JukGajee – Thai on Broad St
How does it work if a Thai restaurant decides it needs to also present burgers on its menu? Annette Batson and I decided to investigate.
JukGajee, on Broad St in Bloomfield, occupies a huge space over two stories, with the upper level dedicated to events and functions. Manager, Chan Vinh, 40, who lives in West Orange and hails from the Chonburi province of Thailand, said JukGajee was his first restaurant and that he had worked before in a restaurant with his father in Yonkers.
He said he decided to add some American options to his menu to allow the general population, which may not be familiar with Thai food, to feel more comfortable. His burgers, however, are flavored with Thai spices and herbs.
Annette and I, however, were bent on sampling the real Thai deal, so we ordered a combination of starters which were served together on a large platter. Spicy and sweet, the potato-filled curry puffs were delicious, the pastry flaky without being greasy; pesto and lime-flavored shrimp rolls were top-notch, while fried spring rolls with carrots and cabbage were on the money. The selection was served with a sweet-sour clear fish-based sauce and a sweet and spicy red sauce.
We asked Chan Vinh to recommend a soup, and he suggested a JukGajee special, the curiously named Rub and Roll Chicken soup. The clear chicken broth burst with stockful flavor and was studded with sliced carrots and some torn napa cabbage. But the best part was the chicken and vegetable-stuffed balls of cellophane noodles – extremely tasty and right up there with the most flavorful of matzah balls.
Another appetizer, Todd Munn Gai, or chicken patties, resembled the fish cakes we were both more familiar with at Thai restaurants – yet another winner, and served with a cucumber vinaigrette and a chilli marmalade.
The one main dish were weren’t too sure of was the pepper and garlic pork, which was unfortunately overzealously salted, ruining all hints of the herbed meat within.
Last, but certainly not least and definitely on the cards for repeat future orders, was the Basila Fish. Crunchy grouper, coated in corn flour and fried, served with a chilli and basil sauce, onions and bell peppers. Here was the heat and tongue-dance we’d both anticipated; the fish was spicy, crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and met its match in the sweet, hot sauce. Divine.
JukGajee
30 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
973-429-1700
Binh Duong Vietnamese, Belleville Ave
Binh Duong is located within the same complex as its better known neighbor, the East-West Market, an Asian grocery store. I don’t know how often I’ve driven past Binh Duong on Belleville Ave, but recently decided to make up for this remissness.
The predominance of north Asian faces at the modestly furnished Vietnamese restaurant, which has been open for six years, was very reassuring.
My companion, fellow Barista Gudrun Lake, and I decided against ordering the ubiquitous Vietnamese pho, if only because noodles in a boiling-hot broth don’t make for easy sharing, and we had heard only good stuff about BD’s pho anyway. We started off with Goi Cuon Chay - fresh, summer rolls stuffed with tofu, vermicelli, beansprouts, mint and lettuce. This was crunchy, its freshness was accentuated by the mint, and it was nicely paired with sweet, peanut sauce – a fitting post-holiday cleansing sort of appetizer.
A second appetizer, Banh Xeo Chay, was picked as a nod to Vietnam’s former French colonial days. This was a crispy crepe which resembles an omelette on the outside (albeit in an exaggerated shade of yellow), comes stuffed either with shrimp or tofu, lettuce and fresh beansprouts. Its vivid coloring and eggy appearance belied its taste though, which was somewhat bland, a mite too oily and not egg-like in the slightest.
The manager, who was helpful and friendly, explained that the dish was meant to be eaten together with a platter of lettuce, mint and cilantro served on the side along with a sweet dipping sauce. Bits of crepe were to be wrapped in lettuce, the herbs added to it, and then dipped in the sauce (made of fish sauce and sugar). This treatment lifted the flavor a little, though not enough to warrant a repeat order next time.
The star of lunch, without a doubt, was the steamed flounder with ginger and scallions. This was pepped up with cilantro and caramelized onions in a sweet, soy-based sauce with ginger and vinegar. Tender and juicy white fish, gently but perfectly flavored with ginger and the hearty sauce. Absolutely delicious and, despite the size of the fish, not heavy at all.
Sauteed lemongrass tofu with bell peppers and onion was also a splendid shade of yellow, possibly being tinged with turmeric. Served with egg noodles, the vegetables were spicy, modestly seasoned and pleasantly al dente. A dish of sauteed mushrooms, baby corn and peppers with tofu in a stock-based sauce was tasty, but resembled the lemongrass tofu dish ingredient-wise.
The beverages were both winners. Coconut water was lightly sweetened, with large chunks of tasty coconut flesh – cool and refreshing.
As always, one can’t lose with Vietnamese coffee. I was offered it black or sweetened, and picked the latter. It was bold and full of chewy, arabica flavor (a good thing), with a most satisfying color – well rounded without being acidic. Order it black if you’re averse to condensed milk – the favored sweetener-creamer in Southeast Asia.
The flavors at Binh Duong were gentle, as they tend to be with Vietnamese food, which relies on broths, ginger, fish sauce, mint and cilantro for liveliness and goes easy on the salt and pepper. But our largely vegetable-based choices might also have limited the scope for flavor.
Whether you’re dining in or ordering a takeaway, definitely try the pho (lauded by many who have tried it), and dishes with meat, fish or shellfish, which will add punches of flavor. Bing Duong’s food is authentic and freshly prepared, and the staff are happy to accommodate dietary requests.
