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Blue Koi

4 star rating
based on 23 reviews

Category: Chinese  [Edit]

1803 W 39th St
Kansas City, MO 64111
(816) 561-5003
  • Hours:
    Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
    Fri 11:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
    Sat 12:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: Yes
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: No
  • Good for: Lunch, Dinner
  • Alcohol: Full Bar

23 Reviews for Blue Koi

Review Snapshot   

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"…restaurant in the entire world simply because they have awesome sauce…" (in 8 reviews)
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"I love Blue Koi's dumplings and bubble tea, and it's such a relaxed and fun…" (in 4 reviews)
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"The crispy tofu as an appetizer was perfect and like I said." (in 7 reviews)
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Photo of Annie T.

Elite '08

28

119

Annie T.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
09/02/2008

Hands down, delish. I was seriously impressed with the service, tasty num nums and atmosphere. We did a late birthday celebration and I they brought me a tasty dessert on the house. Standard restaurant etiquette but hey, I was gratiously in awe. I'd highly recommend the curry, dumplings and oodles o noodles! I heart KC yelpin with the ahmazing Erin M.

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9

60

DL C.

Kansas City, MO

4 star rating
09/14/2008

Can't improve too much on what others have said. The food is very simply prepared and presented, so don't expect carefully constructed pretty plates. Prices are reasonable and the quality is top-notch. It can be very crowded at peak hours so prepare for a wait on weekend night or at the height of lunch hour.

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Elite '08

0

146

Rhett H.

Kansas City, MO

4 star rating
08/01/2008

This is a pretty great asian food place.  The dumpling are great.  The rest of the menu reads like an westport Chinese food restaurant.  That being said, what exactly does it mean to be a restaurant serving asian food these days?  Blue Koi doesn't really tell you much, and I'm sure they don't serve Koi fish here, but it doesn't really tell you which area of ethnic dining you're going into, so there really isn't a geographic cuisine focus here.  Nevertheless, for folks who don't like to be picky about that stuff, there is really nothing to dislike.  I have to say, the food is well prepared, hot, generous, and if you look around you might find some hot sauce and chopsticks.  A little pricey, but you're paying for the shwanky location and plush booths (if you get a booth).

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0

3

C W.

Shawnee Mission, KS

4 star rating
10/05/2008

First off, great customer service in an age where that seems to be rare.  Pretty darn good non-traditional asian food.  I sub the noodles for the rice when ever I can.  The blackbean chicken or tofu entre is awesome.  Chinese pot roast is good too.  The crispy tofu appetizer is a large portion, but good for a group of 4+.  The place has a good vibe as well.  I certainly appreciate having places like this in KC.

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2

51

K N.

Independence, MO

5 star rating
07/26/2008

How could you not like this place?
Every time I eat here I leave more than sated than the last time. The steamed dumplings are always good, tofu with awesome sauce couldn't get any better, and the vegetable soup with vegan broth always makes me feel better when I am ill. The tea selection is quite large, and no matter what dish I get here I always leave satisfied.

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7

44

Rachel H.

Kansas City, MO

5 star rating
07/07/2008

What a weirdo? What type of vegetarian goes into a Chinese food restaurant expecting a vast array of food and hates tofu? Thats like being a veg, going to a Mexican food place and hating beans!!! Don't listen to this woman!

I was vegetarian for 13 years and I have eaten good tofu and bad tofu, and this place has wonderful tofu. My husband ordered chicken and ended up eating half of my tofu entree! There is a dish with a black bean sauce on tofu with veggies that is TO DIE FOR!

The service was good, the food was above good, and I sincerely thank this place for being one of the truly vegetarian restaurants in KC that is both delicious and healthy.

Vegetarian with no tofu = snickers bar for dinner??? I have no idea, but as a former veg, I ate a ton of tofu... its part of the package... dont knock a restaurant for serving something you dont like.

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11

75

Carrie H.

Shawnee Mission, KS

4 star rating
09/03/2008

my first real asian food attempt in kansas city, and i was moderately surprised.  it was much better than i thought it would (honestly, my expectations were pretty low).  but once i saw the bottle of sriracha on the table, i thought, that's a good start.  i ordered the wonton soup, a bit pricey, but the generous portion and flavorful wontons made up for it.  the broth had just the right amount of flavor and the wheat noodles were just the right texture--soft but slightly chewy.  my dad ordered the chicken dumplings, a bit on the greasy side, and the sauce was a bit too salty.  otherwise, a really enjoyable meal.  will be returning to try other dishes :)

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37

70

Sarah B.

