Category Archives: Just opened

A look at Mooyah, which opens today

Nov. 5, 20127:00 a.m.

A “Mooyah style” burger

Today’s the first official day in business for Mooyah, a new hamburger chain operated by former KSN anchor Anthony Powell  and his wife that’s opening in the former Blockbuster spot at 352 S. West St.

I checked out Mooyah over the weekend, when Powell had the business up and running so that his employees could have a dress rehearsal. My first impressions of the place were good.

I tried a burger made “Mooyah style” with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions and “Mooyah sauce,” which was sort of like Thousand Island dressing.  It costs $5.25 and came with two patties and a whole bunch of melty cheese. Highly recommended.

Any parents out there will understand why this is an extra-nice feature at Mooyah.

I also tasted both the sweet potato fries and the regular fries but preferred the former, which tasted like dessert. The regular fries were good, too, but a bit too seasoned for my taste.

Diners walk in and fill out a burger ballot, instructing the kitchen exactly how they want their meal made, which is kind of fun. Also fun — the interior of the restaurant, which is filled with whimsical decor (light fixtures crafted out of old rulers) and a giant chalk board that will keep the kids occupied.

Mooyah’s hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call 316-558-5600.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Burgers, Just opened | Comments

Kimlan Sandwiches is yum yum yum

Oct. 19, 201210:12 a.m.
The Kimlan No. 6.

Last week, my co-workers and I took a Friday lunch field trip to the new Kimlan Sandwiches, the banh mi place at 1035 N. Broadway.

YUM.

It was so good, we went back again this week. Just look at the beautiful colors in that sandwich.

We tried the No. 3, made with pork that’d been marinated in a lemongrass-soy dressing, and the No. 6, made with sliced Chinese barbecue pork and topped with mayo.

Both were fabulous. The sandwiches are served in cute little sub sandwich bags with just the meat stuffed into the crusty French bread. The beautiful toppings, which include pickled carrots, jalapenos, cucumber and cilantro, come on the side in a tiny plastic bag, and the sandwich eater is responsible for piling them on.

Kimlan doesn’t have many side options, but we tried their spring rolls, which are giant and delicious, and they serve egg rolls, too. The best part — everything is so cheap. Our Friday to-go order, which included three sandwiches, an order of spring rolls and two egg rolls, was just $15.

Kimlan has altered its hours slightly since opening. They’renow open from1 0 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

Me with two of my conversants, Tim McKee, center, and Tad Patton.

Incidentally, I gave Kimlan and my other favorite Vietnamese restaurants lots of lavish praise at last night’s Great Conversation, a neat event put on by Friends University. It was at the Wichita Scottish Rite, and it included a catered dinner served to about 15 tables of 10 people each. The tables all had moderators and assigned topics, and those assembled at the tables spent a couple of hours conversing about the topic.

I was the moderator at my table, where the topic was dining out in Wichita. I met several nice people, including a trio of lawyers and their wives from the law firm of Triplett, Woolf & Garretson, LLC. I’ve now been invited to their office Thanskgiving lunch, where they promise me a hunk of homemade goat cheese. Now THAT was a conversation worth having.

The Great Conversation is an annual event, so look for it again next year.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Just opened, Vietnamese food | Comments

Now open: Public at the Brickyard

Oct. 11, 20124:56 p.m.

Former high school buddies Drew Thompson and Travis Russell have just opened their new restaurant, called Public at the Brickyard at 129 N. Rock Island in Old Town, in the building adjacent to the Brickyard bar.

I popped in yesterday to grab a menu and take a look around, and the space was big, open and clean with an inviting bar and several interesting beers on tap.

The menu looks interesting, too, and features items such as homemade pickles, a panini made with bacon, tomato marmalade, basil and brie, plus brisket tacos and several pizzas, including one topped with corn, red onions, vegetables, mozzarella and cheddar on rosemary dough.

So far, owners say, their bison sliders are the most popular item on the menu.

A picture of Public's pizza, pickles, pumpkins an a pint.

The guys are putting a little Oktoberfest event starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, which will take place on the Brickyard’s outdoor patio.

