Jaiya Thai Restaurant

(212) 889-1330

396 3RD Ave Ste 28
New York, NY 10016 40.7422 -73.9809

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Neighborhoods: Kips Bay, Midtown

JAIYA.COM

Price:

$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Food Delivery

Cuisine:

Thai

What People Are Saying About Jaiya Thai Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Many Murray Hill locals gladly overlook the dull green walls and fluorescent lighting for Jaiya's quick and affordable Thai cooking--if not, they take meals to go or get them delivered. The lengthy menu includes the likes of mee krob (glass noodles with shrimp, chicken and pork in plum sauce), nur-yang-num-tok (barbecued flank steak served with a spicy sauce), pork with chili and basil leaves and spicy, bean curd coconut milk soup. – –

ambiance
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The service is not bad and the ambience is okay too, but the offd.”
  2. “I'm a professional reviewer so usually the restaurant experience is a combination of how tasty the food is, the level of service and ambience and of course value for money.”
  3. “Not at all, below average food, terrible service, noisy loud ambience, overall not recommended.”
dessert
50.0% positive
  1. “The chicken and fish cakes were excellent, but the egg roll was missing something.”
  2. “Regardless, we requested a dessert menu, which she never brought, and the 15% gratuity was slapped on automatically despite our protests of bad service.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Then, she was very proactive in showing us the wine list and asking if we want to order appertizer.”
food quality
78.9900016784668% positive
  1. “The food is DELICIOUS!”
  2. “The food, I would say, is very good, though a bit pricey compared to neighboring restaurants.”
  3. “Great thai food, affordable and fast delivery!”
  4. “enjoyed the food, which was excellent.”
  5. “For vegitarians, the tofu in basil sauce is awesome.”
  6. “Medium spicy is very spicy, so stick with mild if you don't like spicy food.”
  7. “recommend this place to anyone who likes Thai food.”
  8. “In the end, I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would love to come back and try the seafood soup.”
  9. “Best thai food in NYC”
  10. “With all the great Thai food in New York City I would never go here again and recommend no one else go there either!”
  11. “My main complaint is that the food was terrible!”
  12. “Although not the best Thai food I have had, The dishes were all very tasty.”
  13. “The food is excellent.”
  14. “We put up with the poor service in exchange for great Thai food, but that is no longer.”
  15. “Not at all, below average food, terrible service, noisy loud ambience, overall not recommended.”
  16. “The food is great but they're getting cheap with you.”
  17. “Awkward service, but good food”
  18. “I'm a professional reviewer so usually the restaurant experience is a combination of how tasty the food is, the level of service and ambience and of course value for money.”
  19. “My meal was excellent, but I would have preferred more spice.”
  20. “The chicken and fish cakes were excellent, but the egg roll was missing something.”
  21. “had made a order and half way through they said they didnt have it and so had to reorder, they recommended a dish more expensive that would come quicker.”
  22. “the food is not good at all (for great thai food, visit "THAI NY", right next door!”
  23. “Be prepared for friendly but slow and forgetful service, and don't expect the spice level to be anywhere near authentic.”
  24. “The fish we ordered was so dry.”
  25. “it has superb dishes that are dependably good and the service is great).”
  26. “Its the best thai food in town.”
  27. “Authentic yummy food”
  28. “The food here is excellent, the service wasn't that bad when I went.”
  29. “not that good and oily food”
  30. “On the food, which was very good, a word of warning: If you're used to ordering your curry with medium spice, you might want to consider the mild.”
  31. “Maybe I'm just not used to authentic Thai cooking, but I like spice and I didn't want to order "mild.”
  32. “Jaiya has the best authentic Thai food in town.”
  33. “Very good food, distracted service people.”
  34. “Which is really sad cuz the food is really good here.”
  35. “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.”
  36. “To be fair the food is good but the service, or lack thereof is ridiculously horrible.”
  37. “like their garlic chicken, so I kept on going back there.”
  38. “Even though some dishes are quite flavorful, food is always consistently oily.”
  39. “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.”
  40. “That in itself wouldn't have been a big annoyance, but there were several instances during the meal when they had to come back and tell us they didn't have the item we had ordered.”
  41. “Everyone in my party had disgusting food.”
  42. “The spicy thai style soup is amazing, and will easily clear up any sinus problems you might have.”
  43. “Great Thai food at a great price”