Shawnee Mission, KS

4 star rating
04/20/2008

I'm having a hard time rating this place...not because it has bad food or crappy service, but because I'm just not too keen on this type of food.  Since I'm vegetarian now, that limited my selection considerably.  I gave a glazed veggie dish a try with tofu instead of chicken.  It was then that I realized that I do not like tofu.  It's weird and gross.  We also ordered tofu and Awesome Sauce as an appetizer.  The sauce was awesome indeed, but again, tofu=ick.  The veggies were great, the tea was fantastic and the wait staff is the best looking group of servers that I have ever seen.  So...if I wasn't such a picky eater I would have enjoyed it much more.  If I wasn't vegetarian, I would have ordered their chicken dumplings because I hear they are phenomenal!

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Elite '08

20

81

Erin M.

Kansas City, MO

4 star rating
03/29/2008

I think I'll name my first born "Awesome Sauce."

I'm slowly but surely making advances in my chopstick training, but in the middle of my braised tofu with portobellos I had to dig into the rice with a fork to get bigger bites because it was SO FACKING DELICIOUS.  My roommate loved her chicken curry dish and we both had tons of leftovers (not that we didn't try to or want to demolish the meals).  The crispy tofu as an appetizer was perfect and like I said...I'm a little obsessed with the Awesome Sauce.

Blue Koi is such a cute restaurant.  If I liked bubble tea, I'm sure I'd appreciate the wide array of available flavors (tapioca pearls remind me of goldfish eyeballs--ptooey!).  Service was great, if a little slow at time.  The dreamboat of a manager who I tried to make lovey-dovey eyes at should expect a return costumer (can anyone get me his number?!).

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35

76

Bull V.

Shawnee Mission, KS

4 star rating
04/20/2008

I was a bit skeptical of this place when I first looked at the menu.  The wife and I were looking for something different for dinner, someplace we wouldn't normally think of.  So we decided upon Blue Koi.

The wife and I decided to share some shrimp dumplings as an appetizer.  What a wonderful decision that was.  They were equally awesome with the sauce that came with them as they were with some sriracha.

I had the roasted duck over noodles.  I had a bit of a confused moment because I initially wanted my duck served "over" noodle soup and I wanted to choose the pork noodle soup from the menu.  But the server corrected me after an astoundingly long minute of completely misunderstanding of what I was asking for.  What I misunderstood was that the duck would be made into noodle soup, so I would have duck noodle soup.  I didn't like the idea of that so, based on the waitresses recommendation, I had the duck served over noodles.

The noodles were fabulous and a wonderful choice.  The only problem was that I couldn't eat them with chopsticks and had to switch to a fork.  Asian food isn't the same when eaten with western cutlery.  The duck was very good but a little sweeter than I would normally enjoy, I'm more of a spicy sort of dude.

The wife had lettuce wraps and has been raving about them ever since.  I don't like lettuce wraps very much.

Next time I think I will just get 2 different types of dumplings as my dinner because they were fabulous and I can't imagine going to Blue Koi and not getting dumplings.

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4

24

Katie B.

KS

3 star rating
04/23/2008

I think this place is just okay.  The dumplings are amazing and awesome and whatever positive adjective starts with an a.  I love the atmosphere of this place, and love to sit right by the window to do a little people watch or make fun of people's parallel parking abilities.  This is a place I like to go to to show people that Kansas City has interesting little places all around to grab a bite.  

However, I have some problems with some dishes on the menu.  Their ginger chicken has huge pieces of uncooked ginger in it which is impossible to eat.  I mean, literally impossible.   You will chew for days.  The duck is always too sweet and overcooked.  There is too much 5 spice powder used on everything.  

But the noodles and dumplings ARE killer, so you should probably eat here.  But it probably shouldn't be your absolutely favorite restaurant in the world.  Unless it's your favorite restaurant in the entire world simply because they have awesome sauce.

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Elite '08

8

88

Alison M.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
02/04/2008

Oh, the dumplings!! I just went to Blue Koi's new suburban location at Mission and 435, and it's just as great as the original on 39th St. The Tofu with Black Bean Sauce is spicy and delicious, the house-made noodles are fantastic, and the Fire Bird (made with tofu) is super spicy and tasty. These folks know how to cook up some tofu! The Awesome Sauce, well, the name says it all. They have a great selection of tea, which is always a pleasure. I have had good service at both locations. Fantastic.

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Photo of Chongo C.

 

1

22

Chongo C.

Cleveland, OH

4 star rating
10/25/2007

Don't cheat yourself. Get the Fire Bird (spicy duck) and sub noodles for rice. It's 2 bucks extra but it'll be the best 2 bucks you'll spend that day. So good it'll make your toes curl.

Dumplings are good too. Tonight I tried a scallion pancake and it sucked! Whatever. Get the Fire Bird!

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Photo of Brenna O.

