Jade & Ember Munchery

Jade & Ember Munchery is a counter-service pan-Asian restaurant at 8431 Wornall Road in Waldo, opened in mid-August 2026 in the storefront that was Waldo Thai for seven years. Chef-owner David Suwanwisute cooks his family’s Thai recipes alongside Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean dishes — pad thai, khao soi, Japanese curry, Taiwan beef noodle, bulgogi, orange chicken — at a deliberately lower price point than its predecessor. His partners are siblings Donny and Teresa Lo, whose family runs Chinatown Food Market in the River Market; the name and the jade dragon nod to the market’s mascot. As of late August 2026 it is carryout and delivery only, with the dining room and a full bar to follow once staffing and a liquor license are in place.

Description

Jade & Ember Munchery took over 8431 Wornall Road — the corner storefront on Waldo’s main commercial strip that housed Waldo Thai from 2018 until its abrupt closure in October 2025 — and quietly began serving carryout in the second week of August 2026.¹² The owner is explicit that he is not trying to be his predecessor: “I am not Waldo Thai,” David Suwanwisute told the Star. “When people come in here, I want people to feel like it’s a breath of fresh air. Something different.”¹ Where Waldo Thai priced entrées around $25, Jade & Ember is pitched as approachable neighborhood food — “Sometimes people are just in the mood for a Pad Thai or fried rice for dinner. We want to be that place for our neighborhood,” partner Donny Lo told the Martin City Telegraph.¹²

The menu is pan-Asian with a Thai spine. Suwanwisute cooks his family’s Thai recipes — pad thai, ga-prao with holy basil and a crispy fried egg, green, red, panang and massaman curries, khao soi, basil and tropical fried rice — beside Japanese comfort dishes (Japanese curry, yaki udon, karaage, a “Japanese poutine” of fries under Japanese gravy, cheese, Kewpie mayo and furikake, and a curried mac and cheese), Taiwanese plates (three-cup chicken, Taiwan beef noodle, scallion beef roll), Korean bulgogi over rice, Filipino lumpia, and American-Chinese standards like orange chicken and Sichuan chili chicken.³¹ A small cooler of grab-and-go snacks and sweets, including the viral peach and mango fruit pops, is a nod to the partners’ grocery roots.¹

The name ties to Chinatown Food Market at 202 Grand Boulevard, the River Market Asian grocery run by the Lo family: a mural of a jade-colored dragon wraps the market’s side wall, and “Jade” carries that mascot into the restaurant.¹ The partners also plan to stock Jade & Ember grab-and-go items at the market.²

Ownership and history

David Suwanwisute is the chef and, per the Star, the owner; he is using family recipes for the Thai side of the menu.¹² His prior kitchens and KC ties are not yet documented.

Donny Lo and his sister Teresa Lo are the other owners.¹ Their family owns Chinatown Food Market at 202 Grand Blvd; Teresa moved to Kansas City in 2022 to help run it full time, and Donny opened Yoki, a Japanese-inspired gift and snack shop in the City Market, in 2014.¹²

The build-out was permitted under Savor Strategy Group LLC, an entity created in early 2026; the permit described a counter-service restaurant that would also sell related snacks and candy.⁴ The Star first reported the project on 2026-06-02 without a name; the restaurant opened quietly about ten weeks later and was covered on 2026-08-18, at which point it was carryout only, running 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. every day but Tuesday, and hiring cooks.⁴¹ By the end of August hours had been extended to 8 p.m. most nights, DoorDash delivery added, and the dining room and bar were still pending staffing and a liquor license.³² A 30%-off first-order code (WELCOME30) was running on the site’s ordering page as an opening promotion.³

The space

8431 Wornall Road was Waldo Thai from 2018 until October 2025. Chef Pam Liberda and her husband, GM Ted Liberda, left in May 2025; the restaurant continued briefly under new management and then announced it was “closing for an unknown amount of time” on 2025-10-01.⁴¹ Before Waldo Thai the space was home to Swagger.² The Liberdas continue to run Buck Tui BBQ in Overland Park and Muni in the River Market.⁴

Links

• Website: https://jadeemberkc.com/
• Menu (official): https://jadeemberkc.com/#menu
• Online ordering (SkyTab, first-party): https://online.skytab.com/c38adc010599d51cf95a3594d51e4ea2
• Gift cards: https://services.shift4.com/gc/JADEEMBERMUNCHERY
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadeandemberkc

Menu

Last verified: 2026-08-28 · Source: the restaurant’s own website menu (jadeemberkc.com/#menu, which mirrors its SkyTab ordering menu) · Confidence: High for items and online prices. Transcribed with the restaurant’s own spellings. Note: the Star’s 2026-08-18 visit quoted lower prices (pad thai $15, kee mao udon $14, Japanese poutine $11, curried mac $13, bulgogi $14, orange chicken $14) than the website shows — the site likely reflects online-ordering pricing or a subsequent change; see Open questions.³¹ The Telegraph also lists “specialties” (a smothered crab omelet, bulgogi) and kids’ meals that do not appear on the website menu.²

Appetizers

• Cheese Rangoon — cream cheese and green onion in fried wonton wrappers, sweet & sour sauce; 6 pcs. ($8)
• Chili Oil Tofu — fried silken tofu, house Sichuan chili oil, soy, scallions. ($9)
• Dumplings — minced meat or vegetable; steamed or fried, soy dipping sauce; 6 pcs. ($10) · Veg Dumplings ($10)
• Japanese Poutine — fries, Japanese gravy, shredded cheese, Kewpie mayo, furikake. ($14)
• Karaage — Japanese fried chicken thigh, soy-ginger-garlic marinade, Kewpie mayo. ($12)
• Lumpia — crispy spring rolls, minced chicken and vegetables; 3 pcs. ($10)

