Noodles, curry, cocktails: Kansas City Thai restaurant expands again in Johnson County

After 23 years of sharing her Thai recipes with Kansas City, Malisa Monyakula has opened a restaurant in perhaps her most sentimental location yet.

The owner of Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop grew up in Overland Park, frequenting the shops in the city’s downtown since she was young.

“I actually fell in love with this location,” she told The Star. “I remember actually being down here with my family, so it brings back good memories.”

She opened her restaurant’s third location at 7921 Santa Fe Drive on Wednesday, serving beloved dishes like steamy pad thai and fried dumplings.

Customers also enjoy munching on the coconut shrimp, Thai cashew chicken and wild mushroom curry. Its Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai, a green curry, was the subject of a story in The Star’s Let’s Dish series.

“Our guests are enjoying my family’s recipes, my father’s recipes and my grandmother’s recipes,” Monyakula said. “I love being able to share them in different communities.”

The new restaurant’s sizable patio overlooks the string light-draped Clock Tower Plaza. Its full bar is serving four new cocktails — including mango margaritas and mezcal topped with pinot noir.

Patrons walk through the doors of the red brick building and are transported to a street in Thailand. Graffiti-style art covers the walls, lanterns hang from the ceiling and a koi pond sits in the center of the restaurant.

The space is intentionally decorated to also mimic the feel of downtown Overland Park.

The noodle shop took over the original location of Mildred’s, a local cafe founded in 1994 that moved to the Crossroads in 2004.

Monyakula is enjoying her space in a row of growing local businesses. Her restaurant is just down the way from Kaite Smith Soiree, Parisi Coffee and other favorites.

“I prefer to be surrounded by independent operators, independent concepts,” she said.

Born in Bangkok, Monyakula — nicknamed “Lulu” — moved to Johnson County when she was 2.

Using some of her yȃa’s (grandmother’s) favorite dishes, she opened the first Lulu’s in Lawrence in 1997. Three years later, the restaurant moved to Kansas City’s Southwest Boulevard, and later to its current Crossroads location at 2030 Central St. in 2009.

After opening a second location in Westwood in 2014, Monyakula is happy to serve the Johnson County shopping district.

“We are really trying to continue developing a brand and then give the opportunity for people who may live … further away from downtown,” she said. “Kind of a little bit more brand recognition across the board to get even more fans.”

Lulu’s is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.