  44. “Their fried rice and soups are the best.”
  45. “For years this has been our place to go for reliably spicy good Thai food.”
  46. “If you go, the crab fried rice is dynamite and the laab nur is delicious.”
menu variety
0.0% positive
  1. “Regardless, we requested a dessert menu, which she never brought, and the 15% gratuity was slapped on automatically despite our protests of bad service.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “So I typed in best thai in NYC in google and I liked this restaurant's website.”
  2. “How this restaurant was rated to be one of best thai restaurant's in NYC is a bigger mystery than the Bermuda Triangle.”
  3. “Jaiya used to be a great Thai restaurant in town.”
  4. “Easily my favorite restaurant in NYC.”
return potential
50.0% positive
  1. “In the end, I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would love to come back and try the seafood soup.”
  2. “That in itself wouldn't have been a big annoyance, but there were several instances during the meal when they had to come back and tell us they didn't have the item we had ordered.”
service
41.66999816894531% positive
  1. “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.”
  2. “Awkward service, but good food”
  3. “weird service”
  4. “it has superb dishes that are dependably good and the service is great).”
  5. “Some of the servers were cleaning the big crystal lamp - which I found so weird during dinner time.”
  6. “Our waitress was pretty nice.”
  7. “BUT the service is really weird.”
  8. “The food here is excellent, the service wasn't that bad when I went.”
  9. “To be fair the food is good but the service, or lack thereof is ridiculously horrible.”
  10. “This place is expensive, tiny portions, and the staff is not nice.”
  11. “Regardless, we requested a dessert menu, which she never brought, and the 15% gratuity was slapped on automatically despite our protests of bad service.”
  12. “Not at all, below average food, terrible service, noisy loud ambience, overall not recommended.”
  13. “Once we got seated after half-hour, the service from was appalling.”
  14. “Very good food, distracted service people.”
  15. “The service, however is EXTREMELY BAD.”
  16. “they were rude and ignored us--we couldn't even order another appetizer.”
  17. “We put up with the poor service in exchange for great Thai food, but that is no longer.”
  18. “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.”
  19. “The service is not bad and the ambience is okay too, but the offd.”
  20. “The service was polite, but awkward.”
  21. “at jaiya thai, however, the service is absolutely terrible (and i'm usually not one to care about service).”
  22. “after telling the waitress, and then the manager that the appetizer (sausage) was inedible, the entire evening went downhill.”
  23. “I'm a professional reviewer so usually the restaurant experience is a combination of how tasty the food is, the level of service and ambience and of course value for money.”
  24. “The service was not that friendly.”
  25. “Be prepared for friendly but slow and forgetful service, and don't expect the spice level to be anywhere near authentic.”
  26. “Yes, the service is a bit spotty, but the portions are of a decent size, and the cost isn't all that bad.”
value
68.75% positive
  1. “Great Thai food at a great price”
  2. “The food is great but they're getting cheap with you.”
  3. “I'm a professional reviewer so usually the restaurant experience is a combination of how tasty the food is, the level of service and ambience and of course value for money.”
  4. “Great thai food, affordable and fast delivery!”
  5. “had made a order and half way through they said they didnt have it and so had to reorder, they recommended a dish more expensive that would come quicker.”
  6. “This place is expensive, tiny portions, and the staff is not nice.”
  7. “The food, I would say, is very good, though a bit pricey compared to neighboring restaurants.”
  8. “Yes, the service is a bit spotty, but the portions are of a decent size, and the cost isn't all that bad.”
wait time
16.670000553131104% positive
  1. “Be prepared for friendly but slow and forgetful service, and don't expect the spice level to be anywhere near authentic.”
  2. “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.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/09/10

has really gone downhill

by cpandar at Citysearch

For those who are wondering why this place is often called "the best thai in NYC," well, it used to be. It's gone downhill in the last year and a half. Somehow they simultaneously redecorated the interior and took all the flavor out of the food.

I've stopped eating at Jaiya, but this place used to be amazing.

1 Star Rating: Poor

07/12/09

Not the best thai in nyc

by FabianM at Citysearch

I flew in from Bermuda and my friend and I wanted some thai food. So I typed in best thai in NYC in google and I liked this restaurant's website. But what you see and what you get are two different things. I called their restaurant twice and emailed them twice and no one replied.

