- Kim Son (restaurant)
Kim Sơn audio|Kim Son.ogg|pronunciation is a family owned chain of
restaurant s inHouston, Texas , that serves bothVietnamese cuisine andChinese cuisine .Kim Sơn was originally founded in
Vinh Long ,Vietnam , by the family matriarchKim Su Tran La . When the Communists came toSouth Vietnam , Kim and her family fled Vietnam in 1979 to Malaysia. In 1980, the family received approval to join relatives already in theUnited States . The family re-established the restaurant in Houston's Downtown Chinatown in1982 . Kim and her husband Son oversee all the restaurants with their sons Tan, Tri, Tony, Tao, and daughter Tina.The restaurant has an extensive menu of Chinese and Vietnamese dishes, serves weekend
Dim Sum and quickly became a success. In 1993, the La family opened a new $2 million, 22,000 square foot restaurant and banquet facility that was built catty-corner to the original location. At the time it was the largest Chinese restaurant in the State of Texas. A location formerly existed at 7531 Westheimer at Hillcroft, but it closed.The success of the restaurant has led to the opening of two additional full service restaurants. One in
Stafford, Texas , and the new 35,000 square foot restaurant and ballroom at Bellaire and Wilcrest Boulevards in Houston. Both new locations are located in southwest suburbs that have thriving Asian communities. The company has also opened as several smaller outlets in Houston with limited menus called "Little Kim Sơn."The chain has become one of the best known restaurants in the State of Texas and has received accolades from such prestigious magazines as
Bon Appetit ,Esquire magazine , andFood & Wine .In 2005, the La family opened Asia in conjunction with the new
L’Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino inLake Charles, Louisiana .Locations
Kim Sơn
* 2001 Jefferson StreetDowntown Houston (Houston , Flagship) Opened 1993
* 12750U.S. Route 59 (Southwest Freeway) (Stafford) Opened 1999
* 10603 Bellaire Boulevard (Houston) Opened 2006Little Kim Sơn
*University of Houston
* American General
* Union Square Food Court (Downtown Tunnel)
*Texas Medical Center Commons
*BP Building (Westlake)
* Cullen Building (Downtown Houston)Former Kim Sơn Locations
* 7531 WestheimerFormer little Kim Sơn locations
* First Colony Mall (Sugar Land)External links
* [http://www.kimson.com Kim Sơn web site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.