Soul Foo Young, Las Vegas NV

Soul Foo Young

Crispy Fried Whole Wings with Fries

Hot Water Corn Bread (Corn Pon)

Fried Catfish Fillet Dinner – Macaroni & Cheese, Yams, Corn Pon

Bruce Leroy – 3 Crispy Fried Whole Wings, Veggie Fried Rice

Pork Fried Rice

Veggie Egg Foo Young

Chardonnay Cake

Brought to Sin City by way of Louisiana-via-Illinois, Soul Foo Young offers “Asian Southern Cooking” within walking distance of North Las Vegas, and in an era where foodies, Food Trucks and fusion reign while “appropriation” is scorned the Restaurant continues to garner high praise.

The brainchild of Artisha Hall and mother Georgia Harvey, a craving for “Midwest-style” Chinese-American Cuisine combined with years of working inside Soul Food kitchens yielding the concept in 2013, it is on West Owens between MLK and J Street that guests will find the small space tucked next to Uppercuts Barber Shop.

Not the nicest part of Las Vegas, though safe by daylight inside a well-kept strip-mall, COVID-19 precautions currently limit Soul Foo Young to take-out and delivery, a number of apps as well as the Restaurant’s website facilitating sales, though the latter’s efficacy is – at best – questionable.

At the current location for nearly three years, and only recently re-opened after a brief pause, it was minutes prior to the scheduled 11:15am pick-up that doors were found locked, a small sliding window revealing someone who spoke as though they owned the place quoting “just a few more minutes.”

Returning to the car, 100ᵒF heat necessitating Air Conditioning and wasted gas while a young African American man received his Food, it was finally at 11:35 that further explanation of the delay was requested – everything from an ER visit to “11:15 is only fifteen minutes after we open” used as an excuse before the wrong order was presented, and subsequently blamed on the “3rd Party Ordering system” that exists as ordersoulfooyoung.com.

No longer making Egg Rolls or Beef Tamales listed on the website, but finally apologizing with a complimentary slice of Cake, it was eighteen minutes later that Food was unpacked for guests waiting back home, Pork Fried Rice delivering a smoky Barbeque slant quite different from the usual Americanized Chinese.

Turning next to Soul Food, seven “Whole Wings” included between the signature “Bruce Leroy” and an order with Fries, a combination of Spices gives the Poultry good flavor beneath crunchy Breading, though dollar-for-dollar moist Catfish wrapped in fried Cornmeal was a more enjoyable choice.

A better Soul Food spot than most for Vegetarians, Soy-soaked Rice with Eggs, Scallions and Bean Sprouts rivaling sticky Yams plus rarely seen Corn Pon for Mrs. Harvey’s best sides, those seeking a real “reason” to go out of their way for this spot will find it in Egg Foo Young that comes an inch thick and properly cooked with saporous Brown Gravy, plus a container of White Rice.

THREE STARS: Truly a family affair, and proudly taking a unique approach to both Soul Food and “Midwestern-Chinese,” Soul Foo Young is a worthy stop for those in the area or fans of Egg Foo Young, while everything else save for the Corn Pon can be found equally good or better, at a similar price, without excuses and on-time.

RECOMMENDED: Veggie Egg Foo Young, Hot Water Corn Bread, Yams, Catfish.

AVOID: The failure to mention mushy Mac n’ Cheese, flaccid Fries and Cake that tastes like Boxed Mix with Chinese Five-Spice is covered here.

TIP: Currently offering delivery and take-out from 11:00am to 9:00pm Tuesday through Friday and 11:00am to 6:00pm Weekends, though that start time seems a little arbitrary.

WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.

www.ordersoulfooyoung.com