Elite '08

23

148

Brenna O.

Chicago, IL

4 star rating
11/23/2007

NOM NOM NOM.

I love Blue Koi's dumplings and bubble tea, and it's such a relaxed and fun place to go for lunch or dinner to sit and chat. The dumplings are made fresh and fast, and there's a choice of different fillings that are all excellent. Also I like the option that you can get a shot of alcohol in your bubble tea to make it a cocktail.

The only complaint I have is that if you are wanting something more substantial than just dumplings, there are very few choices on the entree list. It is also more pricey. I say stick with the dumplings and you'll be happy.

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5

22

Emily H.

Kansas City, MO

4 star rating
06/02/2008

One of my all-time favorites.  I might not ever have become vegan if it weren't for such gems as this one.
I patronize all of the family establishments, BK and Genghis Khan locations, and they really don't mess around.  
It is actually difficult to try everything on the menu because each dish I enjoy ends up being addictive.  I couldn't get out the door without an eggplant pocket for years.  I have finally broadened my vegan horizons quite a bit, but I can definitely still live on their appetizers.  They always have fresh ingredients and the flavors have a depth, that little extra complexity, that many other places just don't seem to get.
Say what they will about awesome sauce-- it is a bit too sweet for my taste-- but it's got nothing on the raw garlic sauce.
Whether you like things savory and mild or spicy and intense, they have something for you.  Blue Koi also happens to be on the hip 39th Street strip, great for an after-dinner stroll, cocktail, new book, etc. etc.  Just go ahead and plan to make it a night.

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Photo of Heather K.

Elite '08

19

48

Heather K.

Kansas City, MO

4 star rating
03/05/2008

YAY GODDAMNED YAY!!! THIS is good food. They have BOBA. I had mango and my partner had Butterfinger. Well, it was his first time having boba but I practically lived off of it in Vegas. I'd never had a chocolate version, don't recommend it. Stick with milk tea or fruity flavors. Wheeeew I need to get a towel just thinking about it. Take that however you want it.
I got a huge bowl of vegan tofu soup with glass noodles, tofu that actually had a flavor, giant carrots and veggies, and these awesome little tied up balls of thin tofu sheets with a crazy texture. It was fun. Really savory without the signature midwest over-doing it on the cheap seasoning like...table salt... flavor.
My friend got a ginger-y chicken and rice dish that was very simple and had a happy smell. I actually got his leftovers because he had class after, so I got to try it for lunch. It was phenomenal. Seriously.
Nothing bad to say. Loved the smells, the food, the background music, the staff was alright, though maybe a little shy?
I give them a bonus banana sticker for having a ridiculous selection of boba, AND for the daring.... you can get it with bourbon. rrrrr.... where's the towel...

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1

19

Madelaine G.

Shawnee Mission, KS

3 star rating
05/22/2008

Dumplings were not bad, though not as good as the ones I make at home. The jasmine tea was wonderful, and I think the restaurant had a nice ambiance.

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8

75

Scott D.

Kansas City, MO

5 star rating
10/27/2007

I've only been once but it's easily the best Asian food I've found in Kansas City, and I can't wait to go back.  The decor is understated yet exquisite.

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Photo of Rob C.

Elite '08

157

1003

Rob C.

Miami, FL

4 star rating
08/27/2007

This was my favorite place in KC when it first opened 2001?--the noodle soups were incredible.  After awhile, it declined a little but still excellent.  I may be mistaken, but I think midwestern asian restaurant owners often realize they don't have to keep their cuisine at such a high level and still please "the masses."

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9

96

Michelle G.

Overland Park, KS

5 star rating
04/16/2008

pork fried dumplings almond bubble tea and ants on a tree, the three things i miss most about not being close enough to go to lunch on 39th stree anymore, Blue Koi is AWESOME so good, highly highly HIGHLY recommend.

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Photo of Liz L.

 

0

7

Liz L.

Kansas City, MO

4 star rating
07/07/2008

i love love love the food here, but sometimes the wait for it is irritating.  the servers are usually pleasant though which helps.  they are very vegetarian and vegan friendly, have a great assortment of teas, boba tea drinks and some really yummy appetizers!  i'd say it's worth a try!

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Photo of cindy c.

 

14

189

cindy c.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
01/22/2008

i'm not a fan of asian fusion, but this place is yummy!  i come to KC once a year and this place is such a treat!  i got the braised pork with shitake mushroom in a noodle soup and it is delish!  can't wait to come back again next year.

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3

2

Personull P.

Shawnee Mission, KS

5 star rating
12/11/2007

Excellent food.  Excellent service.  I love the bubble tea...tufu with awesome sauce...dumplings...and almond chicken.

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