Dining With Denise Neil

A new Wichita restaurant will offer Vietnamese, Chinese fare in a sports bar atmosphere

Vietnamese and Chinese food will be served in a sports bar atmosphere when Kim’s Noodles Bar & Grill opens in south Wichita.
Vietnamese and Chinese food will be served in a sports bar atmosphere when Kim’s Noodles Bar & Grill opens in south Wichita.

A new restaurant is about to take over the space at 10909 E. Harry that’s been vacant since Outskirtz Bar & Grill closed a year ago.

Kim Chi — the originator and previous owner of Wichita Vietnamese restaurants Pho MC and Pho KC — has teamed up with her nephew, Bao Hoang Le, and plans to open a new restaurant in the space called Kim’s Noodles Bar & Grill.

Le said that the restaurant — which should open soon — will have a different approach than Wichita is used to. It’ll serve Vietnamese fare like pho, vermicelli bowls (bun) and rice dishes as well as Chinese fare like lo mein, sesame chicken and fried rice. But the restaurant will have a bar-and-grill feel, will serve alcohol and have television sets showing sports.

“We shopped around a lot, and this space has a bar,” he said. “We’re just trying to introduce a new thing. We’re trying to make it almost like a sports bar.”

Le, who has worked in his aunt’s restaurants over the years, said that they’ve completely renovated the inside of the space, which before Outskirtz was the longtime home of Mojoe’s Grill & Bar.

He said his aunt, who sold both of her previous restaurants, was ready to return to a restaurant kitchen.

“She wanted to get back in the business, and as family, I’m just here to help out,” he said.

The pair is hoping to open the restaurant very soon, Le said, but he was not ready to publicly commit to a date. It will definitely be ready before the end of the month. Once open, its hours will be 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily.

This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 10:34 AM.

Denise Neil
The Wichita Eagle
Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.
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