FOOD

New life for KFC Eleven in the Highlands

Pad Thai & Firecracker Chicken at Yang Kee Noodle replacing Yum!'s KFC Eleven concept store at Baxter & Bardstown Roads

Jere Downs
@JereDowns

Yang Kee Noodle is coming to the defunct KFC Eleven concept store on Bardstown Road at Baxter Avenue, executive chef John Castro announced Monday.

Yang Kee Noodle's modern dining room at Oxmoor Mall. The fast casual Asian Fusion chain is opening in the landmark KFC Eleven store in the Original Highalnds  (By Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal) Dec. 8, 2009

The new location in the heart of the Highlands will be the third store in about four months that Yang Kee Noodle has opened, Castro said, bringing with it Asian Fusion favorites like Firecracker Chicken, Pad Thai and Filipino Lemonade. The fast-casual restaurant at1004 Bardstown Road plans to open for business in early 2016.

Yum Brands! recent makeover of its landmark KFC already needs some work, Castro said.  Instead of the drive-thru window, the new Yang Kee Noodle may have patio seating, he added.

"We've been looking at the property for a while. It has always been a gorgeous store," Castro said.  The result, he added, will be "one of those things that needs to be representative of the Highlands and Yang Kee Noodle and we'll go from there."

The restaurant offers "high quality, create-your-own stir-fry dishes at budget-friendly prices," according to a news release. Inspired by noodle houses from all over southeast Asia, the menu features Pan-Asian fusion items influenced by Thailand, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and China.

Yang Kee Noodle opened a second location in Middletown Commons earlier this year. For more information, visit www.yangkeenoodle.com.

Jere Downs can be reached at (502) 582-4669, Jere Downs on Facebook and at jdowns@courier-journal.com