Jo's Modern Thai

The 18 Best Restaurants At Outside Lands 2024 - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"You’ve probably had drunken noodles before, but have you met the version from Jo’s Modern Thai? Topped with salty-fatty slabs of brisket, it’ll rewire your brain with no-holds-barred flavor. And luckily, these noodles from the Oakland Thai spot are on the menu at OSL. Also look forward to pork laab burgers and garlicky, tamarind-laden party wings." - julia chen 1

"The path to this Laurel District hotspot began when owner Kao Saelee, an Oakland native with Thai roots, first introduced his wife, Jo, to the cuisine, and it’s precisely that spirit of cultural exchange you’ll find embodied here. The menu displays the bold, balanced flavors typical of Thai cuisine, but isn’t overly concerned with hewing to tradition. That creative, irreverent approach is exemplified in dishes like a signature take on drunken noodles, which features smoky barbecue brisket, or a pork burger seasoned to resemble the complex herbaceous flavors of laab. Diners with delicate palates, fret not: the kitchen offers varying levels of spice. Choose from the unique, mouthwatering cocktail list to round out the meal." - Michelin Inspector

The 19 Best Deals For Oakland Restaurant Week - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"This Laurel District Thai spot has an $80 dinner menu that serves two. The three-course, family-style meal includes your choice of appetizers, entrees, and a dessert. Expect dishes like crispy rice cakes with tuna laab crudo, drunken noodles, and fried banana rolls." - julia chen 1

Oakland Brunch Spot the Peach Opens With Chef Juan Stevenson From Georgia | Eater SF

"The sibling restaurant to the new brunch spot was at the center of the pre-opening controversy: an anonymous staff blog by 14 front- and back-of-house employees alleged problems with the restaurant’s owner, listing “ongoing harassment and intimidation” via what was characterized as an arbitrary write-up system; poor and inconsistent communication; and a lack of concern for employee health, safety, and welfare. Chef and partner Intu-on Kornnawong, who had been associated with both projects, left both restaurants and said she did so because of a “multitude of differences” with Saelee: “I felt like we had a difference in the direction and vision of the restaurant,” she said. “We didn’t see eye-to-eye on the communications and the way to treat our staff.” Saelee has said the departures are “a great reminder to start with clear intention, building a strong foundation and just overcommunicating with people,” and has defended his intentions toward the community, saying, “everything that I do is for the Oakland community so hopefully people will see and understand that everything we do is for the preservation of Oakland.”" - Dianne de Guzman

Here’s What We Know About the Staff Layoffs and Temporary Closure of Jo’s Modern Thai in Oakland | Eater SF

"On paper this restaurant was a model of Oakland’s dining scene: over three-and-a-half years it built an admirable reputation, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand, being identified as one of the Bay Area’s top Thai restaurants, and seeing its head chef, Intu-on Kornnawong, named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California in 2023. The operation unraveled quickly in October: on Wednesday, October 16 front-of-house staff say they were abruptly notified via their scheduling app that the restaurant’s last day of service would be Sunday, October 27; three days later employees alleged in an open letter that “staffing levels were rarely met,” and a dinner service was forced to shut down midway on Saturday, October 19. The chef publicly announced her departure (the announcement came October 29 and was said to be effective October 20), and at least four back-of-house staff members from each restaurant quit that same day; within 48 hours an Instagram post cited “unforeseen circumstances” requiring a temporary closure that was later extended to at least Sunday, November 10 due to staffing. Owner Kao Saelee told reporters, “We closed [the restaurant] in order to upgrade various aspects of the restaurant that we felt needed to be adjusted to help us ensure we deliver the high standard of service our customers expect from us,” and has denied allegations of mistreatment; he also acknowledged, “I care deeply for my team and have always tried to go above and beyond to make Jo’s a place where our employees feel valued,” and added, “I wish I would have communicated more frequently and had more open conversations with the staff.” By contrast, an anonymous 2,000-word blog post published by 14 front- and back-of-house staff charges systemic problems, opening with “This letter is to serve as detailed documentation of the mistreatment of the [restaurant] staff by the part-owner Kao Saelee,” and alleging “ongoing harassment and intimidation” via an arbitrary write-up system, poor and inconsistent communication, and a lack of concern for employee health, safety, and welfare. Screenshots shared by staff show employees being offered the opportunity to reapply only after completing new training, to “adapt to the new standards and processes without referencing previous policies,” and to commit to working at least four days a week. Staff made clear they do not place blame on the chef—“We ultimately stand by Chef Intu-on and her vision, values, talent, and exceptional food, which is truly the heart of any restaurant,” the blog reads in part—and Kornnawong herself attributed her departure diplomatically to “a multitude of differences” with Saelee: “I felt like we had a difference in the direction and vision of the restaurant. We didn’t see eye-to-eye on the communications and the way to treat our staff.” Former sous chef Claire McCann describes the restaurant’s early days as community-oriented and credits Kornnawong’s leadership style for that culture: “She really is like a teacher, which I think is really important,” and, of Kornnawong’s approach to mistakes and care, McCann recalls, “If someone did something wrong, it’s because we didn’t properly teach them. It’s not on them,” and that the chef would sit down and ask, “Hey, what’s up? How are you feeling?’ because she fucking cared, and I really felt that.” Kornnawong and former staff frame the events as emblematic of wider industry problems—“Everything is expensive here,” Kornnawong says via text. “Staffs should be paid a good, fair living wage and get benefits, etc. We need to take care of each other, to look out for our staff, and treat them like family.”—and staff departures have left the restaurant’s future and ability to deliver the standards that earned its early acclaim in question." - Lena Park