Fresh on the Scene

Joy Tea

Boba lovers are rejoicing since the recent opening of Joy Tea near Central and Greenwich. Here they discover the complete boba experience, starting with a full gamut of milk teas and fruit teas ranging from Honey Jasmine or Wintermelon Milk to Orange Lemongrass Peach and Passion Fruit Guava, and many more. But the choices don’t end there: Toppings include various types of boba, jellies, puddings and poppings, and you can customize sugar and ice levels to taste. The end product is a luscious, tall confection marbled with contrasting creamy layers or enticing bubbles and chunks. 

The detailed menu also extends to smoothies, ice cream, blended teas, sodas, hot or cold teas and coffee, including Vietnamese coffees. The shaved ice offerings are cups of chilled joy loaded with swirls, crumbles, fruit chunks and drizzles. If you’re loving the burgeoning boba scene in town, give Joy Tea a whirl.

For more information, find Joy Tea Wichita on Facebook.

Station 8 BBQ

It’s been a little over a month since Station 8 BBQ opened in the historic firehouse previously occupied by Jet Bar-B-Q near 3rd and Washington, and co-owner Alex Eftekhar says, “We are so excited to be open. The past few weeks have been great. Everyone has been so encouraging and supportive, thank you Wichita.” Barbecue lovers who venture in are greeted by a quirky dining room that makes the most of the fire station aesthetic with the addition of antiques like an old-timey, one-wheeled bicycle hanging on the wall, vintage lanterns, a brass fire extinguisher and a vintage sculpture of a fireman in full gear — all against a backdrop of massive arched windows framed in red trim.

The menu holds its own against the colorful decor, featuring fresh-smoked meats and sides made from scratch. Brisket, pulled pork, turkey, ham, ribs and hot links sit cheek by jowl with traditional side dishes like slaw and potato salad, plus Station 8 BBQ specialties: Smoked Mac, Honey Carrots and Cornbread Pudding. 

“The weather keeps getting better, and the dining room as well as the patio will be open,” says Eftekhar. “Come check us out, and eat some great food.”

Open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. or until they sell out. For more information, find Station 8 BBQ on Facebook.

Mokas Cafe

On the triangle of land in front of Wichita’s Advanced Learning Library, Mokas Cafe has finally opened. The floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with light and views of the surrounding urban buildings, while patrons fill themselves up with specialty lattes, nitro cold brews, frozen drinks, fruit smoothies, Italian sodas — and that’s just the liquid offerings. Breakfast is served all day long, including breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy. For lunch there’s a selection of sandwiches, from paninis to BLT to grilled cheese, and wraps such as Baja Chicken, Cranberry Club or Chicken Caesar. There are also Signature Salads, a soup of the day and a kids’ menu. All of this in addition to pastries and sweets such as brownies, cookies, cakes, muffins and scones.

The Wichita Mokas Cafe is the third Kansas location of the Salina-based chain. They gave back locally during their first month by donating 10 percent of sales from their 16- and 20-ounce specialty hot drinks to Wichita’s Littlest Heroes.

After a stroll by the river, a morning of shopping in Delano, or an afternoon in the library with the kids, Mokas Cafe is perfectly positioned — both geographically and gustatorily — as the ideal coffee, snack, breakfast or lunch break. 

For more information, go to mokasusa.com.

Stingray Cove

Springtime in Wichita means birds, butterflies, flowers — and this year stingrays and sharks at the new aquatic interactive experience opening at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Stingray Cove launches April 15 in the renovated Pepsi Pavilion between the Beastro and the Tropics building, according to Jennica King, director of strategic communication. Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to dip their hands in the pool and touch several breeds of rays and small sharks as they swim by. For an additional small fee they’ll even be able to feed the animals.

The zoo has a 5-year contract with Living Exhibits, a company designing and managing these installations throughout the U.S., with an option to extend that, says King. 

“It's really important to the zoo to bring in new interactive exhibits that allow guests to get even closer to the animals in our care, so that we can really build that connection,” says King. “This is something that's been really popular at zoos across the country. We have the opportunity to bring it here, and we're really excited about it.”

Admission to Stingray Cove is $4 for members, $5 for non-members. To feed the animals, it’s $2 per cup of food. For more information, visit scz.org.