Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
The Infatuation
JJ Thai Cuisine
By Alison B. Kessler,
3 days ago
Nicole Guglielmo
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.
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.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0