Hao has already eaten at Jatujak before and she wanted me to try it since I've been wanting to try some Thai food. So after office, off we went to its branch in SM Megamall. When we had arrived and settled down, we browsed through the menu until we decided what to eat (and feature on this blog).
Jatujak, according to Wikipedia, actually refers to Chatuchak Weekend Market, which happens to be the biggest market in Thailand. So when you get here with your friends, you can tell them this trivia!
The first to arrive at our table were our Thai Iced Tea, which are contained in long glasses. As soon as I took the first sip, I realized that it's really your standard-issue milktea. Nothing extra fancy, yet the taste is what you'd expect from a milktea: creamy, cold, milky. Their iced tea has the perfect fusion of the taste of tea and the taste of sweetness. Credits also go to the big servings and to the way I saw how the milk was still trickling down inside the glass, waiting to get stirred.
Pad Thai was served next. This dish is one of Thailand's national dishes. We ordered the one with shrimps (Hao and I absolutely love shrimps). The stuff is flat rice noodles smothered with eggs, peanut sauce, bean sprouts, and comes with crushed peanuts and lime for sidings. The sour-sweet taste of Pad Thai really got me. If you're in for more-than-your-usual stir-fried noodles, this one's a must-try. It serves 2 to 3 persons. I personally suggest you eat it slowly despite the fact that it's delicious, because it's pretty heavy on the stomach.
Next to arrive was the Bagoong Rice (Kao Kluk Gapi). At first, I was expecting something like rice fried with the bagoong we Filipinos have lived with. Actually, it isn't. Bagoong Rice in this case was not as heavily salty as ours, but is salty enough to be tasty. Nicely cooked and indeed complemented the rice. Serves 2 to 3 persons, but with an appetite like mine, I can finish it myself if it's the only one I'd eat. Bagoong Rice comes with shreds of green mangoes, onions, and cured beef (tapa).
While we were taking turns between the first two dishes, Green Chicken Curry (Kaeng Kiew Waan Gai) was served in a steamy clay pot. I believe that the basil leaves in the mix made this chicken curry "green." I would want it to be at its spiciest, but Hao can only manage medium spicy so that's what we ordered. Imagine chicken curry with a pinch of pesto undertone: that's what this dish is all about. The spicy tasted also delivered and never failed.
I can personally say that the Sticky Rice with Mango (Kao Niew Mamuang), however dessert, was the highlight for Hao. It's a dessert of glutinous rice (malagkit) topped with creamy coconut milk (ginataan) with cherry sitting on top. accompanied with ripe mangoes. Yes, you can just imagine the perpetual sweetness, creaminess, and smoothness of the stuff. This is a certified must-order food from Jatujak. The ginataan-pampered malagkit tastes perfectly well with the mango. I remember Hao saying "love" one spoonful after another.
Let's break the bill down here. Php220 for Green Chicken Curry, Php185 for Pad Thai, Php155 for Bagoong Rice, Php78 for Thai Iced Tea (times two for us), and Php85 for Sticky Rice with Mango. Adding a 5% Service Charge, Php841.05 for two persons is absolutely not bad, especially for a great Thai food feast.
We'll definitely get back here to try their other dishes they have to offer. We can honestly tell you that Jatujak is the place to be for Thai food, without spending much.
And now, for the complete snapshots. The full-sized photo album can be seen by clicking on this album: Bunny Belly Food Trips: Jatujak.
Stay tuned for my personal coverage of World Food Expo!
