyes at should expect a return costumer (can anyone get me his number?!).
How could you not like this place?
Every time I eat here I leave more than sated than the last time. The steamed dumplings are always good, tofu with awesome sauce couldn't get any better, and the vegetable soup with vegan broth always makes me feel better when I am ill. The tea selection is quite large, and no matter what dish I get here I always leave satisfied.
You can't go wrong with Blue Koi. Vegan or meat eater, cozy comfort food or date - Blue Koi has it.
My favorite app is definitely the Crispy Tofu with Awesome sauce, by far the best tofu I've ever had. If you are craving a big crock of soup, vegan delight will satisfy. For a light lunch, I always go for the chicken lettuce wraps. My fiance swears by their wonton noodle soup with a side of chili oil.
Service is great, everyone is friendly, and the ambiance can't be beat.
I was a bit skeptical of this place when I first looked at the menu. The wife and I were looking for something different for dinner, someplace we wouldn't normally think of. So we decided upon Blue Koi.
The wife and I decided to share some shrimp dumplings as an appetizer. What a wonderful decision that was. They were equally awesome with the sauce that came with them as they were with some sriracha.
I had the roasted duck over noodles. I had a bit of a confused moment because I initially wanted my duck served "over" noodle soup and I wanted to choose the pork noodle soup from the menu. But the server corrected me after an astoundingly long minute of completely misunderstanding of what I was asking for. What I misunderstood was that the duck would be made into noodle soup, so I would have duck noodle soup. I didn't like the idea of that so, based on the waitresses recommendation, I had the duck served over noodles.
The noodles were fabulous and a wonderful choice. The only problem was that I couldn't eat them with chopsticks and had to switch to a fork. Asian food isn't the same when eaten with western cutlery. The duck was very good but a little sweeter than I would normally enjoy, I'm more of a spicy sort of dude.
The wife had lettuce wraps and has been raving about them ever since. I don't like lettuce wraps very much.
Next time I think I will just get 2 different types of dumplings as my dinner because they were fabulous and I can't imagine going to Blue Koi and not getting dumplings.
Wonton Noodle Soup. Wow wow wow. I used to live in Lawrence and after relocating have yet to find anything comparable. Trust me, I've tried. Simple and savory flavors combined in one big steaming fragrant bowl. I love to sit and take in the smells before I dig in. Yum!
The Chinese Pot Roast is also delicious..and the Crispy Tofu is a great appetizer..this coming from a girl who normally harbors a strong dislike for the stuff.
The prices are great, the food is even better. Already planning on going back over my trip in June. Possibly before hittin up First Friday..another KC favorite.
While their pho is not quite as good as Vietnam Cafe, it is still delicious. Their dumplings have been wonderful as well.
What I like best about this restaurant, however, is the ambiance. Relaxing yet invigorating decor with a small rotating art collection. If you're lucky enough to get a window seat, you can watch K.C. hustle on by while downing great food.
Don't cheat yourself. Get the Fire Bird (spicy duck) and sub noodles for rice. It's 2 bucks extra but it'll be the best 2 bucks you'll spend that day. So good it'll make your toes curl.
Dumplings are good too. Tonight I tried a scallion pancake and it sucked! Whatever. Get the Fire Bird!
I think this place is just okay. The dumplings are amazing and awesome and whatever positive adjective starts with an a. I love the atmosphere of this place, and love to sit right by the window to do a little people watch or make fun of people's parallel parking abilities. This is a place I like to go to to show people that Kansas City has interesting little places all around to grab a bite.
However, I have some problems with some dishes on the menu. Their ginger chicken has huge pieces of uncooked ginger in it which is impossible to eat. I mean, literally impossible. You will chew for days. The duck is always too sweet and overcooked. There is too much 5 spice powder used on everything.
But the noodles and dumplings ARE killer, so you should probably eat here. But it probably shouldn't be your absolutely favorite restaurant in the world. Unless it's your favorite restaurant in the entire world simply because they have awesome sauce.
The Blue Koi is my noodle house of choice, I like nearly (at least all that I have tried) main dishes, all of the soups, and all of the dumpling dishes they serve. The atmosphere is urban and trendy without being pretentious. The prices are fair, portions are pretty large, and the tea is top notch.
NOM NOM NOM.
I love Blue Koi's dumplings and bubble tea, and it's such a relaxed and fun place to go for lunch or dinner to sit and chat. The dumplings are made fresh and fast, and there's a choice of different fillings that are all excellent. Also I like the option that you can get a shot of alcohol in your bubble tea to make it a cocktail.
The only complaint I have is that if you are wanting something more substantial than just dumplings, there are very few choices on the entree list. It is also more pricey. I say stick with the dumplings and you'll be happy.
This is a cool spot in a cool neighborhood. The cozy atmosphere and huge window overlooking 39th street make this a great place to go for dinner. They have really HUGE noodles that are really really tasty! Check it out!
Hands down, delish. I was seriously impressed with the service, tasty num nums and atmosphere. We did a late birthday celebration and they brought me a tasty dessert-- on the house. Standard restaurant etiquette but hey, I was gratiously in awe. I'd highly recommend the curry, dumplings and oodles o noodles! I heart KC yelpin with the ahmazing Erin M.
I'm having a hard time rating this place...not because it has bad food or crappy service, but because I'm just not too keen on this type of food. Since I'm vegetarian now, that limited my selection considerably. I gave a glazed veggie dish a try with tofu instead of chicken. It was then that I realized that I do not like tofu. It's weird and gross. We also ordered tofu and Awesome Sauce as an appetizer. The sauce was awesome indeed, but again, tofu=ick. The veggies were great, the tea was fantastic and the wait staff is the best looking group of servers that I have ever seen. So...if I wasn't such a picky eater I would have enjoyed it much more. If I wasn't vegetarian, I would have ordered their chicken dumplings because I hear they are phenomenal!
