Although Kansas City, Missouri is usually known for its barbecue, there are so many more culinary delights to be had in this exciting city, many of which might surprise you. Did you know you could get incredible Vietnamese, West African, and Mexican food here? We bet you didn’t. Here’s everything you need to know about eating your way through Kansas City.
Kansas City is such an interesting mix of Southern culture, migrant cultures blending in, and a bit industrial. This all comes together to create a unique and new energy that translates to a great food scene.
One such place is the restaurant at Hotel Kansas City called Town Company, headed by chef Johnny Leach as well as pastry chef Helen Jo Leach. This creative couple come up with incredible dishes like smoked egg with trout roe, halibut fillet with oyster mushrooms, baby spinach salad with sunflower shoots, and strip loin topped with lobster-infused butter.
For dessert, you can enjoy a chocolate steamed bun topped with chocolate ganache, roasted acorns, pine nuts, and cocoa bins. Helen Jo created a masterful lemon-mochi donut with salted pistachios that is to die for.
If you want to enjoy a great cup of coffee, look for Cafe Ca Phe, a coffee truck owned by Jackie Nguyen. The beans come from Vietnam and feature fun twists like the Hella Good Latte featuring ube, espresso, oat milk and condensed milk.
Head to Fannie’s African & Tropical Cuisine to enjoy egusi soup, made with bitter-tasting melon seeds and pounded yam. Fannie Gibson, owner of the place, is from Liberia and hopes to introduce folks to traditional West African dishes.
Next, make your way to Yoli Tortilleria, a Mexican joint with incredible and authentic food, a direct result of the Mexican migration to the city. Sample the pork fat Sonoran flour tortillas with salsa macha morita.
If you want to go all out, try the spectacular 10-course dinner at Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, led by chef Michael Corvino. Here you can have modern American dishes served against a backdrop of the open concept kitchen and with fun, lively music.