Kansas City Mag
"If you go to Tao Tao Chinese Restaurant in KCK on a Wednesday—or any day of the week—an hour before opening, you might find owner and chef Annie Der feeding people who are hungry before she opens shop. Chef Annie wakes up around 9 am and begins preparing fresh sauces for the day around 10. She often continues cooking nonstop until 2 or 3 am the next morning."
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT & REBECCA NORDEN.
Annie Der, Chef And Owner At Tao Tao, Is The ‘Soul’ Of The KCK Community, And She Keeps Stomachs Full, Too
Chef Annie’s 50 years at Tao Tao celebrated with official city declaration and endless rangoons
The Pitch
"Ask nearly anyone in KCK what their favorite Chinese restaurant is and their answer will likely be Tao Tao. The restaurant has been a neighborhood staple for decades because of its owner, Chef Annie Der, and her quiet commitment to the Wyandotte community.
When Annie and her then-husband, Wally Der, opened Tao Tao back in Feb. 12, 1972, she had just turned 25 and didn’t know how to cook."