Restaurant Review (Vegan Perspective): Blue Koi

Blue Koi. 10581 Mission Road. Leawood. KS. 

I wish that every restaurant had a tablet device attached to the table that allowed you to place your order and send the instructions straight back to the chef. I know I’m weird, but I absolutely hate giving waiters special instructions for my meal. I just get awkward. It’s like I don’t want to inconvenience the waiter or the chef. If I could simply type my order and text it back to the kitchen without any human interaction, I’d be in heaven.

In the IT world, I see jobs become obsolete everyday due to technology. It's only a matter of time before we completely eliminate the need for wait staff. I, for one, am totally fine and in complete support of my food being delivered via conveyor belt. 

Becoming vegan has made my interactions with waiters much more frequent, much longer in duration, and much more awkward. I usually spend a good couple of minutes discussing items on the menu before I even place my order. What has dairy in it, what is cooked in butter, can you remove the cheese from that dish or is it already mixed in, is there egg in the batter? And so on.

Hands down, the best restaurant experience I have had on this journey was this week at Blue Koi. Jason and I went with my brother and sister-in-law, professional Blue Koi diners and avid meat eaters. Blue Koi is NOT a vegetarian or a vegan restaurant, it simply caters to all guests no matter their dietary preferences. Many of the items on the menu are vegan (bubble tea is made with non-dairy milk), but my waiter assured me that EVERYTHING on the menu could be easily tweaked to fit my needs.

taro and coconut bubble tea

My sister-in-law and I had never had bubble tea and were anxious to try it. Our waiter recommended a combination of taro and coconut (this was not on the menu) since I told him I wanted something that was not too sweet. It was the perfect combination. I'm still unsure as to how you're supposed to really consume the bubble part - chew them or swallow them whole? I did a little of both, again, slightly awkward, but it was a fun experience.

We ordered the spicy chili pepper wontons as an appetizer per Bro and SIL's request. They typically order the wontons with a meat filling, but were very pleased with the vegan version. Tons of flavor, some heat, and a delicious sauce that we found out you can also buy on its own (I'm not sure if the restaurant officially sells it, or if our waiter was just willing to hook us up under the table).

spicy chili pepper wontons (boiled & vegetarian)

Although I ordered the Ants on a Tree, I ended up eating the tofu with black bean sauce entree. I sampled the Ants on a Tree, which was delicious, but was not in the mood for so many noodles. Confession: When I can't decide which entree I want, I convince Jason to order the other. Then, when both entrees come out, I determine which one looks most appealing and take that one. Jason obviously earns extra gentleman points for putting up with this behavior. Thank goodness he is so easygoing. 

tofu with black bean sauce & rice

Ants on a Tree

Down with Salads!

Lunch

I've mentioned before that I have never loved salads. I have had a few select noteworthy salads, but generally speaking, they're not my favorite. There's just something about eating a salad that feels, well, really healthy and not very fun. Individually I love the ingredients, but when they are tossed together in a bowl, it just feels like such a chore to get them down. Some days I struggle through, but some days (like today) I flat out refuse.

Sun dried tomato and basil tortilla

When a salad is not an appealing option, a wrap does the trick. I load it up with all of the veggies I would have put in my salad. Instead of salad dressing (which is usually fatty and full of preservatives and other junk), I use protein-packed hummus to add moisture and extra flavor. I assemble my wrap the night before and do a tight “Chipotle roll” in a square of foil. In the morning, I grab the wrap and hit the road. 

Red pepper hummus, kelp noodles, mushrooms, tomato, cucumber, spinach

When I pull the wrap out at lunch time, it's cold, crisp, and oh so delicious.

A New Adventure

I've never considered myself to be an adventurous person. I have lived my entire life within a five mile radius (probably less than five miles, but I don't want to sound too lame here). The friends I have today are the same friends I ran around with as a kid. I have not traveled overseas or taken part in anything (extremely) risky. My life has always been made up of routine and traditions, certainly a fine (and very safe) way to live.

Over the past year, the word adventure has slowly crept into my vocabulary. I have tried new things on my own and created a bucket list. Some of this can probably be attributed to Jason's influence. I mean, the guy backpacked alone through India, Nepal, Germany, etc. just for fun. But I have to say, the latest and greatest adventure has been going vegan! I never imagined that starting a new diet would feel like such an invigorating journey. There is so much to learn about different foods, cooking techniques, health benefits, and other cultures. 

This weekend, we made stops at our local farmers' market, the oriental market, the Indian store, and Costco (bulk produce for our juicing needs). We picked up some ingredients for a new recipe based off of a noodle recipe we found online. Here's our version:

Udon noodles

Broccolini

Red onion

Shiitake mushrooms

Carrots

A bit of oil

1 inch chopped ginger

Thai chilies (to taste)

3 cloves garlic

2 cups vegetable broth, mixed with 2 teaspoons corn starch

2 teaspoons Chinese five spice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup light coconut milk

Toasted sesame seeds

Sriracha (to taste)

-NOODLES: Cook dry Udon noodles according to package instructions. The instructions on our package were in Japanese, so we guessed about 5-7 minutes.

-VEG: Preheat pan over medium high heat. Throw in veggies and a little water. Cover with lid and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times and adding more water if the veg starts to stick and burn. Veg will turn vibrant in color and should retain some crunch. When done, remove from pan and set aside.

-SAUCE: Add a small amount of oil to pan. Add ginger, chilies, and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth/corn starch mix, Chinese five spice, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes to thicken. Turn heat to low, add coconut milk.

-FINAL ASSEMBLY: Add noodles and veggies to pan. Mix with sauce and heat through. Top with toasted sesame seeds and Sriracha and you're ready to go! Trust me, you won't miss the meat!