For $5 at the door, attendees will get two drink tickets for Oktoberfest beers and a German-style brat from Yoder meats. Musician Aaron Lee Martin will perform at 3 p.m.

Public’s regular hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. For more information, call 316-263-4044.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Beer, Just opened | Comments

A look at the Kimlan Sandwiches menu

Oct. 9, 20123:05 p.m.

It’s open! It’s open!

Kimlan Sandwiches, the new banh mi place at 1035 N. Broadway, is now open and serving a big menu of Vietnamese sandwiches, stuffed with bbq pork, meatballs, ham, headcheese, veggies and more.

(My co-worker is calling it “Middle Saigon,” a nod to its location in between Saigon at 1103 N. Broadway and Little Saigon at 1015 N. Broadway.)

I dropped by to pick up a menu today, which you can see here. The menu has 15 different sandwiches, and all include pickled carrots, jalapeno, cilantro, cucumber and mayo. The best part: They all cost between $3.50 and $3.75.

The restaurant also has a daily stir-fry lunch, which is available with fried rice, lo mein and an egg roll for $5.50. There are also spring rolls, puddings, boba tea, and cafe sua da, which is iced French coffee.

The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. For more information, call 316-558-5137.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Just opened, Vietnamese food | Comments

A new Italian restaurant for downtown

Oct. 8, 201211:18 a.m.

Bravos opened late last week at 217 E. Douglas.

Downtown workers and dwellers can now partake in Italian feasts with relative ease.

Bravos opened Thursday in the space at 217 E. Douglas, which has been occupied in recent years by a long string of restaurants, including Holy land Mediterranean Grill, Onyx Bistro and DK Kitchen.

Owner Kas Zendeli recently closed his Bravo’s Italiani in Valley Center. He previously owned Italian Bistro, which was open for just a few months last year at Market Centre, First and Market downtown.

The menu includes pastas, pizzas, hot subs, chicken dishes and more. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Zendeli is working on getting a liquor license but it could take several weeks. Once he gets it, Bravos will offer wine and beer. Daily lunch specials will be offered soon, too.

For more information, call 316-440-3359.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Italian food, Just opened | Comments

Now open: Villar’s Mexico Cafe

Sept. 12, 20122:12 p.m.

William Villar just opened Villar's Mexico Cafe at 1860 S. Hillside.

William Villar, who already owns Mexico Cafe Delano at 555 W. Douglas, on Tuesday opened his new Villar’s Mexico Cafe in the building at 1860 S. Hillside where his family operated a restaurant from 1970 to 1990. (The location most recently housed a Chinese restaurant.)

His brother, Ben, and Ben’s wife, Kim, will manage the place. They had Ben Villar’s Mexican Restaurant at 1930 S. Oliver until it closed in June.

William helped re-open El Mexico  at 2544 S. Seneca back in 2008. But he left that restaurant after a falling out with partner Brent Helm. Over the years, the Villar family has had a hand in 15 Mexican restaurants around town.

The new restaurant specializes in famous Villar family recipes such as deluxe burritos, special Monterreys and flour tacos.  It will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call 316-686-1070.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Just opened, Mexican food, Uncategorized | Comments

Gindi now specializes in Asian burgers

Aug. 28, 20124:48 p.m.

Gindi, the Asian food/ sushi place at 7010 W. 21st St. N. that opened in January of 2009, has a new owner — and a new concept.

Phillip Say said he recently bought the restaurant from Roungaroon “Lou” Kumgool, who opened Dawn Thai Steakhouse & Sushi Bar at 1220 N. Rock Road in Derby earlier this year.  He’s changed the name, slightly, to Gindi Asian Gourmet Burgers, and he’s populated the menu with burgers made with Asian flavors and toppings. Monday was his first day executing the new concept.

Say has kept a few of the Thai dishes and sushi items previously available at Gindi, but he wants customers to try his Asian burger concept. He makes his own buns and makes his patties from fresh beef, topping them with ingredients such as wasabi, kimchi, cilantro, green onions, fried eggs, Sriacha sauce and more. He also has salmon burgers and serves fries. The burgers average around $5, he said.