The food was below average. How this restaurant was rated to be one of best thai restaurant's in NYC is a bigger mystery than the Bermuda Triangle.

And to top it off. After leaving $3 change the waitress came back pointing out that the tip was below the 17% 18% and 20% Normally I would tip 20 -25% but this service did not even deserve the $3

  • Pros: none
  • Cons: awful service and below average food
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/10/09

Best Thai in NY

by Newyorking at Citysearch

The food is DELICIOUS!!! I tried Jaiya after reading good reviews and was not disappointed. I had their lunch special the first time, and dinner the next. Each dish I ordered had its own taste level and did not borrow curries from other dishes. I enjoyed the food, which was excellent. Beware of the spice level though. I am Indian and love spicy food, and can take all kinds of spicy, but DO NOT ask for VERY spicy. Your tongue will burn like hell. Medium spicy is very spicy, so stick with mild if you don't like spicy food. But the food is oh so delicious and worth it. The best in the city, and I live in Hell's Kitchen so have tried the umpteen Thai places here.

  • Pros: Yummy yummy food
  • Cons: Tiny place
1 Star Rating: Poor

09/22/08

Below Average Food, Terrible Service, and Loud Noisy Ambience.

by lovefood333 at Citysearch

I'm a professional reviewer so usually the restaurant experience is a combination of how tasty the food is, the level of service and ambience and of course value for money.

Food

The food is below average, there's really no taste to it at all. Its just very spicey, and I can handle spice so it wasnt a problem, but if you get over the spicey hot taste, there's no flavor.

Service is Terrible

I saw a family wait for 40 minutes, their name was next on the wait list, I was standing at the bar and could follow the conversation, and then when it was their turn, the host gave their table away to another group, who was her friend who spoke her language (from the same region). When the family mildly protested she said they had come there first, which was rightly contradicted and they they made up a new reason and said no these guests had reservations, which was totally untrue as I was on the reservation list and saw there was no other person there. Which was quite inscrupulous and not professional. The family who waited 40 minutes left.

The waiters are over eager to take your order and rush you out the door with the bill paid, so you have to eat fast or worry about the waiters howevering around you asking if you are done, this was done in more than a few tables I noticed. I had made a order and half way through they said they didnt have it and so had to reorder, they recommended a dish more expensive that would come quicker.

The Ambience

Extremely loud and noisy, packed into a small sitting area, elbow to elbow with other guests and you just cant have a decent conversation with your dinner company.

Value for Money

Not at all, below average food, terrible service, noisy loud ambience, overall not recommended.

Thank you.

  • Pros: Very little, food came reasonably quick.
  • Cons: Terrible Service, below average food, extremely noisy environment.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/22/08

Awkward service, but good food

by veat at Citysearch

The service was polite, but awkward. At times, the waitstaff seemed overeager -- to take our drink order only moments after our arrival, and to take our money just moments after handing us the check (We were still sorting out our cash on the table when a waiter came and tried to take the black book away). That in itself wouldn't have been a big annoyance, but there were several instances during the meal when they had to come back and tell us they didn't have the item we had ordered. We asked for a $26 bottle of wine -- "Sorry, we only have this $30 bottle of wine." We asked for jasmine rice -- "Sorry, we only have sticky rice." At that point, both my friend and I were getting a little frustrated. On the food, which was very good, a word of warning: If you're used to ordering your curry with medium spice, you might want to consider the mild. My medium was more like a 5 out of 5 as far as I was concerned. Any spicier and it simply wouldn't have been edible for me. Maybe I'm just not used to authentic Thai cooking, but I like spice and I didn't want to order "mild." Oh well, if I go back, I'll know better.

  • Pros: good food, no reservation needed for party of 2
  • Cons: awkward, poorly timed service

The Details on Jaiya Thai Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • good authentic thai food
  • slow terrible service
  • best thai
  • polite service
  • disgusting spicy food
  • superb dishes
  • favorite thai restaurant
  • not amazing place
  • great meal
  • affordable delivery
  • excellent cakes
  • terrible loud ambience
  • delicious laab nur
  • big crystal lamp
  • good very
  • like spice
  • not nice staff
  • dry fish
  • really weird orders
  • like heat
  • like garlic chicken
  • amazing spicy thai style soup
  • decent conversation
  • inedible appetizer
  • love foooooooooood