First look: Chef behind Strang Hall favorite Anousone brings his popular Laotian fare downtown
March 19, 2024 | Startland News Staff
A new menu option at the Strang Chef Collective at lightwell hits familiar flavors for diners who already have fallen in love with renowned Chef Anourom Thomson’s Southeast Asian-inspired comfort food, said Shawn Craft.
Anousone at Strang Chef Collective at lightwell; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Anousone — a popular staple with the Strang Hall food hall concept in downtown Overland Park — has opened a new location within lightwell’s Strang pocket restaurant space. It joins Panacea, a New American bistro, in the two-concept, 4,805-square-foot food and beverage setup, which features additional outdoor seating along Main Street in downtown Kansas City.
“We know that the Central Business District is hungry for fast-casual lunch options that are also chef and season-driven,” said Craft, CEO of Strang Chef Collective. “It was a no-brainer to expand this popular concept into multiple locations.”
Anousone’s menu draws from Laotian-born Thomson’s journey as a refugee who found solace in his mother’s home cooking, according to Strang Chef Collective. The eatery provides a unique blend of flavors that pay homage to Laotian cuisine while incorporating Thomson’s extensive experience in American fare.
Click here to check out what’s cooking at Anousone.
“I am thrilled to announce the grand opening of our new restaurant at Strang Chef Collective at lightwell,” Thomson said in a press release. “This additional location will feature customer-approved dishes that meet our high-quality standards and reflect our commitment to providing an exceptional dining experience for busy professionals.”
The new space opened March 11.
Chef Anourom Thomson, Anousone
Strang Chef Collectives — a platform for local culinary talent and food entrepreneurs to showcase their skills and provide authentic chef-driven experiences — has locations in Downtown Overland Park, Downtown Kansas City, and the historic Country Club Plaza.
RELATED: Plaza’s two-floor, chef-driven food hall and late-night hangout now open
Thomson first launched Anousone’s Mobile Cuisine in 2017 within the Little Piggy food truck hub on Southwest Boulevard.
At Strang Hall, he has been an inspiration for his fellow chefs, which notably include his former sous chef Chris Jones — who now runs Khai-Noy, a Southeast Asian within Strang’s Plaza location — and Chef Ameet Malhotra — who recently opened Elephant Wings at Parlor KC in the Crossroads.
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
It’s OK to open with joy: How two moms’ dreams just launched twin shops on Brookside-Waldo border
Two women, longtime friends, have similar entrepreneur origin stories. Now they have side-by-side shops in a bustling neighborhood shopping district. The twin storefronts — Bramble & Stem led by Katherine (Brambl) Taylor; and Blue Sky Art + Home from hometown artist Leslie Beck — come as the mothers-turned-business owners pivot from freelancing to full-time entrepreneurship.…
Tiki Taco plans to double its restaurant count in 2025, starting at one busy Olathe corner
A rapidly scaling taco spot with a trio of locations across the metro is adding an Olathe restaurant this March. Four more Kansas City-area eateries are already in the works with the partners at Tiki Taco hungry for regional expansion — even if it isn’t yet on the table. “I’m stoked,” said Richard Wiles, one…
$11.2M+ awarded: 53 orgs tapped for first-ever tranche of Kauffman capacity building grants
A new grantmaking strategy from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is manifesting through an inaugural round of funding to local and outside organizations whose work supports the priorities of college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship. The Kauffman Foundation on Monday announced its first tranche of grants — totaling more than $11.2…
Kansas City company becomes the gameday go-to collaborator for celebrity-jammed events
Teaming up with the Eighty-Seven and Running Foundation for events — like the recent Kelce Car Jam in the Crossroads — is an incredible opportunity for Kansas City’s Platinum XP to showcase its capabilities and build a reputation as a top creative collaborator, said Lauren Rios. “Platinum XP has the opportunity to work with many…