ABC Cafe 釗記餐廳 — Restaurant in Overland Park

Let’s call it a comeback.

Not the overhyped, autotuned kind. No pyrotechnics, no press release. Just a quiet resurrection of something you thought was gone for good.

ABC used to be the family go-to—back when the original owners still roamed the floor like benevolent warlords and the kitchen had the swagger of a prizefighter in his prime. Then they sold the place. The chef must’ve left with them, because what followed wasn’t cooking—it was a slow-motion eulogy. We never went back.

Fast-forward to Mother’s Day. Ma Ma’s got a craving, and you don’t argue with that. We call ahead, party of seven. They sit us at a table that seats exactly seven if we all agree not to exhale. I ask for another section—because when our family orders, it’s not dinner, it’s an edible construction project. The staff hesitates until I throw in a couple of raised eyebrows and promise to order like degenerates. Deal.

I wasn’t hopeful. Expectation is the enemy of good food. But then the first bite—hell, it was like they tracked the old chef down to some seaside village, bribed him with top-shelf soy sauce, and smuggled him back through customs. It had that swagger again. That unmistakable soul.

Plates emptied, maybe because the portions were smaller with the new owners. Ma Ma smiled. No one flinched at the bill.

Well played, new owner. Whatever you’re doing back there—keep doing it. You brought it back from the dead, and somehow, maybe,...

If you’re Chinese or Cantonese you’d know why I rated this low. The service was good but the food really failed as a Cantonese restaurant. We didn’t get the fried rice or noodles so this review may not help you as much.

dim sum- seafood dumpling. The warp was thick and the stuffing was plain. There were 4 pieces but I hardly can finish one. (Btw, if you want to know if a Cantonese restaurant is good, steamed shrimp/seafood dumpling is the testing gold.)

stir-fry water spinach. The dish looked fine in the picture but my friend and I found yellow leaves and rotten water spinach leaves in it. It seemed to me they didn’t clean or pick the veggies as they should.

Braised pork with preserved vegetables. There were only 7 pieces of pork and little preserved vegetables. I only cooked this dish twice at home so expected the restaurant to do better than me at least. So it definitely failed- too sweet and the meat was too dry. It was not an easy dish for ordinary people but shouldn’t be for the restaurant.

Steamed flounder. Over cooked and not cleaned enough. Steaming is the best way to eat good seafood as I think. The fish was not tender nor freshly sweet(as the meat sweet not added sugar). Also they didn’t clean some intestine part of the fish, parts of the fish tasted bitter. Sigh... I really hoped they at least got one dish well and right.

So, me, never going back but you can make...

I love ABC Cafe. It's a great hidden gem in the Kansas City Area. I always have a great visit when I come here. The restaurant staff are all very kind and attentive. My water cup is never empty, and neither is my pot of tea. The dim sum here is some of the best I've had. I always order at least 10 dim sum dishes any time I go. The quality of the food is always superb, so is the freshness. Don't be fooled by the unassuming interior, or the small dining room. Every square foot is worth it. If you want some recommendations; first timers definitely order the pork buns, scallion pancake, curry beef puff and shrimp spring rolls. For those of you who are more adventurous, order the friend tofu skin filled with pork and shrimp, the steamed shrimp balls, and turnip cake. Make sure you do a round of dessert too. The mango pudding is creamy, silky smooth and delicious, the red bean buns are a classic dim sum staple you can't go wrong with and the coconut custard bun is probably the unsung hero of the sweets on the menu. The order turn around time is quick once you start ordering and you never have to wait long for your next dish. If you have thought about doing dim sum or are looking for a great hidden gem in the Kansas City...