Jaiya Thai Restaurant

For years this has been our place to go for reliably spicy good Thai food. This past year, however, the service was slow or absent, the wrong dishes were delivered or delivered in the wrong order, and the spice has disappeared. What a disappointment. Sorry, but this place has gone down in quality. We put up with the poor service in exchange for great Thai food, but that is no longer. Also, a group larger than 4 people seems to really challenge their wait staff. We've never had a good experiece with a large group. If you go, the crab fried rice is dynamite and the laab nur is delicious. Be prepared for friendly but slow and forgetful service, and don't expect the spice level to be anywhere near authentic. Cons: not spicy, slow service more

My main complaint is that the food was terrible! I ordered the green curry chicken (2/1/05) and it did not taste like green curry I have ever had at a Thai restaurant. There was no coconut milk in it, instead it was greasy and spicy, those were the only two flavors. Everyone in my party had disgusting food. I agree with the other reviews that the service was awful, once we were seated we had to wave down a waiter every time we needed any sort of service, otherwise they would ignore us completely. On top of everything else it was expensive! With all the great Thai food in New York City I would never go here again and recommend no one else go there either! Pros: Spicy Cons: Tastes bad, Awful Service, Expensive more

The food, I would say, is very good, though a bit pricey compared to neighboring restaurants. The service, however is EXTREMELY BAD. People who work there have no people skills whatsoever. You ask for an official receipt and they don't give you one. A friend asked for a vegetarian dish, and they said they can't have the dish the way she wanted. It was something she has ordered from the same place before and when she told them that, the waitress told her that she has been working there for 15 years so she knows better. Pros: good food Cons: , impolite waiters, do not give receipt more

I ordered chicken pad thai for takeout. When I got it home after eating 1/4 of it I noticed more than half the chicken was never cooked. It was pink. Me being a level headed person I immediately took it back to the restaurant discreetly so I wouldn't disrupt the other people dining in the restaurant. The male server behind the counter tells me next time in order to get a refund I have to bring the entire portion back. Somehow this was turned around to be my fault. I demanded a refund and I told him to be careful next time. He then procedes to threaten me and tells me I better be careful. Is this guy for real. This place is a dump. I wouldn't even feed the homeless people outside of the restaurant their food. Unless you want to be throwing up all night. STAY AWAY. Cons: , Attitude, Management more

What happened to the Lunch Special? The food is great but they're getting cheap with you. They took away the lunch special...the drinks are now served in smaller glasses with lots of ice. Come on!! Pros: good food more

I've been going to Jaiya for years and years, even before they opened up a restaurant in NYC (it originated in Queens). I don't think there is a better thai restaurant around. It definitely can get spicy, order it medium and it'll be hot enough, but the food is extremely tastey. Their fish in Jaiya special fish sauce and Crab in Jaiya special crab sauce are to die for (both different sauces), and the chinese sausage salad along with Tom Yum soup as starters round up a great meal. You can never go wrong with the Panang Curry and Pad Thai. For vegitarians, the tofu in basil sauce is awesome. I recommend this place to anyone who likes Thai food. Pros: Amazing Thai Food Cons: little small more

The food here is excellent, the service wasn't that bad when I went. All the food came out in a timly manner, and they met all our needs. It was defintely not bland food, all you have to do is ask for it to be spicy and trust me, they will make is spicy. I was literally sweating when I was eating. Good place! more

If you want to go somewhere for so-so food where they treat you like you're unwelcomed, come here. Pros: small, bright lights, has windows Cons: unfriendly, boring, unfashionable more

Very good food, distracted service people. Location a pain to get to unless you live nearby. more

If you like heat, Jaiya Thai is for you. The restaurant is not much to look at, and the service can be off at times, but the food with roast your mouth if you want it to. Seating can be a bit tight, but then again, the food is the reason to go here. Pros: Good food, Decent value Cons: Service, Crowded more

Best thai in NYC? Maybe. Worst service in NYC? Definitely. We had reservations for 6, but two of us were running late. From the moment we were seated, the waitress harrassed us about taking away the extra seats. I ordered a chicken dish, she brought me a beef dish. Upon complaining, she said, ""Oh, I thought you said beef."" Then she tried goading me into taking the beef dish. Towards the end of the meal, she started pushing us out the door as quickly as possible. There were people still streaming in the door, but the tables around us had been there since before we arrived, and not once did she ask them to leave. We are white, they weren't. Hmmm. Regardless, we requested a dessert menu, which she never brought, and the 15% gratuity was slapped on automatically despite our protests of bad service. more

To the people who complain the food is too bland, maybe you shouldn't chicken out and get all the food 'mild'. The spicy thai style soup is amazing, and will easily clear up any sinus problems you might have. The rest of the food is top notch and if you get it medium spicy, that'll be enough for most people. Easily my favorite restaurant in NYC. Yes, the service is a bit spotty, but the portions are of a decent size, and the cost isn't all that bad. more

This place is expensive, tiny portions, and the staff is not nice. The curries are very bland for Thai, and I suspect this place only gets business because there are not a lot of Thai restaurants in Curry Hill. They also charge extra $ for rice which makes no sense since it is the cheapest thing to make. This place is lame. Pros: clean Cons: unfriendly staff, expensive for Thai, bad food more