Flavors of the Cup
Published on April 20, 2026
As summer arrives and world-class soccer players take the field in Kansas City, the spirit of global connection is in the air. It’s the season of discovery — of new flavors, new stories and new experiences that bring us closer together.
But you don’t need a passport, a plane ticket or a stadium seat to explore the world.
At the Lenexa Public Market, culture is served fresh every day. Our vibrant food hall invites you on a culinary journey — from the bold, soulful flavors of West Africa and the vibrant street foods of Thailand and Laos to the rich traditions of Turkey, the spice-filled kitchens of Pakistan and comforting American classics.
Each dish is handcrafted, ready to enjoy and rooted in heritage. Behind every counter is a chef/entrepreneur sharing family recipes, culinary artistry and a genuine passion for bringing people together. The menus reflect more than authentic flavors — they tell stories, celebrate culture and create moments of connection.
Explore the world one bite at a time — no travel required. New this year, our “Rotating Table” features a changing lineup of pop-up restaurants on the last weekend of each month, showcasing fresh local flavors in The Kitchen space inside our food hall.
We asked each of our chef-owners to recommend one dish for someone tasting their creations for the very first time.
“It’s fufu o’clock!”said Neba Ngwa, owner of African Dream Cuisine. “Yam fufu is a soft dough-like West African staple made with the original white unsweet yams, also considered a vegetable root plant. Yam fufu is served with egusi sauce/soup. Egusi is pumpkin seeds, which are nutritious and high in protein, garnished with vegetables like spinach, kale or bitter leaf with any meat of your choice. It’s meant to be a filling meal packed with flavor and all the nutrients you need to go about your day. Fufu is eaten by cutting the fufu, rolling it into a small ball and scooping the egusi with it.”
“There’s something for everybody, like our shareables — hummus dip, spinach parmesan dip, loaded nachos and corn dog waffle dippers,” said Madeline Davis, co-owner of Cardboard Corner Cafe alongside her husband, Chase. “Try a game, try a food, try a boba.”
“I personally love our Bacon & Blue burger,” said Lori Gardner, co-owner of Homestead Kitchen + Bakery. “It’s just the right blend of beef, bacon and tangy zip of blue cheese.We sell a lot of our jalapeno burgers, which comes with Zesto Peno Jalapeno Sauce that is made locally. Sweet and spicy!”
“I love our döner plate, warm bread with rotisserie meat, tomato sauce, and butter, plus yogurt and onion salad on the side,” said Sami Jenedi, owner of KC Döner.“It’s a classic. I personally recommend the German-style döner; you can get it on a plate or in a pita, with garlicky yogurt sauce and veggies. It’s fresh, flavorful and really hits the balance between traditional and approachable.
“For something comforting, the pesto chicken plate is a favorite. This gluten free chicken dish is creamy, served on Turkish rice with roasted garlic, caramelized onions and tomatoes. It’s cozy, flavorful, and people keep coming back for it.”
“We’re very proud to showcase all the different Asian flavors like the mochi donuts and a flavor we use called “ube” — it’s basically a purple sweet yam,” said Johnny Chen, owner of Mr. D’s Coffee. “The purple color is intriguing, but the slightly nutty and vanilla flavors are what captures customers for repeat visits. It’s a slow start at first but then once people try it, they love it.”
“Our pad see ew is currently the crowd favorite on the menu,” said Adison Sichampanakhone, owner of Saap Saap Noodles. “We waited a long time to launch this dish to perfect an authentic recipe. Soy savory, garlicky stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and choice of protein. It’s a taste of comfort food from Thailand!”
“To newcomers, we recommend our most authentic dish — biryani,” said Sohaila Humayon, owner of Sohaila’s Kitchen. “If the dictionary had an image for Pakistani food, it would be biryani. It’s authentic, contains a variety of whole and ground spices and is iconic to Pakistani culture.”
“It gets massively overlooked because people don’t know what the heck it is,” said Chad Talbott, owner of Topp’d Pizza + Salads. “It’s goat cheese, olive oil, caramelized onions, Italian sausage — fresh from Scimeca’s sausage company — a balsamic glaze and then apple slices on top.”