Buzzy Thai Serving Flavors That Soar
Rating: 8.2 out of 10
Link: https://kaewjaojormny.com/
Address: 800 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
I always get nervous bringing a group to a trending restaurant. What if it looks better on a screen than real life? What if when the (oftentimes) hefty bill comes, we’re still hungry? As soon as I walked into Kaew Jao Jorm, which claims to bring the “elegance of Royal Thai food to East Williamsburg,” I knew I had nothing to worry about.
Before you even taste a bite, you’ll be swooned by the ambiance. Walk through a small but charming interior to get to their gorgeous backyard—which has become something of a niche internet microcelebrity for those who follow New York City food trends on social media.
There you’ll find a cool and comfortable tent that can accommodate both the hottest and coldest days the city may throw your way. Each meal comes with considerable goodies: in my case, it was some sweet and tasty cookies to whet our appetite and foldable bamboo fans to stave off the sweltering heat.
We swung big on the menu and found few misses. The MVPs were by far the chor muang—royal flower dumplings with sweet-savory chicken and peanut filling—and the gaeng ped (named gaeng ped pheng yang on the online menu)—scrumptious duck cooked tender as Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and bathed in delicious red curry sauce with bites of tomato, pineapple, and lychee surprise.
So great service (check), great ambiance (check), great apps (check), and great mains (check). If that were all, it would be a stellar meal. But I would be forced by the Industrial Food Writers of the World to delete my WordPress account and throw my laptop out the window if I did not tell you about the mango sticky rice dessert. The warm coconut sticky rice and cool, ripe mango slices achieve a tantalizing harmony that will leave you fantasizing long after you’ve gotten on the L train home.
Listen, there’s a lot of great thai food in New York. Some days it feels like every time you turn a corner there’s a new takeout spot opening up shop. Despite this, Kaew Jao Jorm is well worth your time and hard-earned money with savory flavors and a comforting atmosphere that stands apart. Great for groups, but also works for a date night or a cheeky meal out.
P.S. Rice is complimentary, served from a large silver bowl. You’ll be requesting scoop after scoop to soak up all that delicious sauce at the bottom of your bowl.
The Dishes
Please note: each dish unable to be photographed by our onsite photographer, whether due to lighting constraints, occupancy level, social distractions, or otherwise, has been digitally rendered via our proprietary computer-assisted textural modelling methodology.
Chor Muang
A must-try starter. The texture is tender and the flavor top notch. Only problem is instead of filling you up, it will make your mouth water even more.
$19
Yum Som O (v)
A refreshing pomelo salad in chili-lime dressing which pairs well with meat-heavy mains with its citrusy, minty, and bitter tastes.
$20
Gaeng Ped
My favorite of the mains. Head and shoulders above the rest.
$35
Ka Prow Neua | Add Fried Egg
Savory slices of sauteed beef with sweet peppers and a tangy sauce that will keep you entertained. Beef was a tad chewy. Worth it to splurge for the egg on top.
28 (+$4 with egg)
Pad Cha Talay
A seafood sautee medley with basil, kaffir lime leaves, and peppercorn that worked well alongside the other two mains but was not a star.
$32
Mango Sticky Rice
If you’re coming to Kaew Jao Jorm, you need to try it.
$15
“Bonnet Orange” Wine
A tad sweet but still refreshing. If you want to spend on a bottle, it works. I guess.
$68/bottle
Thai Iced Tea
Yummy, as far as thai iced teas go. Refreshing and not too sweet.
$8
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