YAY GODDAMNED YAY!!! THIS is good food. They have BOBA. I had mango and my partner had Butterfinger. Well, it was his first time having boba but I practically lived off of it in Vegas. I'd never had a chocolate version, don't recommend it. Stick with milk tea or fruity flavors. Wheeeew I need to get a towel just thinking about it. Take that however you want it.
I got a huge bowl of vegan tofu soup with glass noodles, tofu that actually had a flavor, giant carrots and veggies, and these awesome little tied up balls of thin tofu sheets with a crazy texture. It was fun. Really savory without the signature midwest over-doing it on the cheap seasoning like...table salt... flavor.
My friend got a ginger-y chicken and rice dish that was very simple and had a happy smell. I actually got his leftovers because he had class after, so I got to try it for lunch. It was phenomenal. Seriously.
Nothing bad to say. Loved the smells, the food, the background music, the staff was alright, though maybe a little shy?
I give them a bonus banana sticker for having a ridiculous selection of boba, AND for the daring.... you can get it with bourbon. rrrrr.... where's the towel...
Can't improve too much on what others have said. The food is very simply prepared and presented, so don't expect carefully constructed pretty plates. Prices are reasonable and the quality is top-notch. It can be very crowded at peak hours so prepare for a wait on weekend night or at the height of lunch hour.
This is a pretty great asian food place. The dumpling are great. The rest of the menu reads like an westport Chinese food restaurant. That being said, what exactly does it mean to be a restaurant serving asian food these days? Blue Koi doesn't really tell you much, and I'm sure they don't serve Koi fish here, but it doesn't really tell you which area of ethnic dining you're going into, so there really isn't a geographic cuisine focus here. Nevertheless, for folks who don't like to be picky about that stuff, there is really nothing to dislike. I have to say, the food is well prepared, hot, generous, and if you look around you might find some hot sauce and chopsticks. A little pricey, but you're paying for the shwanky location and plush booths (if you get a booth).
One of my all-time favorites. I might not ever have become vegan if it weren't for such gems as this one.
I patronize all of the family establishments, BK and Genghis Khan locations, and they really don't mess around.
It is actually difficult to try everything on the menu because each dish I enjoy ends up being addictive. I couldn't get out the door without an eggplant pocket for years. I have finally broadened my vegan horizons quite a bit, but I can definitely still live on their appetizers. They always have fresh ingredients and the flavors have a depth, that little extra complexity, that many other places just don't seem to get.
Say what they will about awesome sauce-- it is a bit too sweet for my taste-- but it's got nothing on the raw garlic sauce.
Whether you like things savory and mild or spicy and intense, they have something for you. Blue Koi also happens to be on the hip 39th Street strip, great for an after-dinner stroll, cocktail, new book, etc. etc. Just go ahead and plan to make it a night.
This was my favorite place in KC when it first opened 2001?--the noodle soups were incredible. After awhile, it declined a little but still excellent. I may be mistaken, but I think midwestern asian restaurant owners often realize they don't have to keep their cuisine at such a high level and still please "the masses."
The best Asian food I've found in Kansas City. The decor is understated yet exquisite.
Oh, the dumplings!! I just went to Blue Koi's new suburban location at Mission and 435, and it's just as great as the original on 39th St. The Tofu with Black Bean Sauce is spicy and delicious, the house-made noodles are fantastic, and the Fire Bird (made with tofu) is super spicy and tasty. These folks know how to cook up some tofu! The Awesome Sauce, well, the name says it all. They have a great selection of tea, which is always a pleasure. I have had good service at both locations. Fantastic.
my first real asian food attempt in kansas city, and i was moderately surprised. it was much better than i thought it would (honestly, my expectations were pretty low). but once i saw the bottle of sriracha on the table, i thought, that's a good start. i ordered the wonton soup, a bit pricey, but the generous portion and flavorful wontons made up for it. the broth had just the right amount of flavor and the wheat noodles were just the right texture--soft but slightly chewy. my dad ordered the chicken dumplings, a bit on the greasy side, and the sauce was a bit too salty. otherwise, a really enjoyable meal. will be returning to try other dishes :)
First off, great customer service in an age where that seems to be rare. Pretty darn good non-traditional asian food. I sub the noodles for the rice when ever I can. The blackbean chicken or tofu entre is awesome. Chinese pot roast is good too. The crispy tofu appetizer is a large portion, but good for a group of 4+. The place has a good vibe as well. I certainly appreciate having places like this in KC.
pork fried dumplings almond bubble tea and ants on a tree, the three things i miss most about not being close enough to go to lunch on 39th stree anymore, Blue Koi is AWESOME so good, highly highly HIGHLY recommend.
i'm not a fan of asian fusion, but this place is yummy! i come to KC once a year and this place is such a treat! i got the braised pork with shitake mushroom in a noodle soup and it is delish! can't wait to come back again next year.
Dumplings were not bad, though not as good as the ones I make at home. The jasmine tea was wonderful, and I think the restaurant had a nice ambiance.
Excellent food. Excellent service. I love the bubble tea...tofu with awesome sauce...dumplings...and almond chicken.
i love love love the food here, but sometimes the wait for it is irritating. the servers are usually pleasant though which helps. they are very vegetarian and vegan friendly, have a great assortment of teas, boba tea drinks and some really yummy appetizers! i'd say it's worth a try!
Leawood, KS
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Volker
Category: Bookstores
Neighborhood: Rivermarket
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Volker
Category: Chinese
Kansas City, MO
Category: Bars
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