What happens when your parents run one of Vancouver's most-loved Thai restaurants...but after it's closed, you're ready to take your family's legacy into its next era?
For Bobby Kongslip and his wife, Chef Bumpen "Nok" Khangrang, the answer is: Open a new Thai restaurant in 麻豆传媒映画that bridges classic and innovative in one dynamic space. Kongslip's parents, Sam and Joy, are enjoying retirement after running SalaThai for nearly 40 years before it closed in April 2024.
Jay Nok Modern Thai will open its doors to the public on Thursday, Feb. 27, following several months of renovations, prep, and planning in the Olympic Village space at 127 W 2nd Ave.
The address was previously The Flying Pig, giving the Jay Nok crew and design firm Jute Studios a great canvas for creating a restaurant space inspired by the lively street food stalls of Bangkok.
New Thai spot has separate lunch, dinner menus
By day, Jay Nok will offer counter service lunch, tapping into the traditional plates and flavours many Vancouverites and visitors came to know at the Kongslip family's legendary SalaThai. That means approachable classics like vibrant papaya salad and noodle dishes, like the Pad Kee Mao (a "drunken" noodle dish with great heat).
Chef Nok is bringing her years of expertise in Thailand and here in 麻豆传媒映画in the SalaThai kitchen to the table, presenting many of the dishes the sorely-missed restaurant's fans cherished and that showcase her skills, down to the intricate knife cuts and sometimes jaw-dropping presentations.
While SalaThai has a bold presence on the lunch menu the room is filled with treasures from the Kongslip elders' art and decor collection mixed in with elements that represent the next generation, like the street art on the hallway wall and the cheeky restroom signs.
Cocktails and fresh takes on Thai cuisine by night
Come evening, that counter area where daytime orders are placed becomes the DJ booth, and Jay Nok comes alive like the buzzing Bangkok streets.
From the bar, Thai-inspired cocktails will flow, along with wine and beer, all best enjoyed with an evening menu of eats inspired by all of Thailand's regions.
Chef Nok worked with Consulting Chef Clement Chan (Archer, Torafuku) to create a showstopping menu of bold, exciting dishes like an Oxtail Green Curry, a next-level Pad Thai (featuring jumbo prawns wrapped in a delicate egg nest), and hearty Khao Soi.
Jay Nok will be open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.
Video: Peek inside Vancouver's newest Thai restaurant, Jay Nok
A new era of Thai dining is coming to 麻豆传媒映画and here's your look at this exciting new restaurant in Olympic Village. From the next generation of the family behind SalaThai, Jay Nok Modern Thai blends tradition and innovation in a dynamic space filled with family treasures, street art, and bold flavours. By day, it’s a fast, vibrant lunch spot serving Thai classics. By night, it transforms with Thai-inspired cocktails and showstopping dishes. With expertise honed in Thailand and Vancouver, the chefs have perfected dishes like Pad Kee Mao - drunken noodles, whole fried fish, and Pad Thai wrapped in delicate egg and topped with jumbo prawns. Jay Nok opens Feb. 27.
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