Jaiya Restaurant

I eat Thai food occasionally and never thought it had anything that was out of the ordinary or even surprising of that sort. I got introduced to this Thai place around Kips Bay in Manhattan. I wasn't much enthusiastic about it but my friend just loves her Thai food.

I was definitely struck by the decor of this simple Thai restaurant. It felt so retro and modern. Got seated right away which is always a good thing, and the staffs are so polite.

I came here during lunch on a weekday and they had lunch specials so why not go for that?
Their list was quite long for lunch specials and it also comes with a complimentary appetizer. Prices for the specials range from $7.95-9.95, which isn't a bad deal at all.

Papaya Salad

Jaiya Garden Salad

Fried Tofu Pad Thai

Pork Drunken Man Noodle

The food was quite amazing. The salad were indeed refreshing. Papaya salad had a nice crunchy texture while the garden salad was paired nicely with the peanut vinaigrette. I was blown away by the Pad Thai. My first thought was, it looked really bland and colorless. But, never judge a book by its cover. The dish was packed with flavor and definitely taste different than any other Pad Thai I had tasted in the past. Maybe it was the sweet and salted flavor that was combined ever so well.

This place definitely deserves multiple visits and with the Pad Thai being on the lunch special menu every day, it's affordable in my handbook.

Jaiya Restaurant
396 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016
(212) 889-1330