Jatujak brings home a taste of Thailand

If you ask why he likes Thai food so much, Al Purugganan will tell you that he must have been Thai in his past life. Al, who is part owner of Jatujak, the casual dining Thai restaurant with branches at SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, and The Block at SM North Edsa, calls his first taste of Thai food “messianic.” It also isn’t surprising to hear that he has worked with a handful of Thai restaurants in the past 20 years — as kitchen supervisor of Taste of Thailand at Mile Long in Makati City, and restaurant manager of Sala Thai at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel — learning the little secrets that make Thai food taste really good. Nobody else is more qualified to open and run a Thai restaurant.

Indeed, nothing could be more Thai to many Pinoy travelers than the name Jatujak. This weekend market in the heart of Bangkok is so much like our Divisoria, and so much more. For convenience, Al has opted to substitute “J” for the traditional and more familiar “Ch.” “It looks snappier that way. Chatuchak looks too long when spelled out,” he explains.

And what will you find at Jatujak? Everything a Thai food lover could possibly want. Drawing on his experience with Thai restaurants, Al has lovingly selected what he believes Pinoy diners love about Thai food — pad thai, tom yum goong, catfish salad, som tam (papaya salad), chicken pandan, sate, crab cakes, bagoong rice, and mango sticky rice — and other dishes that he is quite fond of and that Filipinos should discover. One of his innovations is the crispy pork salad. The Thais have a similar salad, but to cater to the Pinoys’ love of pork, he added chicharon to what is a green salad of sliced cucumbers and greens.

“It’s either you like it or you don’t,” Al says of Thai food. “Some people have to have their Thai food fix, and they must have it every day. It’s the blend of herbs and spices that make it so addictive.”

He believes the appeal of Thai food for local diners comes from the similarity of some dishes, except that Thai food has a more sophisticated flavor because of the use of herbs and spices. While our sinigang traditionally uses tamarind for flavoring, the Thais add lime, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and wansuey to the mix.

Likewise, Thai food was influenced by Chinese and Malay cookery just like Filipino food. It is the Indian influence that distinguishes it from Filipino food. There are also a lot of grilled items in Thai cooking, as well as the use of coconut milk in many dishes. He says that’s one reason why Thai food must be eaten freshly cooked to appreciate this blending of flavors.

The flavors of most dishes served at Jatujak have been adjusted to suit Filipino palates. Chef Tum, who oversees the different kitchens at Jatujak’s branches, has lived and worked in the Philippines for the past 20 years that she knows the taste buds of local diners.

“But if you want it prepared that Thai way, we can make it really spicy,” Al explains. “If the dishes are too authentic, it might turn off some diners. That’s why first-time guests can always ask how spicy a dish is. They can always say how spicy they want their dishes to be.”

To make Thai food less forbidding for many diners, the restaurant is dressed unlike most traditional Thai restaurants. Gone are the dark wood interiors, the dim light, and the distinctly Thai decorations you would expect. Instead, all branches of Jatujak are dressed in pastel colors with good lighting. However, there will most probably be one Buddha image somewhere in the restaurant to provide the right accent.

The first Jatujak branch opened at the SM Mall of Asia in October 2006, followed by another branch at The Block at SM City North Edsa in March 2007. Its latest branch opened in December last year at the SM Megamall.

To keep flavors authentic, the co-owners travel frequently to Thailand to source ingredients and equipment, which are not available in the Philippines. One is kaffir lime leaf, which is hard to source in Manila. Another is palm sugar, which imparts a distinct sweetness to balance the flavor of many dishes. That is also one reason why there are no sugar-based desserts on the menu.

And no, Thai food isn’t strictly a lunch and dinner thing. The restaurant now offers a number of items suitable for the merienda crowd. Available for choosing are stir-fried noodles, noodle soups, pohpiah (lumpia) and Thai halo-halo.

And since a number of Thais are Buddhists, vegetarians can expect to have their fill here. Apart from a number of vegetarian dishes, popular Thai dishes may also be converted into a vegetarian dish. The popular tom yam goong can be cooked with mushrooms and not shrimps for those who are strict vegetarians. And yes, they will omit the patis from the recipe, too.

At Jatujak, expect to be overwhelmed by portions that are good for three to four diners. Prices are also reasonable, with most dishes ranging from P150 to P250.

Al believes that Thai food has made a comeback, since a number of Thai restaurants have been quite popular lately. He feels Jatujak came at the right time. “The fact that we already have three branches in just a year shows that Thai food is quite popular. We’re happy with our sales, too,” he adds.

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Jatujak is at the second floor, Entertainment Hall, SM Mall of Asia; at the fourth floor, The Block. SM North Edsa; and at the ground floor, in front of Toy Kingdom, SM Megamall A.