‘We love to cook’: 3 siblings from Southeast Asia open new Johnson County restaurant
Eight years ago, Mimosa Queeney moved from Laos to the Kansas City area with her mother and siblings.
Launching a restaurant wasn’t a consideration at the time. Content to cook chicken stir fry and pho for her family, Queeney went to work at an electric company.
“We love to cook,” she said, then laughed and added, “And I like eating.”
Then came this year, when a spot opened up in an Overland Park strip center. Queeney — “Mimi” to her friends — agreed to take a risk and jump-start a business with her brother, Johnny Khanthavong, and sister, Andy Khanthavong.
The siblings opened Khop Jai Der at 11920 W. 119th St. at the end of July, in the old Joy Food space next to Fleet Feet and Talk of the Town Grill & Bar.
The restaurant offers Lao and Vietnamese dishes like Pad Kau Mee (noodles stir-fried with eggs, bean sprouts, scallions and tamarind sauce) and Lao-style omelets, served with a choice of tofu, beef, chicken or shrimp.
For dessert: sweet mango sticky rice ice cream sprinkled with almonds.
Green tea and coffee drinks are also available for boba fans, as well as sweet iced Thai tea.
While many customers have never tasted Lao food, Johnny says it’s similar to Thai or Vietnamese cuisine. Laos is sandwiched between the two countries and they share many delicacies.
Plus, Khop Jai Der offers a variety of Southeast Asian food enjoyed beyond Laos’ borders.
Queeney said her restaurant’s name means, “Thank you, we appreciate you,” in Lao. She said she enjoys talking to visitors just as much as preparing food in the kitchen.
Inside, a few tables line the walls, inviting guests to sit and stay for a while. Orchids and house plants line the counters.
“Without customers, we don’t have a business,” she said. “We treat customers like our friends.”
Since opening day, a steady stream of customers flows in and out, but she hopes to meet even more Kansas Citians.
“Everything we serve here is fresh and new,” she said.
Khop Jai Der is open for dine-in or carryout. Dishes can be ordered online at khopjaiderop.com.
The restaurant is open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m.