Jay's Authentic Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Kokomo

We came here because we wanted Thai food. Upon arrival the sign out front was old and peeling. The doors were aluminum and the glass was filthy with the remnants of tape and dirt and finger prints plastering the door. The sound the door made was also interesting. We came into the dining room and the lighting was dismal. White and pale and stark. There was not much on the walls. Very plain and gave the idea that there was so much missing. The floor was filthy throughout the room and all furniture looked like it had settled in for years.. just unmoved, dirty, dated and shabby. We stood there for a while till the lady behind the counter yelled at us to sit wherever we wanted. So I walked to the front where I spied a stack of menus and we picked a seat after that. The chair wobbled scarily so I switched to another chair.

My husband and I love Thai food and we paroosed the short menu. Usually a short menu means that they specialize in a few dishes that they make well. Usually. Here was a short menu with some lunch specials and entrees. We picked a noodle dish because it seemed safest. A version of Pad Se Ewe but called something a little different. I dont recall.

We waited for about 15 minutes for the food to finally come out. It was piled high. a good healthy portion. It smelled... interesting. Please see the picture. Instead of nice hand cut noodles we were looking sat something that resembled fettucine noodles. The plate was all one color.. a pale brown color and then there was the smell... it just wasn't right. Tasting it the noodles were overcooked and a weird texture. The chicken I ordered on mine was.... think match-stick sized cuts of chicken. too small to be satisfying a piece at a time. Dry and seemingly the only thing on that plate that "felt" right or had any flavor what so ever. So I picked through and nibbled on the tiny chicken pieces. I glanced at my husband now and then and he had stopped eating and pout his fork down. This was a disaster. Tasteless, dry, wrong texture... Awful.

We both got up, paid for the food with tip and left the restaurant. It is the only time in my entire life where the food was so offensive and wrong that we both just left it piled high on the plate and walked away. Never have I experienced anything like this. This was a new level of BAD.

I'm no expert and I don't claim to be. But as a person who likes authentic cultural foods, this was a huge miss. I was slightly offended at the use of the word "Authentic" in the restaurants name after being confronted with such a n atrocity on a plate. Nothing about this was authentic Thai. Maybe once upon a time? But that was way before the quality of ingredients went down the toilet.

We will not be back. I do not recommend this place at all. Dirty restaurant, uninspired, slightly offensive food in a poor atmosphere from the start to the...

I wasn't impressed. I should mention that I have a real affinity for Thai food, I cook that cuisine often, and have studied Thai cookery for 10 years.

Pros: An excellent value. You do get a large portion and the price is very reasonable. I would be willing to pay more for a better experience though.

Cons: I ordered the Panang Curry because it seems that if a Thai restaurant can pull a good Panang off, it seems to carry over to the other dishes. The Panang I had was seriously lacking in flavour profile. What I tasted was basically MaePloy curry paste, coconut milk, peanut butter and a tiny bit of lemon grass (very tiny amount).

The signature spice in Panang Curry is Red Chilli paste, Kaffir Lime, Thai Basil, Japone Chillis, peanut puree and lemon grass. Topped with a teaspoonful of fresh chopped peanuts for wow factor.

Now, I understand this is Kokomo, and getting these spices there may be prohibitively expensive, but I have seen many similar places grow their own Thai Basil and Kaffir in the store.

Further, the chilli paste base was not prepared properly. Chilli paste should be simmered/pan fried on its own prior to the addition of the coconut milk to release the flavourful oils in the chillies. Then the coconut milk is added along with other spices and this is simmered until a ring of red chilli oil can be seen at the periphery of the pan. That's when you know its done and the full flavour profiles have been released.

Finally, I think the appetizer really should be a traditional spring roll with sweet chilli sauce. I was presented with Chicken Rice soup that was anything but Thai.

If your going to give soup at least put out a Thom Yum or Coconut chicken soup that reflects some flavour of...

With sweet staff serving you, an orange and grey interior that is pleasing to the eye, and delicious meals at reasonable prices, what more could you ask for?! Seriously, look how cute the rice is. It's a heart! You've got to order a Thai Tea to get the full experience-- you'll find yourself craving these teas all the time because they're THAT kind of tasty. As for the food, you won't find these flavor combinations elsewhere in the city. The food can be made spicy for you adventurous types, or mild for those that just want the in-depth flavor. I'm a big fan of the veggies! They also have a unique Crab Rangoon that is worth trying. This could easily become one of your weekly lunch spots, or your dinner go-to when you want to go out. It sure has been that...