Kim Sơn (restaurant) facts for kids
Kim Sơn is a popular chain of family-owned restaurants in Houston, Texas. They serve delicious Vietnamese cuisine and Chinese food. The name "Kim Sơn" means "Gold Mountain" in Vietnamese. The main office for the restaurant group is located at their East Downtown Houston restaurant. Tri La became the owner of the restaurant group in 2009.
The first Kim Sơn restaurant was started in Vinh Long, Vietnam, by Kim Su Tran La. After a big change in Vietnam in 1979, Kim and her family left their home. They traveled to Malaysia and then, in 1980, came to the United States to join relatives. The family arrived in the U.S. by boat on August 16, 1980. They faced challenges during their journey across the South Pacific. In 1982, the family opened their restaurant again in Houston's Downtown Chinatown. Kim and her husband Son, along with their seven children, helped manage all the restaurants. Kim also took classes at Houston Community College after arriving.
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How Kim Sơn Grew and Became Popular
The Kim Sơn restaurant offers a huge menu of both Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. On weekends, they serve a special meal called dim sum, which includes many small dishes.
Expanding Locations and Facilities
In 1993, the La family opened a brand new restaurant and banquet hall. It cost $2 million and was about 22,000 square feet (2,044 square meters). This new location was right across from their first restaurant. At that time, it was the biggest Chinese restaurant in all of Texas!
The restaurant's success led to even more full-service locations. One was opened in Stafford, Texas. Another large restaurant and ballroom, about 35,000 square feet (3,252 square meters), opened in Houston at Bellaire and Wilcrest Boulevards. Both of these new spots are in areas southwest of Houston that have many Asian communities. The company also opened smaller places in Houston called "Little Kim Sơn." These smaller spots offer a limited menu.
Awards and Recognition for Kim Sơn
Kim Sơn has become one of the most famous restaurants in Texas. It has received praise from well-known magazines like Bon Appetit, Esquire, and Food & Wine.
- In September 1995, Bon Appetit magazine wrote about Kim Sơn in an article about different ethnic restaurants in the United States.
- In October 1998, Gourmet magazine's readers voted Kim Sơn as having the "Best Value" in the Houston and New Orleans areas. (The New Orleans location closed in 2018.)
- In 2003, the Houston Business Journal named Kim Sơn the "best other ethnic restaurant."
- In 2002, the same journal ranked Kim Sơn second among the best Chinese restaurants.
Other Restaurant Ventures
In 2005, the La family opened a restaurant called Asia. This was part of the new L’Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In 2008, they opened another Asia restaurant. This one was with Boomtown New Orleans in Harvey, Louisiana.
In 1995, Allison Cook from the Houston Press newspaper called Kim Sơn the most important "success story" in Houston's restaurant world.
