Blue Koi — Restaurant in Leawood

Whenever “Blue Koi” comes up in conversation its wild to me that I am filled with comfort and happiness as if I’m surrounded by a force field of love. Reviewing this locally-owned beacon of authenticity and buoy of real invokes passion. I think about other great restaurants here in KC that didn’t make it through CV-19. Hopeful that this nest NEVER falls from its tree, I write this in sheer admiration of Blue Koi right after yet another overwhelmingly positive dining experience last night.

Others had told me enough times that this was their favorite restaurant in KC. Now that I’ve been three times and sampled many menu items I get it. With opinions SO subjective out there surrounding food/restaurants I’d like to focus on authenticity. I’ve had the good-fortune of traveling the world and I’ve also eaten at over 50 James Beard award-winning establishments. As part of a small team flying around the world telling stories for brands by way of film please consider valuing my opinions here...we “shoot” and we eat, that’s it. On the top of this menu currently is duck as an appetizer. I know food is great when the second is hits the palette I’m teleported to a previous quality experience in life. The duck puts me back in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, the dumplings take me to the food market in Singapore. The fried tofu and awesome sauce could make a tofu lover out of anyone IMHO. The almond asparagus is like nothing I’ve ever had anywhere and I have to say the chicken preparation on that dish is as good as the greatest chicken I’ve ever had. Chicken is in no way boring when prepared at a world-class level and it truly can hang with the greatest of meats.

There are all sorts of authentic Chinese styles as that area of our planet is massive and densely populated...this establishment nails at least one of those styles. You gotta wonder about someone’s taste or lack of taste when they leave a one-star review at Blue Koi. When a misinformed palate moves to bash a family’s business and perhaps legacy this great...isn’t it sad?

Be careful!...this food is so good and the portions so generous that gravity seems to take extra toll on the body when it’s time to pay and leave. ...

The Wontons That Reminds Me of Family Time in Taiwan🤩

Is it possible for a single bite of food to collapse time and space? I didn't think so until my chopsticks picked up that first Blue Koi wontons, and suddenly thirty years vanished.

Those summers in Taiwan with my dad, who called Taipei home for over two decades, shaped my understanding of what real Chinese food should taste like. We'd spend afternoons hunting down the best wontons, savoring braised pork over rice, and sipping the original bubble tea (a Taiwanese invention from Taichung in the 1980s that changed beverage history forever.)

We couldn't leave without trying Blue Koi legendary chili pepper wontons—the same ones that had Guy Fieri from Food Network practically speechless. 🤤These perfect parcels filled with shrimp, pork and chicken, topped with that distinctive chili sauce, delivered the authentic heat that connects directly to Taiwan's night markets.

Though tempted by their Firebird chicken noodles, we chose the Chinese-style pot roast with their handmade noodles and Black Bean Chicken with brown rice. Each dish carried that elusive balance of flavors that most restaurants can't quite capture—the difference between food made for tourists versus food made for family.

Their impressive selection of bubble teas and loose leaf teas completed the experience, offering that perfect sweet finish to a meal that felt like a reunion with my past.

Insider tip: Their house-made noodles have that distinctive "Q" texture (the Taiwanese term for perfectly bouncy, springy, slippery, chewy) that's worth the visit alone.  Additional dishes I recommend: China Moon, Duck Wrap, Fire Bird, Ants On A Tree, Braised Pork.

In a city thousands of miles from Taiwan, Blue Koi manages to serve more than just food—they serve a connection to cherished memories and distant family. Who knew the taste of home could be found so far from where...

I love blue koi and their food so much, I bring all my friends and family there as well all the time food is amazing. But never ever have I been threatened by a restaurants manager before as a 16 year old. I went tonight with 2 of my friends (all of us teen girls 3 of us in total) and we only ordered about 3 things. The total came to about $55. We all paid our money but didn’t tip due too we are teenage highschoolers and didn’t have much. Some of our family situations, our parents don’t make much. Keep in mind the whole restaurant was packed so a maybe a $10 tip wouldn’t make much of a difference. The server was fine but she did indeed forget one of us girls food. Once we paid and we had all the way backed out, the manager she had came all the way to the car running and screaming at us 3 young girls, saying how we are rude and disrespectful, threatening us, leaning in against the car, and just talking absolute rubbish. I was stunned considering I always go there and this has never ever happened before. Especially since I’m the one who offered to my friends that night that we should eat here. She did all this because we hadn’t tipped. Which is understandable and we had apologized but again we are young and it’s not like we were disrespectful or rude or anything. Absolute most disgusting manager ever. Maybe pay your servers better if you expect them to live off tips even though it was a busy Friday night and our $10 tip wouldn’t make much of a difference. Yes we could’ve picked to eat somewhere else cheaper, but we love blue koi and wanted to support or try to support local...