Jay Nok Modern Thai — Restaurant in Vancouver

I rarely write negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share my experience at this restaurant. Although the restaurant claims to offer a “modern take on Thai cuisine,” the reality is far from it. The decor might appeal to some younger crowds with its modern, trendy vibes, but once the food arrives, everything falls apart.

To give you context: I’m Chinese, I cook regularly, and I spent 10 years growing up under the care of a Thai nanny. So, whether it’s from a cultural or culinary perspective, I believe I’m qualified to judge Thai food.

We ordered four dishes:

Grilled Thai Pork Jowl (Moo Ping-style) This was the most disappointing dish of the night. Nearly half of the pork slices were just fat—pure, untrimmed fat. Good Thai pork jowl should have a balanced ratio of lean meat to fat, and this was anything but. Honestly, it felt like they used low-grade cuts to pass as pork jowl. I've eaten Thai pork jowl all across Vancouver, and this one was by far the worst. We left half the plate untouched.

Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Coconut Soup) This was the only dish that was remotely acceptable. It leaned slightly sweet for my taste, but still had a decent balance. If I had to recommend anything, this would be it — though that’s not saying much.

Short Rib Pad Kee Mao (Beef Noodle with Short Ribs) This was essentially a standard stir-fried Thai noodle dish with a few short ribs tossed on top. Nothing innovative, no wow factor. And to be honest, short ribs are hard to mess up. Marinate them well in Korean or Thai BBQ sauce, grill, and top the noodles — that’s it. But here, the meat was chewy, and once we picked out the ribs, we barely touched the noodles.

Red Curry Duck This was the worst offender. The dish was overwhelmed with bamboo shoots — probably 80% of the plate — making the curry sour and imbalanced. The duck leg itself was poorly prepared. When duck is cooked in curry, it needs to be seared or roasted beforehand to lock in flavor and texture. Here, the duck fibers were mushy, like the meat had already degraded. I suspect they used cheap, low-quality duck legs.

Service Mediocre. The staff didn’t do anything wrong, but they didn’t shine either. What stood out was that the servers didn’t even ask us how the food was — probably because they saw half our dishes left untouched and didn’t want to invite honest feedback.

Verdict There’s no shortage of Thai restaurants in Vancouver, and this one unfortunately ranks at the bottom in my experience. Style over substance — and even the style was just average. Not worth the hype, and definitely not...

We dined at this restaurant with high hopes based on its inviting and nicely designed interior was recommended by a social media influencer.

Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted by our server and offered tea. When we requested tea, she assumed we meant Thai tea and brought us an iced version with coconut milk. While it was tasty, it wasn’t what we were expecting. We also ordered a hot jasmine tea, which was fine.

We started with the prawn spring rolls, which were severely underseasoned, and unfortunately, the prawns were overcooked and rubbery. The papaya salad had a good level of spice, but lacked flavor and depth—it felt uninspired and flat.

For mains, we ordered the beef short rib pad see ew and the seafood red curry. The pad see ew was especially disappointing; the noodles were broken, not the traditional flat rice noodles one would expect, and the beef was tough with the bone still attached. The most concerning dish, however, was the seafood red curry. The texture and flavor were incredibly off-putting—so much so that it was inedible. There was a curdled consistency throughout the curry, and I initially believed the coconut milk had spoiled. When we brought this to the server’s attention, we were informed it was egg, though the resulting texture and taste were extremely unpleasant. The seafood itself was also overcooked and rubbery. The only highlight of the meal was the jasmine rice, which was fragrant and well-prepared. We asked for the curry to be taken away as we could not even try and finish it (barely ate any).

We expressed our concerns clearly about the curry being almost unpalatable. The server acknowledged this and mentioned speaking with the owner, yet no one came to our table to address the issue. There was no apology, no offer to replace the dish, nor even a gesture such as a complimentary dessert to attempt to make things right.

With so many exceptional Thai restaurants in Vancouver, this establishment unfortunately does not measure up. The prices are high, and the food does not reflect the quality one would expect at this level. Based on our experience, I would NOT recommend...

A gem snuggled in the heart of Olympic village.

You don’t normally find modern thai food in Vancouver, so I was delighted to try.

Each dish is served with a creative innovative twist on your classic thai staple items, meticulously crafted and elegantly plated.

The Brussels sprouts were fun delivering flavour, texture and depth. I liked the delicate touch of pine nuts to bring out some aromatics and earthy flavours, the sauce helped balanced the dish. Definitely unique which definitely makes it stand out on its own compared to other restaurants that serve Brussels on their menu.

pad thai is obviously their signature dish carried on from their original restaurant. I was astonished how jumbo the prawn was, beautiful fried and glazed. The bed of noodles delicately wrapped in a thin crepe like omelet wrap. A beautiful creation, The warm noodles inside absorb some of the egg’s fragrance, while the crepe locks in moisture keeping the Pad Thai saucy and rich rather than drying out. Egg is folded neatly into a parcel or draped over the noodles gives a polished look. each bite perfectly balanced between soft, savory egg and the tangy-sweet noodles inside.

The Pad Gra Prao was outstanding. The medium rare skirt steak was juicy and flavorful, pairing beautifully with the fragrant Thai basil, onions, and peppers. The jalapeño and chilies gave it just the right kick without overpowering the dish. Every bite had that bold, savory-sweet heat that makes Thai comfort food so addictive. Served with fluffy jasmine rice, perfection.

Both deserts were a delight, there’s nothing more I can say, I’ve enjoyed every dish, it was exceptional. They definitely stand out as modern thai.

The service was just as impressive, attentive without being intrusive, with staff who checked in at the right moments and made great recommendations. You can tell they genuinely care about the experience.

Definitely coming back until I try every...