Kim’s Kitchen

Consistently good food. Friendly, kind owners. Will drive miles and past other Chinese for the sweet and sour chicken. Pepper steak is tasty and portions are big. We will keep going to Kim’s kitchen!

I got the fried chicken because Unilocalers are going bonkers for it. The interior is small maybe 3 tables. Driving my takeout home it smelled like kfc. Opening it up and eating it… it tastes like the Nuggets from McDonald’s. So. I like mcds nuggets but it is what it is.

While my fiancé was getting her dress hemmed, I decided to try some Chinese food at this place that I had never heard of before. I ordered chicken fried rice, an egg roll and sweet and sour pork. Let me start by saying that the egg roll was the best part of the meal. The fried rice was also pretty good, it was cooked al dente which is the way I like my rice. I did not care for the sweet and sour pork. The pork was over cooked to the point where it was hard to chew. the service was great, they were super friendly and prompt with the order. I would definitely go backand try the fried chicken based on previous reviews and recommend this place to everyone.

We ordered the sweet and sour chicken and the cashew chicken. Chicken was grey. The cashew chicken had 4 cashews in the whole meal. The rest was celery and carrots. My friend had the sweet and sour chicken– bland and no real flavor. I’m sorry– but isn’t sweet and sour chicken… Idk… Supposed to be sweet and sour. The best part of our meal was the steamed rice. Yuck.

Fried chicken and fried rice: it works. The batter is decently thick enough to adhere somewhat to the chicken so that it doesn’t all fall off when you take a bite of the juicy, but very hot, chicken meat underneath. The fried rice is pretty good too. And for $ 5.20? Definitely worth checking out. Oh, and that’s for the two-​piece which is plenty of food. Only get the four-​piece if you’ve missed two meals at the very least.

So, the funny thing about Kim’s Kitchen is that even though it is a Chinese restaurant, it makes the most bangin’ fried chicken. So sometimes it’s advisable to just go get fried chicken and skip everything else. The batter is very similar (in an odd but awesome kind of way) to the batter on Long John Silver’s fish… flaky, tempura-​like, delicious. The chicken is moist and flavorful. You can get 2 pieces or 4 pieces with your choice of fried rice or fries. The fries are just OK. I’d go with the rice.
The Chinese food is pretty good, too. We like the chicken almond ding and the egg foo young the best so far. The egg foo young is among the best we’ve had so far in the Twin Cities… crispy on the outside, flavorful and with a delicious light sauce. I’d pass on the egg rolls… nothing to write home about for me, but we’ve been spoiled by the excellent egg rolls over at Golden Chow Mien. We do find for whatever reason that the food tastes a lot better fresh from the kitchen rather than having made the 15 minute journey home, so would recommend dining in rather than taking out. The dining room is small but actually pretty inviting.
The service is fine, nothing great, nothing awful. In all, a nice addition to the neighborhood and a really surprisingly great fried chicken from a Chinese place. Proof that you never know what you’ll get unless you try new things (and new restaurants).
One random tip: appears the restaurant closes for almost three weeks starting on Christmas day. So bookmark it as a try later :-)

I think it was the owner that came out with my take out order and was concerned about how I was taking it home when he figured out I was walking. He grabbed a bag and place my chicken egg foo young and my 4 piece fried chicken and was good to go! I love the egg foo young lots of veggies in it and the fried chicken was cooked very well and still moist when I got home!

I’m no connoisseur of Chinese food, but I can say the cream cheese wontons were hot and fresh, the egg rolls were delicious, and the chicken kung pao was good but nothing out of the ordinary. The chicken fried rice was a disappointment because it was served with cubes of deli meat. Service is great, and you’re not going to beat the price.

Kim’s Kitchen on Randolph Ave is the quintessential Minnesota «Chow Mein» and some true Chinese cuisine. I love both! Then they take it over the top with their fried chicken! I also am a connoisseur of fried chicken, and they have a version that is not to be missed. A bit salty, but totally worth it. I even go for the fried rice combo and drink a gallon of water. The combo plates are the (not-​at-​all Chinese or any other culture) chow mein of celery and ground pork topped with chicken, veg, etc… with gooey sweet and sour xxx, that is totally yummy when you need THAT version of «Chinese.» Then they do make an outstanding Chinese stir-​fry to order from the specialty menu that is also a crazy-​good value. The owners and service are family that cares about every sale. Kim’s will be on my short list of quick & cheap-​but-​good, take out joints.

Very traditional chinese offerings. we had kung pao chicken, beef with pea pods, sweet and sour chicken, and fried rice. Kim’s does not offer any Soup. Food seemed salty (especially before bed when we needed a few glasses of water). Fried rice was 1 star: over-​cooked and lumpy. Everything else was average. Nothing 4 – 5 stars. Best thing: it’s cheap.
MENU:

Starting my review early (we just ordered) so I can note their website that has their menu (I didn’t see it on Unilocal):
Very helpful and pleasant when ordering on the phone. It’s a very manageable menu and was easy to choose. We ordered beef lomein and friend chicken… I’ll report back after we eat.

