Ex KFC11 on Baxter to become Yang Kee Noodle

[Robin Garr]

Well, this is news! And, I think, a good fit for the neighborhood. This is basically the original news release, except that I pulled out a little over-the-top hype.

Local Restaurateurs Purchase Former KFC Eleven Property to Open Third Yang Kee Noodle
Louisville-based Fast-Causal Restaurant to Open Highlands Location in Early 2016

Yang Kee Noodle will soon open a third location in the Highlands, occupying the former KFC Eleven property at 1004 Bardstown Road. The Louisville-based fast-casual concept plans to start construction soon with plans to open for business in early 2016. Yang Kee Noodle Partners purchased the property from YUM! Brands under Good Karma Café, LLC and will lease the location to NJV Louisville which owns and operates Yang Kee Noodle. Justin Baker, partner with TRIO Commercial Property Group, brokered the sale.

“We couldn’t me more excited to be moving into this iconic location that is viewed by so many Louisvillians as the gateway to the Highlands,” said Dan Huckestein, Operating Partner for Yang Kee Noodle. “We think our local Pan-Asian concept featuring bold, exotic flavors will be a great fit for the neighborhood.”

The fork where Baxter Avenue splits with Bardstown Road has a rich past. Once the location of the Two-Mile House Tavern and beer garden in the late 1800s, the establishment served as a resting place for travelers passing on the Bardstown Turnpike to Louisville. The Yang Kee Noodle partners are committed to honoring this unique history by using the current drive-through space for a large patio area with ample seating, offering a contemporary twist that celebrates and maintains the character and tradition of the Highlands neighborhood.

Yang Kee Noodle is known for offering high quality, create-your-own stir-fry dishes at budget-friendly prices. The restaurant boasts a decade of commitment to variety, customization and freshness. Just this summer the concept opened its second location at Middletown Commons, adding new technological upgrades and a modern, contemporary interior. The Highlands location opening early next year will also feature these new upgrades.

Yang Kee Noodle offers dishes inspired by the traditional noodle houses found throughout a variety of different Asian areas including Thailand, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and China. The menu, developed by renowned chef and Yang Kee Noodle partner John D. Castro, consists of fresh, innovative ingredients prepared from scratch daily. Guests can choose from Asian classics such as General Tso’s or Chicken Lo Mein or create their own noodle or rice dish, mixing and matching fresh ingredients and bold flavors. The restaurant’s menu also accommodates a variety of dietary restrictions with vegan and gluten free options.

Construction on the Highlands Yang Kee Noodle location is expected to start next month.

Really happy to see this for any number of reasons. Well done.

Great news! I liked the beer garden idea for that spot, but it was never gonna happen. This is a fantastic alternative!

I can definitely live with a Yang Kee Noodle within walking distance!

Yes! This will be a great fit for the neighborhood. And I won't have to go to the 'burbs to enjoy their food. I can definitely see this going in to my takeout rotation.

I finally ate at the Highlands location this afternnon. I had hesitated due to very mediocre experiences at the two other locations not too long ago. I had the Green Curry. On a scale from 1-10 I'd give it a 3. The sauce has no complexity and the vegetables don't even have time to cook into the sauces. The Highlands location looks great Inside and out--great design and put together well. But the food, unfortunately in my opinion, is more for those who never really eat Asian food (read, Thai) and who appcreciate places like Applebee's, Qdoba, etc. As for me, I'll take my money across the street to Lo Que where people know how to prepare sauces and Asian dishes with more attention to patience and detail.

That all said, I wish Yang Kee Noodle good luck. I'll be cheering from the sidelines.

We are weekly (yes weekly) YKN customers and we have noticed that they seem to be suffering from growing pains. Overall quality and quality control are becoming less and less precise. We usually get lettuce wraps, sometimes there is a lot of filling, some times there is less than half a container, sometimes the lettuce is nice and large and easy to use, sometimes it's easier to use our own from the fridge. The Green Curry has been on a steady decline in quality for years. Gone are the butternut squash that made it so incredible, and the spice has been toned down to the point of not needing it's "spicy" designation. And sometimes a dish is just off. I guess it's the law of averages in play, but I will say that overall we've noticed a slow decline in overall quality.

BUT, we've seen this ebb and flow (at the original location) every time they have expanded. The QC dips a bit while the new place gets on its feet and then it shores back up a bit, although never quite back to the prime level. I will say that for whatever reason the dine-in experience is superior to the carry-out. Maybe it's just better fresh on the plate?

Thus far we have only patronized the original location because it's closest, so I cannot speak to the execution at the expansion locations. We've taken breaks from time to time, and changed our "favorites" to try other offerings and overall we still love YKN, but we have noticed some struggles.

(from professional experience, I would like to underscore just how incredible difficult it is to expand beyond a single location and keep the quality at the prime level.)

That's good to know. I went a week ago and was underwhelmed, but I'll give it another shot at some point. The crowd was light when we went, but it was midday.