This Kansas City restaurant’s tasty pho made an empty table feel like home
My love of trying new things is often stopped by my anxiety, and I can be hard-headed once I form an opinion. So when I walked into Pho Lan KC for the first time, I wasn’t sure it could beat my longtime favorite. But then I tried the food — and found a new go-to.
Opened in 2021, the calming colors and welcoming spirit of the establishment guide customers to their expansive menu of authentic Vietnamese soups, salads and sandwiches. The restaurant is located at 315 Cherry St. in the Columbus Park area.
“I want people to have that feel of walking into a kitchen,” said the owner, Aiden Truong.
Walking in, past the foyer, the restaurant opens to a room with booths and table seating.
The compact space is set up for a minimalist dining to fit about 15 groups of people.
The cherry-stained wood wall paneling, matching wood tables and leather booth seats gave me the feeling of walking into a ‘70s diner and my great-grandma’s house at the same time. Music from Asian reality TV singing competitions pulled the scene together.
Among all the noodle, rice and salad menu options, you’ll find about a half dozen variations of Vietnam’s famed pho.
According to the Vietnamese Department of Tourism, the soup is the country’s most popular dish. The savory soup originated from a province in Vietnam called Nam Dinh.
My first time trying pho was after my very first art show, junior year of high school at the Cézanne on Main Street. After the show, my friends and I took the streetcar to a pho spot in the River Market. That cherished memory between us all turned the dish into a staple in our friendship.
Over the years, I got specific for how I like to eat my pho. I love adding all the mix-ins with spicy sriracha to seal the deal.
Truong, Pho Lan’s owner, says that a good bowl of pho needs to be made with bone broth, rice noodles, plenty of beef and lots of onions. Spice is optional, but their broth carries a hint of sweetness that refines any level of spice, he said.
The family-owned kitchen serves its version of Vietnamese recipes. Truong is dedicated to highlighting the style of pho from southern Vietnam, where he and his family is from.
“The broth is a little more sweeter and the broth comes from the beef bone,” he said.
A five-minute pho
For $12, I ordered the pho tai, which is rice noodles, beef broth and slices of beef.
Almost as quickly as I spoke my order, the steaming bowl of pho landed on the table before me with all the necessary fixings. Provided with bean sprouts, siracha, basil, jalapeños, onion, cilantro and lime, I tuned the dish to my liking.
One of the upsides of the dish is that its adaptability for anyone’s palette, said the owner.
“They taste more because we use a lot of complex ingredients, and we make sure to really give it a punch. I would even say heavy-handed with ingredients gives it a lot of depth and flavors,” said Truong.
Pho, for me, is a dish that reflects the relationships I cherish in my life. My most joyous laughs have been over a steaming, spicy bowl of pho.
After group hangouts, friends and I would relax and reflect over the soup, our chat continuing until the last drop of broth in each bowl was gone. Oftentimes, I wouldn’t be able to tell if my watery eyes were from the smiles, sriracha or the sweet souls around me.
When I want a bowl of pho, I want to feel company around me. I want to feel the soul poured into the steeped dish. A bite of a bowl of pho should feel like home and a hug to me.
With steam puffing up my face, the 5-minute pho faced my judgment. The first bite tasted like a good gossip session, and the second like an eight-hour road trip with a zero-skips playlist.
At an empty table, I felt surrounded by warmth with each bite. The more soup sipped, noodles slurped and fixings munched, it seemed the bowl was refilling itself.
I swore I walked in there with an appetite to clear a Thanksgiving feast by myself, but I left with a perfect portion for another meal.
Dedication behind the dish
Pho Lan KC has been serving Kansas City authentic Vietnamese cuisine with its peaceful atmosphere and attentive, charismatic service in the Columbus Park neighborhood.
“We have good days and bad days, and I know I can’t please everyone,” said Truong. “For the most part, we just wanted to give back and share our food with the city, but it’s all about the customers. I love everyone.”
Truong created the restaurant in honor of his mother, Lan Duong. The restaurant is named for her.
“Most of our dishes that we serve are the dishes that she makes for me,” said Truong.
The owner’s family immigrated to the United States in 2003, following his uncle, who moved in 1975.
“I think the reason why is my mom wanted us to be over here so I can have a better future. So my sisters can have a better future,” said Truong.
Running the restaurant, Truong found that the biggest challenge was simply not knowing things like how to apply for licensing and working with the health department.
“I had to figure that out all on my own. Day by day, I’m learning something new,” he said.
His passion drives him to make the most of every day, making a living to support his family. The surrounding community contributes to the restaurant, too.
“We have a lot of friends that spread the word for us,” said Truong. “That’s so nice to have that community.”
Truong is hoping to keep the establishment at a constant. A food truck may be in the works in the future, he said.