Wraps

• Scallion Beef Roll ($17)

Curries

• Curried Mac & Cheese — elbow macaroni in cheese sauce with Japanese curry spices. ($16)
• Green Curry — green chili and coconut milk, zucchini, carrot, Thai basil. ($17)
• Japanese Curry — thick, mildly sweet stew with potato, onion, carrot. ($17)
• Mussamun Curry — mild Southern Thai curry with roasted cashews, potato, onion. ($18)
• Panang Curry — thick coconut curry, bell pepper, shredded kaffir lime leaf. ($18)
• Red Curry — medium-spicy coconut curry, bamboo shoots, bell pepper, Thai basil. ($16)

Fried Rice

• Basil Fried Rice — jalapeño, garlic, Thai basil. ($17)
• Crispy Chili Oil Fried Rice — jasmine rice in crunchy garlic-chili oil. ($16)
• Original Fried Rice — egg, onion, green onion, tomato, house soy seasoning, lime. ($16)
• Tropical Fried Rice — pineapple, raisins, cashews. ($17)

Noodles

• Chow Mein — stir-fried egg noodles, cabbage, carrot, onion. ($17)
• Kao Soi — Northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup with chicken, egg noodles, crispy noodles, lime, pickled mustard greens, red onion. ($22)
• Kee Mao Udon — udon in spicy Thai basil sauce, peppers, onion, Chinese broccoli, jalapeño. ($17)
• Pad Thai — rice noodles, tamarind sauce, egg, bean sprouts, peanuts; choice of protein. ($18)
• Taiwan Beef Noodle ($20)
• Yaki Udon — soy-mirin stir-fried udon, onion, carrot, cabbage; choice of protein. ($17)

Stir-Fry Bowls

• 3-Cup Chicken ($18)
• Bulgogi Beef — sliced ribeye in Korean soy-sesame marinade, onions, over rice. ($17)
• Ga-Prao — minced protein with holy basil, garlic, chilies over rice, crispy fried egg. ($20)
• Orange Chicken — battered chicken in orange-zest glaze. ($17)
• Szechuan Chili — choice of protein with dried red chilies, peanuts, Sichuan peppercorn. ($17)

Sides & Extras

• Japanese Potato Salad ($3) · Jasmine Rice ($3) · Plain Fried Rice ($5) · Plain Noodles ($3) · Steamed Mixed Veggies ($4) · Taro Chips ($3)

Beverages

• Fountain drink 16 oz ($4) / 20 oz ($5) · Thai Iced Tea 10 oz ($6)

Sources

Footnotes

1. Jenna Thompson, “Kansas City Thai restaurant’s replacement is quietly open in Waldo” [headline paraphrased from the retrieved article], The Kansas City Star, 2026-08-18. Retrieved 2026-08-28 — Confirms: former Waldo Thai space at 8431 Wornall; Waldo Thai closed in October after seven years; owner David Suwanwisute and “I am not Waldo Thai” quote; quiet opening “last week,” carryout only; name tied to Chinatown Food Market’s jade dragon mural at 202 Grand Blvd; siblings Donny and Teresa Lo as co-owners, family owns the market; family Thai recipes plus Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean items; quoted prices; lower price point than Waldo Thai (~$25 entrées); fruit pops in coolers; hours then 10:30–6 except Tuesday; dining room and full bar pending; hiring cooks. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²

2. Joyce Smith, “Restaurant Roundup: Fareway opens with a splash while Jade and Ember test the waters,” Martin City Telegraph, 2026-08-28. Retrieved 2026-08-28 — Confirms: opening ten months after Waldo Thai closed; carryout and DoorDash only, dining room and bar to follow with staffing and liquor license; chef David Suwanwisute using family recipes; owners Donny and Teresa Lo (brother and sister); Donny Lo opened Yoki in the City Market in 2014; planned grab-and-go items at Chinatown Food Market; soft-opening hours (Wed–Sun 10:30–7:30, Mon 10:30–7, closed Tue); space previously home to Swagger; menu categories including specialties and kids’ meals. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Jade & Ember Munchery — official website (SkyTab/Shift4 site), home page with menu, “About Us” and “Visit Us” sections. Retrieved 2026-08-28 — Confirms: name; address 8431 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114; phone 816-895-0002; email manager@jadeandemberkc.com; hours (Mon 10:30–7:30, Tue closed, Wed–Sun 10:30–8); first-party SkyTab ordering and Shift4 gift-card links; Instagram @jadeandemberkc; “officially open” notice and WELCOME30 promotion; every menu item and price in the Menu section; “Waldo area” and pan-Asian self-description. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, “New Asian restaurant taking over former Waldo Thai space” [headline paraphrased], The Kansas City Star, 2026-06-02. Retrieved 2026-08-28 — Confirms: permit filings for a counter-service restaurant with related snacks and candy at 8431 Wornall; applicant Savor Strategy Group LLC, created earlier in 2026; Waldo Thai’s October 2025 closure announcement and CFO Scott Keithly; the Liberdas’ May 2025 departure and their ownership of Buck Tui BBQ (6737 W. 75th St, Overland Park) and MuNi (316 Delaware St). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