Kim's Vietnamese

Asian food is one of my all-time favorites. Sometimes, though, I can get a little tired of the same thing, and most Asian restaurants in Topeka offer a variety of the same dishes.  In 2010, Kim's Vietnamese opened on 10th Street and at the time I worked for the Washburn Review so, I wrote a review.  I gave it a good review because it was different, fresh and tasty.

Now, the restaurant has moved to 29th and Kansas but the food is still exceptional.

When I first decided to check it out, I thought it was interesting because it boasted Vietnamese food as opposed to Chinese or Japanese, which we see all over the place in T-town. Vietnamese was new for the area. I was intrigued. (It opened in November 2010.)

Scrumptious pork dumplings

The menu features noodle soups, stir-fries and spring rolls. The noodle soups were new to me so the first time I went that's what I tried. The soups come with different noodles and if you ask the waitstaff to help you decipher which noodle is which they are more than willing to help you out. I think they want to educate people so they know what they're ordering, like what they're offering and possibly they will order it again.  The noodles come in a hot broth -- choice of what kind of broth -- with vegetables and herbs. Check out my previous review (linked above) to find out more about the noodle soup.

If you don't want to mess with all that, Kim's also has stir-fries and other dishes you may be more comfortable with. Recently, I tried the chicken lo mein stir fry, crab Rangoon and pork dumplings.

The new location reminds me a lot of the their original location with tons of windows and lots of plants and foliage. I don't remember seeing any booths, but the tables were comfortable enough. Each table is loaded with silverware, napkins, sauces and anything you may need to eat your meal.

The pork dumplings were inspiring. Inspiring in a way that I wish I could make them myself they were so good. Fried dumplings filled with meat and spices I couldn't even begin to describe. Hot, fresh , crispy and juicy I would order them again and again. They were served with a sweet and sour sauce but they didn't really even need any sauce.

The stir fry was good, with a flavor that was a little different than what I'm used to. I love that. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was different but I could definitely tell they used soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and some kind of sweetener, maybe honey. The noodles weren't greasy and they were just saucy enough. The vegetables were cooked thoroughly and so was the chicken. There were carrots, broccoli, onions and cabbage.

My only complaint is I think it would be better if the dish had dark meat chicken. It had white meat and I feel in dishes like stir frys, the white meat chicken gets really dry. Just a personal opinion, I know a lot of people who prefer white meat. But to me, fat is flavor and dark meat always has more fat. I understand if you're watching your waistline, so get this dish, it's got white meat. (haha). But seriously, it was still a good entree I would order again sometime.

I also tried the crab Rangoon, mostly because I just love crab Rangoon. I was glad I gave it a chance. Crispy, fresh and creamy on the inside. Plus, there were chunks of crab that you could actually see inside, unlike how most of the time you're not even sure it's there. Yum.

Crab Rangoon

Our waitress brought us a plate of cold grapes to conclude our meal. She said they don't always give grapes but she was able to get some on sale. It was a nice ending to a fine meal.

I plan to return to Kim's Vietnamese and soon.  Their menu isn't typical of what can be found in Topeka so if you're looking for something different but not overwhelmingly so, check this place out. Like I said before, the staff is willing to help you choose something you will like, just ask questions.

Hanover Pancake House

For some reason it's been years since I've had breakfast at Hanover Pancake House in downtown Topeka. I used to go there with my grandma for breakfast and lunch and I always remember having good experiences there. I decided to check it out last weekend and I wasn't let down.

The inside is what you'd expect to find when entering a pancake house that's been around forever (I'm not quite sure how many years it's been there). The booths were worn but clean and cosy. The staff was friendly and inviting and we were sat immediately. We got there around 1 p.m. on a Sunday and you could tell it had just been really busy and we were getting there after the breakfast rush because all the waitstaff looked tired but relieved Sunday morning was over -- at least until next week.

The Monterey Chicken Omelette

I ordered coffee and the waitress offered a choice of creamer -- regular, pumpkin, French vanilla and hazelnut -- I got French vanilla. What I like is when you order coffee the server will bring a coffee carafe to the table and leave it there. I like being able to control how often I get more coffee and how much.

My husband and I had coupons for buy one get one free omelettes so that's what we went for. I got the Monterey Chicken Omelette, which comes with chicken, bacon, pico de gallo and Monterey jack cheese and choice of bread. I got French toast, which cost a little more but that was OK with me. It's originally sold with choice of toast but if you want pancakes or French toast it's $3 more. It's totally worth the money for the French toast.

French toast. Oh yum!

The omelette was good, but not the best I've had. I really didn't like the chicken because it was quite dry. I ended up picking out most of the chicken, but the rest of the omelette was pretty good. The eggs were cooked well and came with lots of cheese and pico de gallo, so I wasn't disappointed with the omelette itself.

The French toast was the best part of the entire meal. I may just get a platter of that the next time I eat at Hanover's. The slices were brown and pan-fried-crispy on the outside and cloud-fluffy on the inside with cinnamon and powdered sugar sprinkled on top. I slathered on butter and smothered the toast in maple syrup. I ate both slices and wanted more. I would have ordered more but I was pretty full.

If omelettes aren't your preference, there are many other choices on the menu. From your run-of-the-mill breakfast platters to pigs in a blanket, Hanover's is sure to have something you like. Here's a link to the menu: http://www.hanoverpancakehouse.com/menu.html.

My only complaint is the chicken was dry, but it didn't ruin my experience and I plan to return and try something else. I mean, it was named Best of Topeka 2014 for the best place to eat breakfast for a reason.