Binh Duong Restaurant
61 1/2 Belleville Ave
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(973) 680-8440
Road trip!
Just curious. Why would North Asian faces be reassuring at a Vietnamese restaurant?
My wife and I had dinner at JukGajee last night (1-14-11). This is a great restaurant waiting to be discovered and I am afraid that once it is, it’s going to be very hard to get a table there. We tried the curry puffs based on the above recommendation and were not disappointed. My advice, if you like Thai, try this place and you might find you like it better that some of the other Thai places in town.
The Conans lunched at Binh Duong on Saturday — I guess a lot of folks read the review because the place was relatively full by the time we finished! We had one of the special soups and a bowl of vermicelli with beef — served with an orange-flavored fish sauce. The food tasted very good, was presented elegantly, and it was a nice portion for the price. The service was rapid and non-intrusive. The Vietnamese Iced Coffee was also very good. We got out of there for about the same amount of money we spend on breakfast / lunch at State Street Diner. We will definitely go back for dinner, and with a larger group to try a wider variety of dishes.
@ricrac and @Conan, glad you enjoyed your meals! @markus: good question. Their presence was reassuring – it suggested to me that the food was authentic and hit the spot for them in terms of Vietnamese flavors.
The Monty Python crew ate there on Saturday night, and had a really nice meal! The wait staff was extremely pleasant and helpful. We had several of the apps that Baristanet shared – we loved the chicken patties, dumplings, shrimp rolls and the soup – all were very good! Our entrees were also very good – the whole crispy fish was a highlight. Also try the pasta dishes – semolina pasta (makes a good leftover – better than rice noodles) with Thai toppings – quite yummy! I judge a good Thai restaurant if I like ALL the food ordered – and here I did. I wish them much success – we’ll be back because it is quite a good value too.
Wow. This place is the real deal. There are a lot of new and established Thai joints in Bloomfield and Montclair, but the food and ambiance set Jukgajee apart from the others. Then there’s the low prices and the value is just amazing. We had the spring roll and vege dumpling appetizers. The rolls were quite good, but the dumplings were absolutely top notch. The dipping sauce was unique as well and tasty. My wife had Vegetable Panang and I had seafood soup or Tom Yum. The curry was tasty and had a great variety of veggies. The seafood soup though, was over the top. Fish, squid, scallops, mussels, shrimp, ginger, pepper and a beautifully spiced broth (went for 4 on the 1 to 5 spice scale). It was truly one of the best Thai dishes that I have ever eaten.
The owners were very hospitable and really cared about what we thought about our experience. When we turned down dessert since we mentioned we had some leftover cake from my wife’s birthday on the previous night, they brought out a piece of delish cheesecake with blueberries on the house. Can’t wait to try the other dishes.
As other commenters have noted, the owners and servers at JukGajee are incredibly warm, helpful, and informative. Went for lunch with a friend yesterday and had the chicken larb (salad), tom ka gai (coconut soup with chicken), and ginger stir fry with veggies. Everything was exceptionally fresh and the flavors bright. The place was pretty empty and the waiter spent a lot of time with us discussing the dishes and how the spiciness differed depending on the region of Thailand where said dish was cooked. He told us the level they usually recommend, but of course we could specify our own preferences. When he didn’t know the answer to some of our questions, he went to the kitchen to query the chefs. I enjoyed the meal so much that I went back tonight with the family and ordered the same soup and salad, as well as spring rolls and a beef noodle dish (pad see ew, my son’s favorite dish). Spring rolls were nice and light. The noodles were good as well, but a little on the sweet side. (We prefer the more nuanced version at Brookside Thai, also on Broad Street in Bloomfield, which uses a black bean-based sauce.) I was skeptical of this place since the way the menu reads, they try to make the names of the dishes more “accessible” to those not familiar with Thai food. I was expecting the food to be toned and dumbed down. I was very pleasantly surprised to find authentic flavors here. I’ll definitely be back to try the mussels (they have 4 versions and claim them to be their specialties) and curries and desserts. Brookside Thai has been our family favorite for a while, but they’ve got some serious competition now.
Haven’t been to Binh Duong for 2 years but my first experience was pretty bad. Our dishes (pho, rice noodles with pork and spring rolls combo, and crispy crepe) were just so-so and the portions small for their prices, relative to other Vietnamese restaurants we frequent. But the real kicker was the critter crawling on the wall next to our table. Shudder. The Asian market next door to it isn’t the cleanest, so I’m not that surprised. Can anyone tell me if it seemed clean?
Binh Duong is not the most stylish place, it could use an interior redesign. The food always seems fresh and very tasty and is in a good price range plus it’s BYOB which we like. Never saw any critters but have in even very pricey restaurants. It is now on it’s 3rd owner.
Been to Lemongrass in Morris Plains where the Thai/Viet food was very good but on our 2nd trip the wait for our dishes was soooooo long & then they came out one at a time. My soft shell crab came out last after everyone was done. Not longing to go back.
Went with a friend to JukGajee last night for dinner. Food was excellent. Had dumplings (pork and veggie) and the dough was light and filling tasty. The main dishes were also very well seasoned (Musamman Chicken and Gingeree Beef). Want to return to curry puff and red curry. I hope it’s successful. Like it much better than Brookside Thai, since the food was more flavorful.