Kansas City chef known for his hummus opens deli with falafel, shawarma, kebabs, more

Baba’s Pantry, a Palestinian-American deli, market and catering operation, has softly opened at 1019 E. 63rd St., just west of Troost Avenue.

Yahia Kamal, who is known as by his many fans as Chef Yummy, is teaming up with his sons, Omar and Kamal, in the new operation. They plan a grand opening in mid-July.

“We want it to be an experience. When you come in you are whisked away to a really cool place, like a local market in Palestine with all sorts of colors and aromas,” Omar Kamal said.

The made-from-scratch menu items include hummus and falafel sandwiches (with a choice of wrap or pita), chicken shawarma, kebabs, salads and sides such as fries and baba ghanoush. It also has lemonade, flavored with rose water, oranges and other ingredients; iced tea (both sweet and unsweetened), drip coffee and Turkish coffee.

A grab-and-go area is stocked with such items as labaneh, jumbo olives, Kalamata olives, shatta, and olive mazza. On the “pantry” shelves look for its branded house spices, saffron ghee, pickled turnips, and more.

Kamal owned a couple of Kansas City restaurants, then got into wholesale under Yummy’s Choice, a line of Mediterranean foods best known for its hummus. He also had a counter serving fresh Mediterranean cuisine at Cosentino’s Downtown Market.