Nestled within the confines of the famous International Food Court on 19th and K st. is Kelly's Cajun Grill. On its face, Kelly's appears to offer a variety of "Cajun" style dishes such as Bourbon Chicken and Blackened Fish. Initially, the menu offerings did not appear very inspiring and I lacked an interest in trying any of their dishes. That all changed last week when I walked past Kelly's storefront and a beautiful Asian temptress (a Kelly's Kitchen employee) offered me a sampling of their Bourbon Chicken dish. The flavor burst had me hooked, and I ordered Combo. #1: Bourbon Chicken with Fried Rice and Steamed Broccoli.
The dish itself is simply amazing; the chicken had great texture and is saturated with the perfect amount of their secret bourbon sauce. As much as I enjoyed the dish and left the famous International Food Court with a full stomach, something seemed amiss. Did I just eat a "Cajun" inspired dish or was it a Chinese meal dressed with Southern style tapestry? An old adage states that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck. But what if it walks like a duck, but barks like a dog? Even though Kelly's doesn't serve duck, I argue to you--Kelly's Cajun Grill is a Chinese Restaurant.
My thesis, albeit controversial, is simple: Kelly's may boast that they serve "Cajun" meals, but evidence suggests otherwise. First, Kelly's is operated by Asians. Second, the menu includes popular items found on typical Chinese restaurant menus such as fried rice, lo mein and beef Bulgogi. Third, several items on the menu are labeled as "Cajun" such as the "Cajun Spicy Chicken," and "Cajun BBQ Ribs," but taste like chicken and ribs basted in teriyaki sauce. Despite all of this evidence, I still refused to accept that Kelly's is a Chinese Restaurant. The final piece of evidence which convinced me otherwise occurred about 30 minutes after eating my meal when I found myself hungry again...
To conlcude, the food at Kelly's is good, whether it is "Cajun" or Chinese. But one thing is for sure: Whoever this Kelly person is, he is definitely from the Far East.
YESSS! I thought i was the only one that saw this. i was hoping to get a Po' Boy instead I got Lo Mein and bourbon chicken. I became really confused to why it said cajun
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