"We walked by JJ Thai about a thousand times before we had a meal here. And if you’ve spent time in Rittenhouse, you probably have, too. The BYOB on Chestnut Street looks a little worse for wear on the outside, but the inside is casual, busy, and complete with friendly, no-nonsense servers delivering reliably good Thai food. Plenty of the city's other Thai restaurants have the same lineup of items: mountains of spicy som tom yum, heaps of slurpable pad see ew, and fragrant pots of curries. But few places make these staples so exceptionally, so consistently. There are some surprising French cameos on the menu—steak au poivre and escargot, for example, both of which you can skip—but if you stick to the house special tamarind duck, soft shells when they’re available, and other Thai classics, you’ll leave happy. photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo Food Rundown photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo Som Tom Yum Shredded green papaya tossed with tomatoes, crisp green beans, and lots of red chilies. This is definitely one of the spicier versions of this dish in this town, but the savory, citrusy dressing keeps everything feeling balanced. Grab an order of the grilled chicken sate to go with it. photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo Soft Shell Crab In Garlic Sauce For a brief, blessed time every year, these soft shells are available. And you want them. They're crispy, tossed in a pungent garlic sauce, and served on a bed of just-wilted spinach. photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo Pad Thai It’s everything you want in a great pad thai: stir-fried rice noodles that still have some bite, crunchy chopped peanuts, and tender chicken, all in a sweet-funky sauce with hints of fish sauce, soy, garlic, and tamarind. Great for sharing, or eating alone a few times over. photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo Pad See Ew You’ll debate whether to get the pad thai or pad see ew at JJ. Bring enough people to order both. This one is super savory, and has as much crisp Chinese broccoli as it does tender pieces of beef. photo credit: Nicole Guglielmo House Special Tamarind Duck Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, all covered in a thick, sweet tamarind sauce. It’s rich, so it’s a great dish to share." - Alison B. Kessler
