Glenn C.
Yelp
Side notes- Rare Thai place that provides rice for free. Also, they have 400+ 5-star reviews on a "certain search engine," so you might want to make a reservation as the spot is tiny.
From the Kaew Jao Jorm folks, Jan Jao Kha is a newer Thai spot that I went to very recently with one of my usual groups. They are north of many of the other Hell's Kitchen Thai restaurants, and I hope they do well. The place is small, with very friendly service, and while it's not the spiciest spot for Thai, they make up for it with amped-up flavors. I didn't bother with a drink, though someone else enjoyed their Thai iced tea.
The first thing to arrive was the Thai Mackerel Fried Rice for $25 with Thai mackerel, onion, scallion, tomatoes, and Chinese broccoli, mixed with rice. This had the mildest flavors of the dishes we ordered, but was still tasty, with many mackerel pieces throughout the rice, which added some slight fishiness. The veggies added a mix of textures and colors to the dish. Regarding the rice, I would complain about the wok hei, but I generally don't expect it at Thai restaurants. This was good, but I would recommend splitting it rather than making it a main unless you really love mackerel.
There was a particularly excellent take on Massaman Beef for $30 with stew beef, potatoes, cashew nuts, and fried onion, in massaman curry sauce. As someone who generally prefers slightly spicier Thai, I have never been the biggest fan of this dish, as most places make it a bit too sweet and not aromatic enough for my liking. This was the opposite, as there was a mélange of spices ranging from star anise to others. The dish also had a bit of heat, and while there wasn't much beef, it was very tender. I would heavily recommend this.
There was also the Sukhothai Fish Tom Yum Noodle for $28 with egg noodles, fish fillets, bean sprouts, and Thai herbs in tom yum broth. The name of the dish is a bit of a misnomer if you're expecting it to taste like a more standard tom yum, since the Sukhothai part refers to a slightly different variant with a lot less tamarind. The coconut flavor and aromatics were stronger than most tom yum, while the dish had a mild spiciness. The fish inside was tender, and there were plenty of egg noodles to sop up the tasty broth. This was very tasty.
The last dish, the Panang (or Phanaeng) Duck Curry for $35, with duck breast, lychee, pineapple, grapes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and basil leaves in a curry sauce, was also good, though a bit less than at other spots. The duck was nicely cooked, being meaty and tender, but I prefer some other places that have crispier skin. The curry itself was a bit less spicy than at some other places, but it was still pretty well-flavored with a good amount of kaffir lime and galangal. The grapes, like their sister restaurant, were peeled, and I didn't mind as they added a bit of sweetness along with the lychee. While listed, there also wasn't an abundance of bell peppers, which is definitely my preference as well. This was good, but it was my least favorite dish overall, both for the duck and the curry.
This is yet another good Thai restaurant that opened on 9th Avenue. It might be a bit north of most spots in Hell's Kitchen, but the flavors here excel, with general quality, and the prices are a tad more reasonable due to the free rice, making it more equivalent to Chalong and a few other places. I expect lines once more people know about this spot, as it's tiny and excellent. Mid 4 for the general quality.
