Jin Thai, Uptown

This weekend, while shopping at Golden Pacific, I was asking the proprietor about his favorite Thai restaurants. He said 'you should try Jin Thai--it just opened'. So, we went for dinner tonight. The restaurant is a cute storefront with a modern interior and about 8-9 tables. They have Thai movies projected on the wall (but no sound, not that it would help me). Most of the menu was pretty typical AmeriThai but we tried to order things that are a little less common.

We had:
Kanom buang--Thai crepe (Yuan/Vietnamese-style crepe with coconut, shrimp, tofu) served with cucumber salad. This is similar to Spoon's version (though I'd rank Spoon's a notch above).


Sukothai [sic] Noodle--Spicy and slightly sour (in a good way) rice noodle soup with pork, green beans, peanuts, fish balls/some type of fish cake. Sukhothai Noodles/Guay Tiaw Sukhothai, I believe, is generally made with a homemade, spicy pork broth which is then reduced and spiked with fish sauce, spices, other seasonings. This was it little milder in flavor than I was initially hoping for, but I enjoyed it (especially the fish cake), and I could definitely see ordering it again. Rosded and Aroy continue to set my Thai soup standard in Chicago (admittedly, that's a tough benchmark).



Kao soy--This is a soupy curry dish from Northern Thailand, around Chiang Mai. I thought Jin's version was terrific with traditional toppings of pickled mustard greens and shallots (plus a few toppings from the condiment tray), and probably my favorite of the dishes we ordered.



Thai Roasted Chicken: a roasted, cut-up half chicken with Thai spices, served with papaya salad and sticky rice. I really appreciated the accompaniments but I didn't love this dish (the chicken was a tad dry and it's pretty easy to make at home).





We also had a side of roti which were solid.



They offer a very nice condiment tray upon request as well.



Overall, I thought Jin was a couple notches above your typical neighborhood Thai. That being said, there's pretty stiff competition from other Thai restaurants on the north side and it definitely won't displace Aroy, TAC, Spoon and Rosded from my favorites list. Also, the service was very friendly and the proprietress stopped at every table to make sure everyone was enjoying the food. I'm sure I'll be back (probably for a bowl of khao soi).

edit to add:
5458 N Broadway
Chicago
(773) 681-0555

Very nice pictures which make the food look better than I found it to taste. Larb is the thing by which I judge any new Thai place. It's a simple dish, but when done well it represents the spectrum of Thai flavors and textures I love. Jin's was watery and tame, missing the jolt of flavor and contrasting textures I look for. I crossed Jin Thai off my list after one try, but maybe I'll put it back on to try the Kow Soi.

I too ate at Jin Thai a couple of days ago and came away generally impressed with what I tasted (which was not much). Som tam was very good - fresh, crisp vegetables, ridiculously spicy as requested, the only (very minor) complaint being the unavailability of fish funk to accompany it.

I also had the khao soy, and it was very respectable. But they didn't have any lime when I had it. Personally, I prefer Sticky Rice's khao soy . . . but SR's is the best I've tried in the US. That being said, I preferred Jin Thai's khao soy to the one I had a few months ago at Lotus of Siam in Vegas.

I agree with thaiobsessed that it's a step above your average Thai restaurant (mostly thanks to the khao soy), but the bulk of the menu seemed rather neighborhood-Thai to me . . . nothing that is likely to drag me aware from the better Thai spots in town.

Here's a link to their website and menu.

I happened to be there a few months ago, took some pictures and some notes, but in the end the experience was so generic (though pleasant) I didn't want to damn it with faint praise, but couldn't really find anything to "write home about," as it were. I agree with Kenny that those pictures look much better than what I tasted. Nothing was wrong, everything was down the middle. The space was very nice, simple, clean (aesthetically, I mean). I liked the condiment tray which has a bit more on it than many small neighborhood places. But in the end, nothing really popped for me. It was just me and the kid, so I also can't claim to have gone very deep into the menu. But nothing there to pull me away from nearby Argyle St.