Dinner in a decent yet affordable Thai restaurant serving Thailand’s culinary treasures, plus an instant discount upon booking? Sign me up. Inspired by the lively and intoxicating ambiance of Jatujak Market in Thailand, Jatujak in SM Mall of Asia presents delicious Thai food, a needed breather among the tastes of Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino dishes we usually have in most times of the week. With a great menu, unpretentious vibes, and a truly beautiful space, this restaurant in SM MOA is the definition of impressive. Check it out.
We visited Jatujak last Saturday after booking a time slot via the BigDish mobile application. BigDish is a restaurant reservation app that lets users enjoy up to 50% off their bill. Registration is quick and easy. There’s no need for credit card, reservation fee, and coupons to print. Just choose the restaurant and the date and time you’d be visiting where the discount is incorporated. Once reservation is done, confirmation will be sent through e-mail and sms. Show the message to the restaurant staff and voilà, you’ll get your meal at a discount hassle-free. 🙂
Review of Jatujak Thai Restaurant (SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City)
Ambiance:
Jatujak in SM Mall of Asia has its wooden and bricked walls artfully decorated with Thai scripts and memorabilia. The muted and subtle colors create a restful, leisurely family atmosphere. Housed in a cozy and modern setting, it captures the street-side appeal of Thai food and brings it home to the Philippines. Lighting is good and seats are comfortable enough for an afternoon’s worth of chilling. Jatujak is well-spaced and not stuffy. It’s your kind of spot to go for a casual lunch, dinner, or a last-minute date night with friends.
Food:
Jatujak’s Sampler Appetizer (PhP 215) is hard to turn down. It’s made up of shrimp cakes, fresh vegetarian spring rolls and pork spring rolls. Light yet full of flavor, this sampling dish is the perfect kick-off before the heavy flavors make their entrances.
Tom Yum Mixed Seafood (Tom Yum Talay) (PhP 290) delivered all of the yes for us. It is the exact combination of sweet, spicy, and creamy we want after a long day of playing adult. The spiciness is bold, brash, and not always for the faint of heart. It’s one of the dishes you can describe as an authentic and fully-realized flavor of Thailand. And that’s exciting. I especially like the natural sweetness of the shrimps as it really did shine through.
Vegetarian Pad Thai (PhP 200), made up of firm pan-fried flat rice noodles, tofu and carrots is the holy trinity of curing a hangover. It struck a balance between sweet and sour, with a hint of tamarind flavor leading the way. This is a good dish to order during the Lent season.
Call it Whole Fish Pla Pla with Garlic Chili Sauce or pla kao sam rod or god’s gift of eternal happiness (if you love eating fried fish), it doesn’t matter. The fish is perfectly fried and the sweet, sour and hot sauce on top made it more appetizing. Get this, or you’re going home having missed out on something exceptional.
I was surprised to see bagoong fried rice on the menu because I thought it’s a Filipino-style recipe. Thai Bagoong Rice though tastes a little different because of the herbs and spices used. Jatujak’s Bagoong Rice (Kao Kluk gapi) (PhP 185) has multiple sweet, salt and sour components which make up the spectrum of Thai flavors altogether on a single plate.
Crispy Pata in Red Curry Sauce (kaeng ped ka moo) (PhP 580) is an interesting coconut-based curry dish with a milder taste and aroma, a delightful twist to the curry we know. Interestingly, it’s not spicy and the creamy coconut milk masks the pungent smell of the curry paste. If you love crispy pata and a Thai cuisine devotee yourself, consider this a must-try. 🙂
Lemongrass Tea (Nam takray) (PhP 80) is so refreshing and delightfully healthy. It’s good for digestion, full of antioxidants, regulates high blood pressure, boosts metabolism and burns fat. We had it bottomless and totally loved the citrusy flavor of lemongrass, which is milder and sweeter in taste than lemon.
We had Sticky Rice with Mango (koo niew mamuang) (PhP 135) for dessert. It’s palatable, comforting, and just enjoyable as it’s something closer to home. The glutinous rice with sweet and sour mangoes can be described as a tasty antidote to calm your still spice-singed mouth.
Price for Value:
Thanks to the BigDish app, our pleasant dining experience at Jatujak Thai Restaurant in MOA came with a bonus (10% discount). Yay! Thai dishes here are a good steal for the prices and will not break your wallet. Serving sizes are good for sharing and food portions are generous. We will try another restaurant that’s featured by BigDish Philippines next time. With BigDish Philippines, getting a discount through the app is only a few button presses away.
To know more about BigDish, check out its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BigDishPH/ or visit its website at https://bigdish.ph/. Click this button to book a table now:
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
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