passed down by their mother on

ï BEST S ï NEW RESTAURANT Salve The Osteria Kitchen

WRITTEN BY MARY ANDINO | PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN WRITTEN BY EMILY STANDLEE | PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN

The sisters at the heart of The Kitchen prepare traditional dishes using recipes passed down from their mother, Tram Nguyen. Since opening the restaurant in 2021, co-owners Mary Nguyen and Kristin Liu have stuck to its fast-casual origins by putting a contemporary spin on panAsian cuisine.

The sisters inherited both their business savvy and front-of-house charm from their mother, who was a Vietnamese immigrant and prolifi c fi gure in the Florissant community. Vuong and Tram Nguyen founded Chinese Gourmet in Florissant in 1984, and their daughters say Tram was the kind of person who remembered your order even if you weren’t a regular customer. The sisters’ aunt, Dung Nguyen, who co-owned Bamboo Bistro – a now-shu ered restaurant opened by Tram and managed by Mary for 10 years – is also part of the team at The Kitchen.

When Tram died in March 2020, she had operated Chinese Gourmet for 33 years. The Kitchen, a love story to her legacy, now stands in its place in the same historic building. “People are shocked by how much we’ve changed the place – how the concept is completely diff erent,” Mary says. “But they can still remember the same great food they had years ago – maybe it’s even be er.”

Consistency is a priority for Mary, Liu and Dung, and for chef Tony Le, who has worked with the Nguyen family for 23 years. This dedication to consistent, perfect fl avor has helped The Kitchen fl oat to the top of the metro area’s most popular takeout and delivery restaurants.

Another key to success is the balancing act developed by the sister duo over the years. Mary handles daily operations in the kitchen, the bookkeeping and the business side of things. “Kristin manages everything in the front-of-house,” Mary says. “She goes from taking telephone orders to serving tables – besides the food, the intimate, personal connection has been one of the things people love most about the restaurant. People are so happy to see her.”

The menu is thoughtful and varied; there are options for every dietary preference and need. “If you’re a pescatarian, try the Shaking Salmon,” Liu says. “Meat eater? Try the Beef Potato.” Many customers order classics like the Egg Foo Young – a fried omelet topped with housemade gravy and a side of steamed rice – and the St. Paul Sandwich – a fried egg pa y served on white bread with le uce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise.

As for the future, the sisters want to expand The Kitchen’s operating hours and tables to host private dinners – potentially in the vacant space at the front of the building. The restaurateurs see Sundays and Mondays as chances to collaborate with other small businesses. “We’ve been working hard to make sure we’re doing our mother proud by hi ing our one-year mark,” Liu says. “We want to walk well before we can run. We want to be sure we’re not spreading ourselves too thin too quickly.”

This focus on intentionality, carried over from when their mother oversaw Chinese Gourmet, will continue to be at the center of The Kitchen experience.

The Kitchen, 14065 New Halls Ferry Road, Florissant, Missouri, 314-831-9292, thekitchenstlouis.com MUST-TRY MENU ITEM: B f Pho The Kitchen’s traditional Vietnamese beef pho is made using bone broth simmered for 24 hours with Asian spices. A large bowl is fi lled with sliced rare beef and meatballs, combined with rice noodles, onions and cilantro. Garnish to your taste with the accompanying Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeño, lime, hoisin and Sriracha.