KCI Airport City Market

Nice Airport...

Barbecue, border wars, Bo lings. The three things that make Kansas City the truly above average city it is. As a lifetime Bo Lings aficionado, it is my duty to inform the people how this newest establishment in Mr. Lings culinary empire compares to the rest. We’ll explore this question by examining the key aspects of their signature dish, General Tso’s chicken: Presentation, rice, broccoli, chicken, sauce and price.

Presentation

Served in the same paper bowl as the $18 salad place you’re girlfriend makes you go but, anything to reduce the plastics in our oceans (did you know 80% of ocean plastic is from the fishing industry? We hate bycatch here in KC). Not up to the standard of Mr. Lings primary eateries but this is to be expected for airport cuisine. 6/10.

Rice

Not quite up to the “fresh outta the steam shower” feel we’re used to from Mr. Ling’s rice, but does put the Baltimore airport Panda Express to shame. 7/10.

Broccoli

Who eats this? -/10.

Chicken

The chicken… the chicken. Mr. Ling don’t miss when it comes to chicken. The man wrote the book one tender nuggets, and his latest edition is no exception. Tender, juicy, perfectly sized at 1-2 inches (or so my girlfriend says). 9/10.

Sauce

Mr. Ling was handed down the sauce recipe from General Tso himself while on his deathbed after a battle during the opium wars. It’s his legacy and, some say, the greatest export to ever come from China (second and third being gunpowder and Mao Zedong bobble heads respectively). On the recipe’s journey to the new terminal of KCI airport, unfortunately, it appears a piece of the recipe was lost while hitting potholes up I-29. It lacked the consistency and flavor that has become synonymous with Bo Lings. 7/10.

Price

For the same price as one 25 oz beer at the K, you can hop the North Korean border south, make your way past the Great Wall and have a true Chinese experience in the heart of your newest Midwest layover destination. 8/10.

The new terminal is a great improvement. Here are some of the restaurants (many are local KC restaurants) you can find in Terminal A. Dunkin' Donuts is the only one available outside security and check-in.

Soiree Steak and Oyster House
Urban Café
Dunkin’
Parisi Coffee
Martin City Brewing
Grapes & Grains
Meat Mitch
Smoothie King
Hearth Locavore Kitchen
Bloom Baking Co.
The Hungry Hatch
Jay “Hootie” McShann’s Blues Bar
Pigwich
Poío