The Buddha would have us embrace ambiguity and complexity, and this pan-Asian food was best when it did the same. Our favorite dish was the from-nowhere-in-particular "volcano chicken." It was grilled perfectly so the chicken was still juicy, and the leeks and onions had wilted but not too much. The sauce had plenty of chilies and pepper, and perhaps a bit of black bean.
The original Kon is waterside, and must benefit from tourists. The new Kon, right next to the highway, is not a place that you would bring someone visiting from out of town. Kon's own take on Buddhism, featured on their Web site, is that we all have an inner emptiness that can be filled through an engagement with our senses. Chatting up a semi-regular we got the sense that Kon appeals to those who live outside town and want to fill their inner emptiness with sushi, but don't want to fight for parking downtown. There is enough to enjoy at Kon if you can free yourself from the desire for purity (in approach to Asian cooking) and striving (for something a little better) and just live in the moment. It's something the Buddha might appreciate.
Brian Duff can be reached at bduff@une.edu.
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