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
His family-fried waffle spot is open for cheat day (but not breakfast); How Dennis Alazzeh played chicken with restaurant trends and won
Kansas City-battered Chick-In Waffle is expanding into Johnson County; its owner — a son from within Jerusalem Cafe’s founding family — gives the classic American chicken-and-waffle combo a global twist with flavors like Asian chili, tikka masala, and queso After slogging away in his father’s restaurants while in school, Dennis Alazzeh swore off the industry…
Theater’s $8.7M rehab set to bring Black Movie Hall of Fame, Black Rep to KC’s ‘cultural corridor’
A century after the storied structure’s construction, an $8.7 million redevelopment project at the Boone Theater in Kansas City’s historic 18th & Vine Jazz District aims to recapture the space’s potential as a cultural hub for the community — and a bridge to the city’s history. The long-awaited project at 1701 E. 18th St. is…
Ice rinks to skee-ball: Phase 1 of this massive sports entertainment complex opening in JoCo after 20 years in the works
Once completed: ‘You’ll come here for a three-day weekend and not see your car until you leave on Sunday’ With its highly-anticipated opening this weekend, a sprawling new sports and recreation complex in south Johnson County is expected to soon spark fights between parents over who gets to take their kid to the weekend tournament,…
Bill Nye: We’re all born scientists — most people just get distracted; here’s how the ‘Science Guy’ thinks critical thinking can make the world better
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. WICHITA, Kansas — Even with a looming (and divisive) election within weeks, the impacts of severe weather becoming more clear, and an increasingly uncertain future written within online algorithms, now…