Address - Tokyo-to, Musashino-shi, Kichi Joji Honmachi 1-9-12 Ebisu Kaikan 5 Fl Opening hours During the week from 11:30 to 15:30 and 17 :00 to 22:30, during weekends from 17:00 to 22:30 Map Yes Telephone 0422-21-0828 Menu - In English and Japanese CC - Yes

Thai restaurants in Tokyo are all very close one to another in quality and cost, but Jai Thai is an exception. While not bad, it's certainly not the equal of other places nearby where I think you should rather go.

The first thing that struck me about it is that, to be a Thai restaurant, it looks remarkably Chinese: the walls are of that special red Chinese restaurants are so fond of. It's not a particularly beautiful restaurant, and that usually doesn't bother me, but in this case it's different. It probably was luxurious many years ago, but now it has somewhat gone to seed and looks dingy and dark.

Prices are a tad above average: sets, while abundant, go for 3000, 4000, 5000 yen apiece, but the menu is rich enough, with some original dishes but mostly the usual stuff, with two interesting variants: you can choose the hotness of your meal and there's a good number of mini-dishes priced around 400 - 600 yen to start the meal.

They also have good beer, both Thai and foreign, and Italian or French wine, if you feel like having some with Asian food. So far, this is the only place I found that sells Kloster beer, so good in the summer in Thailand.

We had Tom Kha Gai (Chicken in a coconut milk-based soup), pork satay, yellow curry, pad thai, and other classics. I couldn't help frowning when some toasted bread was served to accompany the satay. I might be a stuck-up reactionary, but this sort of thing rubs me the wrong way, and I hadn't found the rest of the meal particularly remarkable either.

After some desserts, we left feeling that, without having been ripped off, we should have gone to either (preferably) Langsaan or Sukhothai, that offer a better atmosphere and better food.

March 2001