Toys, figurines and cartoon posters decorate the walls of Ky Ans Kitchen, an Asian fusion restaurant in Sugar Land. Japanese anime characters Naruto and Sailor Moon watch over customers as they eat ramen and Vietnamese pho.
“This is perhaps a little glimpse of our personal interests,” co-owner Linda Lu said. “We just want to have a bit of fun here.”
The Ky Ans concept is to provide healthy, guilt-free comfort food from Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisines. Vegetarian soup bases are common in Ky Ans’ dishes while Linda and her husband, Tom, make their own ramen noodles from scratch.
Spicy ramen with shrimp balls and chicken is a popular special menu item ($11.99).[/caption]
“What we offer is how we cook for ourselves,” she said. “When you eat it, you don’t feel so sluggish.”
The Sugar Land-based couple, opened Ky Ans Kitchen in August 2014 at 11134 Hwy. 6 S., which is accessible via McKaskle Road. The Lus wanted a space that was convenient for area residents but admit the location does not have strong visibility.
“It’s very tough to find a landlord that will rent to first-timers,” Linda said. “Also, we had to look somewhere that [had] an existing restaurant setting.”
The couple sent out fliers when they opened the business but since then, customers usually find Ky Ans via word of mouth or on yelp.com.
Some of the more popular dishes are pho ($6.99-$7.99) and spicy ramen with shrimp balls and chicken ($11.99), the latter of which rates about an eight out of 10 on the spicy scale, Linda said.
The fried teriyaki tofu dish is served with rice and vegetables ($7.99).[/caption]
For diners with a lower heat tolerance, she recommends the miso ramen or curry ramen with chicken ($9.99 each). Linda said she and her husband initially tried changing the menu every few months, but now they want to keep the menu small. Tom brought his background in the restaurant industry to Ky Ans. After serving in nearly every position—from kitchen staff to waiter and manager—Tom said he wanted to call the shots.
Linda is a pharmacist but said the couple had been thinking of running a restaurant for several years. They are the only full-time employees, but family members often pitch in when they can, she said.
“We know that it’s going to be a lot of hard work and dedication,” Linda said. “I think, in the end, it’ll be rewarding.”
Ky Ans Kitchen
11134 Hwy. 6 S., Ste. 216, Sugar Land 832-243-1598 Hours: Tue.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Mondays
