Jatujak Thai Cuisine in Mall of Asia, Pasay City
There is always a thirst within me to uncover uncommon (better if unique) flavors, and this is why I have the constant desire to try out various cuisines. However, one of my few obstacles in doing this is the consideration of my family's (or even friends') preferences. Well, they are foodies like me, but they usually just prefer the usual cuisines such as Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, American and Italian. Anything excluded in the list may go through a rigorous scrutiny. Hence, I felt extremely joyful when they went for my suggestion, and that is to try Jatujak, a Thai cuisine restaurant in Mall of Asia.
Jatujak has indications of being popular because customers continued to flow in and out during our entire visit. Well, maybe it's because Jatujak is the only Thai restaurant in Mall of Asia (correct me if I am wrong please), and so people find it interesting to try something new.
Actually, I too am wondering as to why customers really flock in. The place is nice, but may not be too spacious to accommodate a huge number indoor. But then again, maybe it's because of the great food. Well, we are about to find out!
Thai Fried Springrolls || P140 - Vegetarian || P155 - Pork
The spring rolls had this crispy exterior and a refreshing core, and there was this good balance of flavors which made me like this dish. Plus, the sauce that went with it was complementary. It was sweet and mildly sour.
Crispy Catfish w/ Mango Salad || P230
The catfish with mango salad was a little below satisfactory, but this is because I was able to try something better in Songkran Thai Restaurant of BF Homes. Also, I sensed an "unclean" taste that disrupted the balance of the overall flavor, but maybe it was just me.
Pad Thai || P210 - Shrimp || P195 - Chicken || P175 - Vegetarian
The Pad Thai came in a smaller than expected serving size, but the good thing is, it got this good blend of sweet-savory taste made more interesting by the fresh shrimp, the egg and the tofu.
Fried Shrimp Cake || P270
The shrimp cake was nice, warm and tasty. It got this tangy sweet sauce that went well with the seafood goodness of the shrimp cake. Simple yet good!
Bagoong Rice || P180
The bagoong rice had this interesting sourness from the mangoes. However, as for its overall taste and quality, it was just fine.
Beef with Basil || P255
The beef was far from being tender which undermined the potential of the dish. Well, the sauce was both savory and properly spiced, but because the beef itself wasn't as awesome, the flavor didn't seeped much into the meat fibers.
Sate || P195
The Sate may not be as tender the way I wanted it to be, but it had this peanuty goodness and light herby taste that made it noteworthy. In fact, among the dishes I tried, this was the greatest!
Here's our photo in Jatujak. We were seating in their outdoor dining area because, as mentioned, people were flocking in, and there were no longer seats available inside.
Jatujak- Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings apply solely to this dining experience.
Place ★★★☆
Taste ★★★☆
Service ★★★☆
Value for Money ★★★☆
Budget: At least P300 each for a medium sharing-type of dining experience for a group of at least 4
Overall, I was able to find our foodie experience here in Jatujak satisfactory, since the dishes we had ranged from nice to great, which isn't a bad thing. Perhaps, I was able to try out better tasting Thai food which may explain as to why I didn't find the dishes spectacular. Still, I'm giving this restaurant a positive recommendation!
Jatujak
Location: Second Floor, Entertainment Mall, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Contact No.: (02) 556 0850
Service Charge: 5% before VAT
