Just Thai: My First Thai Food Experience

I haven't been into a Thai restaurant in my entire life. Much more, I haven't eaten any Thai dish; not even the Tom Yum flavor of Lucky Me Supreme Noodles. So I really made the most when good friend Kenny Ngo invited me and Ross Del Rosario to Just Thai along Burgos Circle in Taguig City.

I find it amusing that the restaurant design and the background music are totally Thai. What I really like more is the chandeliers, which are designed in flowers.

Now, on to the main agenda. We were first served Just Thai's iced tea. It's the same as the Nai Cha or milk tea you would see in other establishments, but what makes it unique is that the tea leaves are fresh from Thailand.

And then... Tom Yum!

What I like about the soup was the aroma and how the chefs cooked the mushrooms and shrimps. I was really reminded of sinigang; it's just that the addition of mushrooms made the Tom Yum different.

But that's not it. We were also served Tom Kha Gai or the Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup. It turned out to be a blockbuster that I consumed the soup almost all by myself and still wanting for more!

Then the appetizers. We first tried Gai Sate or grilled chicken served with a peanut dip. I was like, "Chicken and peanut sauce? Really!?" After taking some bites, "Wow! They make a good match!"

Now, the real jawbreakers! First up was the Moo Sam Chan Yang or grilled pork in tamarind sauce. Again, I got curious, "Tamarind as a dip? Isn't that even sourer than vinegar?" Again, after tasting the dip, "Tamarind dip is cool after all!" Turns out, the tamarinds use are also from Thailand, and the taste of the tamarinds there is sweet unlike our local ones. If the dip was different from what I think, so was the tamarind juice coupled with it.

I liked the pork dish the same way former beauty queen Alma Concepcion did.

Although I'm not a fan of seafoods, I really like the Squid in Garlic and Pepper, especially how the dish was prepared.

If you were to go to Just Thai, though, you should try the Chicken in Pandan Leaves. The flavor of the chicken dish is totally unique. Try it on your own and you be the judge.

Finally, the desserts. We tried the coconut pudding, and it's a good dessert. But the sellout was the Khao Niaow Ma Muang or the Mangoes in Sticky Rice. The presentation alone is a blockbuster. Just like how the others said about the dessert, we hesitated at eating it, but eventually, we had to destroy the design.

I was satisfied in my first ever trip to a Thai resto. So if you want to experience the same way I had, go to Just Thai along Forbes Town Center in Taguig, Two E-Com Center in Pasay, and Molito Commercial Center in Muntinlupa. Like its Facebook page for more.

All photos courtesy of Ross Del Rosario