I decided to go to Kim’s Kitchen after reading so many good reviews. Unfortuantely, I did not have a similar experience to those authors.
We arrived and there was a large party with several children (3 or 4) and the waiter was very busy with another diner. We waited awhile and finally he came over to answer a few questions. He did not know the answer (What is Egg Foo Young?) and left to get the owner. The owner was very kind and answered our questions.
After that, we waited another 10 minutes or so after deciding before being helped. There were only two other parties there (the one with kids and a man sitting alone) and a man waiting for take-​out. We finally ordered (Veggie chow mein, vegetables cashew, and sweet and sour chicken).
The food came quickly, but the waiter was confused about which food was which (one had chicken, the other did not…), but was able to figure it out and give it to us in the correct order. My chow mein was not what I expected (I thought it was be soft thin noodles with some veggies, but it was about 60% chopped celery and 40% crunchy noodles). I asked the waiter if I could change my order due to this mistake. He was unsure and got the owner. The owner was glad to help me and said it was no problem.
My roommate who had the sweet and sour chicken said her food was fairly bland and not that interesting, but my food was enjoyable.
The waiter came over when my roommate had finished eating, but I was still eating. He had fortune cookies and the bill. He hesitantly said, «is it too early to bring this?» and sat the bill down on our table before walking away.
Later, once I finished eating, I asked him for boxes. He asked me what size. I asked for 3– 1 quarts and 1– 1 pint. He only gave us two quarts, so I had to ask again. I was surprised that he didn’t take the food to box it up in the back, but I suppose that isn’t all that unusual.
All in all, the food was okay, but the (waiter) service was lousy. Perhaps this would be a better place to get take out from. We don’t plan on coming back.

This place has the best chicken in the Twin Cities. No doubt about it.
It’s a tiny little store-​front with two white boards worth of menu items. Avoid the one on the right. It’s typical Cantonese-​style food with no real life at all. I tried a few things on that side, foolishly thinking «why would I order chicken at a Chinese restaurant?». I now lament those wasted trips suffering through very average sweet and sour chicken.
*sigh*
Then, one day I tried the food on the left. I got half a chicken with fried rice and will never look back. The batter is light and flavorful, the chicken is tender and perfectly cooked. I’m literally day dreaming about it right now as I type this.
The fried rice comes in a TARDIS. You open the teeny-​tiny little box and end up with a plate full of rice. It’s amazing.

Personally, I think that this Kim’s is the best. The batter used on the chicken is a little lighter and crispier, and the service is much, much better!
My usual: ½ fried chicken all dark meat with shrimp fried rice and a side order of egg rolls
Word to the wise, although the small paper container that the fried rice comes in looks extremely small, it is a trick, when dumped on to a plate you will be amazed at how many platefuls are generated from this tiny magical box.

We are very happy to find such good Chinese in St Paul. We had been going all the way to David Fongs when we had a yen. Kim’s fried chicken is amazing. Even if all the crispy fried coating is gone before the meaty chicken part, it is still good! We love that the veggies still have a bit of snap to them. The fried rice is perfect & we used the regular rice (they are very generous) for rice pudding dessert. The owner was very nice, professional, efficient. To-​go order has been right every time!

It is good value. What I liked the most was the fried rice, it’s really packed in, not huge grain pieces, and it’s a better than average flavor. Other then that it was pretty standard fare. I was lured by the reviews to try the fried chicken and mushroom chow mein. I tried the shrimp egg foo yung, it’s loaded with celery, not much sauce, probably absorbed, and I think all establishments should separate the sauce for take out. What I got was a dark brown sauce but I like it lighter. Eggrolls are loaded with meat but not much different than most others. The owner is very friendly, and they are fast. A very small eat in area. I can see a visit once in awhile.

Everyone who knows about the original Kim’s on Marshall knows the fried chicken was absolutely outstanding. I never ordered Chinese food there, just the fried (broasted) chicken. Over the years, it seemed to change, but it’s not bad. I began going there in the sixties.
When I heard the story – the original owners opened on Randolph, we made a beeline. Yes, this is the best fried chicken in Minnesota. The fires are the original too. My friend and I called our chicken-​loving friend immediately. My wife made me get some that same evening. $ 5.70 for a half-​chicken plus fries. Can’t beat it. The Vegetable Chop Suey was also great.

Its a simple place, but the food is good. Had chicken lo-​mein and it was yummy — and got a lot of food for a fair price. Good value. Service was adequate. Its a small joint, and a small menu, but from my one experience while they don’t have a big space or menu, they do what they do well.

Okay.
Kims Chow Mein on Marshall and Cleveland. Been there? The current owners of Kims Kitchen were the original owners of Kims Chow Mein. The fried chicken and fried rice were the reason to visit. We ate there as a family at least 2 – 3 times a month, if not more. About 7 – 8 years ago, they sold KCM to somebody else who sold it again and now it’s operating with a completely different menu and the fried chicken and fried rice are awful. I’d been eating there because I couldn’t get it out of my system, even though I hated myself with every bite.
A couple weeks ago, I found Kims Kitchen. I called them up and I heard the familiar voice on the other line. He remembered me, too! He even asked me about my girlfriend — who has become my wife. It was funny, too, because his restaurant was where I took her on our first date. And now, we found him again.
Fried chicken and fried rice. There is no better combination. And there is no better place to get it than Kims Kitchen. For me, it’s like a lost part of my soul has been found.

Kim’s Kitchen is fantastic.
It is a lot of cheap, good Chinese food at a very cheap price (I recommend the Lo Mein). The service is quick, friendly, and makes you feel very welcome.
Kim’s Kitchen is a great, very informal place to quick grab a bite to eat for lunch or dinner. Don’t expect any formal-​ness here. It doesn’t have a lot fo tables, but since Kim’s is relatively new, seating never really seems to be a problem.
The only reason I did not give it a full five stars is because they charge for ANYTHING that is extra. Maybe that is how they keep the food prices so low, but it is still kind of annoying.
So, if you’re in the neighborhood and want something quick and tasty, stop by Kim’s.