KC THAI: GIVEAWAY

 Women's History Month might be over, but I love to feature Boss Ladies in my space! After I had missed the media preview in January, I was looking for an opportunity to go to KC Thai! What better than not only check out great Thai food, highlight two wonderful boss ladies but also bring a Giveaway for my followers!

To enter the Giveaway: 

Follow KC Thai on Instagram  @kcthairestaurant,

Follow me on Instagram @ritz_journospeak

Tag your foodie friends in comments, on my latest Instagram post, featuring KC Thai. 

KC Thai is one of the newest Thai restaurants in Kansas City, brought to you by two amazing boss ladies- Chef Penny Mufuka and Chef Bunnuch Benberg(Chef Nuch)! When you walk into KC Thai, you can't miss how beautiful it is laid out and decorated! It's modern, well-lit, and very Instagram-able if  I might add so! The sleek and modern decor of the restaurant has been designed by Chef Penny herself! 

Chef Penny moved to America nearly 25 years ago, with only $800 in her pocket, and knowing no English!  Doug and Penny met years ago when Penny was working in a Thai restaurant and the two decided to open a new restaurant focused on the traditional flavors of Thai cuisine. Penny was born and raised in Phichit, Thailand on a rice farm. Before coming to Kansas city Chef Nuch owned a restaurant for 15 years back in Thailand after she graduated from culinary school. But nothing was handed to her Just like Penny she grew up in the rural area of Thailand very poor before working hard to improve her life. When she arrived in America and had to start over and find a job a friend introduced her to Penny who had a restaurant and they became friends because they shared values like hard work and a love of food. 

The menu at KC Thai is a mix of authentic dishes, as well as signature creations from both Chef  Penny and Chef Nuch! They have 6 different types of curries, which are made without fish sauce, making it an excellent choice for vegans! While I and my husband love spicy food, our foodie daughter is dipping her toes. So we decided to go the mild route, for our choices! Before I start off with the amazing food, can I take a moment to compliment the quality of service at KC Thai! The staff is friendly and has great suggestions! And you cant miss the smiling eyes, behind the masks. The seating arrangements are all socially distanced, keeping in mind covid safety protocols. 

We started off with Thai Spicy Sausage! You take one bite of this sausage, and literally, you cannot stop! My spice tolerance is pretty high, so for me, this was perfect! You could classify this as very spicy, but you cannot miss teh flavor of fresh herbs and spices! Served with a side of toasted peanuts, julienned ginger and jalapenos, its really amazing! 

Our daughter really wanted to try the Dumplings! We opted for chicken dumplings which came with a side of Chef Penny's signature dipping sauce! One bite of these dumplings and reminded me of vacations in Southeast Asia! I am a fan of steamed dumplings, and my husband is a fan of fried dumplings,s and this was happy in-between, in terms of texture. 

Everyone has their favorites in Thai cuisine. For me and my husband, it's GaProw! Its cleaver-chopped meat, cooked in spices and Thai basil and served with a fried egg, on top! Paired well, with steamed rice. We opted for beef in our GaProw! It was every bit what our hearts desired. It was juicy, flavorful and packed a punch. 

Phad Kee Mow(Drunken Noodles) is another favorite of ours, and we opted for it with shrimp! Flat noodles cooked with egg, sweet basil, bell peppers, mushroom, broccoli, bok soy, and cooked in sweet soy sauce. I loved the balance of sweet and savory in this dish. 

Not exactly in that order, but we also sampled their signature Fresh Spring Rolls. You can't miss the crunch when you take a bite. We opted for chicken as our choice of protein. Rolled fresh in rice paper, with lettuce, bean thread noodles, bean sprouts, and my favorite, cilantro! As a proud Asian-American foodie, I love my cilantro!

If we were not stuffed to the brim already, there was dessert! My daughter is a fan of cheesecake but hasn't yet ventured into the mango arena. So she opted for Creme Brulee Cheesecake! I sneaked in a bite from her, and trust me, I could go back, just for this. When you combine two iconic desserts, and you do it well, what's not to love! 

I and my husband had to opt for the Sweet Sticky Mango Rice! It is a seasonal dessert, on their menu. Mango sticky Rice is one of the most iconic Thai desserts, which you can find, whenever you travel to Thailand. The sticky rice is sweetened and has a hint of desiccated sweet coconut, to create a more umami flavor to the dessert. It reminds you of days in the sun, of tropical paradise! If you haven't ever tried this iconic Thai dessert, then give it a try, next time you are in KC Thai! 

KC Thai is located at 2250 W. 135^th St., Overland Park, Kan. 66221. The restaurant is open for dine-in, curbside carry out, and delivery, Monday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.kcthai.com or call (913) 400-2281.