Say is a little concerned that people won’t know that the concept has changed, since the name and signage remain mostly unchanged, and will miss out on trying his Asian burgers, popular in the big city but unknown here, he said.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call 316-729-5855.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under Asian food, Just opened, New owners | Comments

Wichita’s newest “food truck” serves coffee

Aug. 20, 201210:09 a.m.

Warren and Ann Tandoc, owners of Espresso To Go Go

I’m pretty excited about the newest food truck in Wichita, even though it doesn’t serve food.

Warren and Ann Tandoc have just opened Espresso To Go Go, a coffee shop on wheels that will travel around Wichita just like The Flying Stove. 

This is the couple’s second week in business. The shop operates out of a giant 1973 Airstream Land Yacht that the Tandocs purchased and remodeled. They invited me aboard this morning, and it’s a pretty awesome inside, too.

Warren Tandoc opened Tanya’s Soup Kitchen with his sister, Tanya Tandoc, in March of 2011.

But the two parted ways shortly after the business opened. Warren and Ann say they’ve always wanted to work together, they said, and Warren has experience working in coffee shops in Lawrence and Overland Park.

They’re serving a menu that includes Vietnamese coffee, lattes, espresso and more. At the moment, I’m sipping on a delicious iced coffee I purchased this morning from the truck, which was parked in the lot at Ruben’s Mexican Grill, 520 W. Douglas.

The Tandocs are getting all their coffee from The Spice Merchant.

Like The Flying Stove, Espresso To Go Go will update its location on its Facebook page each day.

They’re only working through Wednesday of this week because they’re having some graphic elements added to the trailer later in the week.

On Tuesday, they’ll be at Wilson Estates at 8621 E. 21st St. from 8 to 1 p.m. On Wednesday, they’ll open in front of the old Tommy’s at 2121 N. Tyler Road from 8 to 1 p.m.

For more information, call 316-708-1990.

By Denise Neil | Filed under Coffee, Food trucks, Just opened | Comments

Now open: Anna Murdoc’s Cafe

July 24, 201210:45 a.m.

Correction: An earlier version of the post misspelled Rodriguez.

Downtown workers have a new spot to stop for breakfast and lunch. Anna Murdoc’s Cafe opened a little more than a week ago in the space that previously held the Daily Grind in Sutton Place at 209 E. William.

The cafe is owned by the Rodriguez family, who also have The Red Barn at Lake Afton. It’s run mainly by Gerard Rodriguez, and the attractive new awnings feature a sketch of Gerard’s children – Annalisa, Angelina (whose nickname is Murdoc), and Jack.

Rodriguez, who is a trained pastry and sushi chef, helped put together a menu for Anna Murdoc’s that includes breakfast items such as burritos and biscuits and gravy, plus salads and sandwiches. The cafe also offers a daily special. Today’s, for example, is an open faced roast beef sandwich with green beans. On Fridays, they offer Red Barn barbecue. Lasagna and smothered burritos also are on the rotating specials list.

I stopped by this morning and was impressed by how pretty and big-city the cafe looked. It includes a nice outdoor patio, perfect for people watching. It has another big-city problem, too, in that parking on William and the surrounding blocks is hard to find, though Gerard’s sister, Belle, who was working this morning, says that the parking police are lenient with people who pull into the 15-minute loading zone in front of the restaurant to pick up to-go orders. The bulk of their business so far, she said, has come from the nearby Finney State Office Building.

Anna Murdoc’s hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 316-771-5051.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Breakfast, Just opened, Lunch | Comments

Now open: Jade Garden Cafe

June 26, 20124:13 p.m.

Jade Garden Cafe is the newest tenant in the building at 206 E. Kellogg that’s recently housed Cathy’s Diner, Lili Mae’s and R&S BBQ.

The restaurant, which is visible from Kellogg, opened last week and is owned by Kwai Tam. He’s serving breakfast such as pancakes, waffles and omelets plus Chinese specialties for lunch and dinner. You can see the full menu here.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 316-265-8806.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Chinese food, Just opened | Comments