Jiu Thai Asian Cafe — Restaurant in Columbus

To be clear, this is Chinese food, not Thai! But please don't let that hold you back - their food is delicious and their menu is full of unique choices you will NOT find in a typical Chinese restaurant. Glorious, bouncy, hand-stretched noodles are not to be missed! Braised lamb dishes that melt in your mouth, crispy bits of pork, perfectly seasoned beef, pockets of red oil punched with garlic and sesame, laced with sleepy cilantro undertones...and plenty of meatless options, too. Spicy or mild offered. Highly recommend the Biang Biang noodles, Braised Lamb noodle soup, and red-oil beef. The Delicious Pork Sandwich is aptly named though sized like an appetizer. The cold dishes are a must-try!

Our waitress was a gem, she explained the dishes well and you could hear her going table to table and helping other patrons navigate choices they clearly hadn't seen before. This is how we learned that Jiu Thai is the name of a mountain! She recommended adding their dark vinegar sauce to our dishes and it was such a surprise addition - no soy sauce on these tables! Service there was perfect, food came out quickly, dining area was bright and clean. Their pricing and portions were more than fair. We can't wait to go back and sample more of their menu!

When a tiny Chinese grandma pops her head out of the kitchen at the end of your visit to say thank you, you know why the food was so good. This food is made with pride and it shows!

EDIT: We've gone back and were still delighted. If you're scratching your head over the pork cream cheese ball on the dessert menu, go for it! It's the quirkiest sweet we've ever eaten and...

Ordered Shrimp Phad Thai for lunch, something like $17. Sadly, there was no lime, cilantro, sliced little red peppers, or tamarind. Honestly, if there was fish sauce, I couldn't taste that either. These are non-negotiable Phad Thai ingredients! Any decent Phad Thai must have a balance of sweet, tangy, and sour, or it ain't Phad Thai. I asked for cilantro and they did bring me some. I asked for a piece of lime and they said they do not have lime. The shrimp were the cheapest and smallest they could find- one size above plankton. Maybe their house specialities were the culinary opportunity I missed. But, rest assured, now I'll never know. I really had my heart set on a nice plate of Phad Thai.

IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN SERVING GOOD PAD THAI, SIMPLY REMOVE IT FROM YOUR MENU. STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW. YOU'RE WASTING PEOPLES' TIME AND MONEY.

The waitress and person working the cash register kept their poker faces and offered nothing in conciliation, despite clearly communicating my dissatisfaction. They unflinchingly took my $17 for their very bad Sea...

Really stands out in an ocean of mediocre Asian dining. Extremely consistent too. I’ve eaten here about 5 times so far and haven’t been disappointed. Seems like the management and the cooks know what they’re doing.

Very quaint location and almost hidden from view. The interior isn’t impressive but that is hardly the draw here. This seems like a take-out operation. Not to mention, they package their food very well. Much better than any other restaurant I’ve seen. They use tin foil to retain heat. This seems to keep the fried foods from getting soggy. So many times I have ordered crispy chicken, and by the time it gets to my home, it becomes soggy. I don’t know if anyone else can commiserate with that, but it absolutely sucks when you’re craving crispy chicken and get soggy chicken instead.

I’m not sure if it’s because of their packaging method or because their food quality is better, but every time I order sesame chicken here, it’s crispy, crunchy, and...