Jadjan (จัดจ้าน), is actually the Thai word for strong or intense flavor. And so I already loved the name and philosophy of this restaurant before even going there.
At Jadjan Restaurant (ร้านจัดจ้าน) in Phuket, Thailand, you will find a mix of southern/central Thai food and seafood on their menu. It’s a great, relaxed experience and Chef Dang, the owner and head chef, is knowledgeable and incredibly friendly.
In this post I will quickly share the delicious food I ate.
Meet Chef Dang (or Chef Danny)
Jadjan Restaurant (Jadjan Restaurant) – Phuket, Thailand
First of all, let’s quickly meet Chef Dang (or Danny as he calls himself), owner and head chef of Jadjan (ร้านจัดจ้าน) restaurant.
I got to chat with him a bit while he cooked and heard about his background. The first thing you’ll notice is that Chef Dang is extremely friendly and welcoming. He is the type of chef who comes to say hello at all times, or when he is very busy in the kitchen, he still shouts a “hello” or a “welcome” to anyone who enters.
If you have a few minutes, watch the video above to see Chef Dang’s cooking skills and all the food!
Chef Dang has worked in 5-star hotel restaurants, including the Marriott, for over 20 years. At one point he also worked at Benihana in Texas. But more than 20 years ago, the chef decided to open his own small restaurant in Phuket. And after being with him in the kitchen for a while, I can tell you with certainty that Chef Dang loves what he does and puts his love and care into everything he cooks.
Jadjan is also included in the file Michelin Guide Phuket.
Delicious fish curry!
Fish Curry (Gaeng Pla Fish Curry)
I must first tell you that one of the most famous dishes at Jadjan restaurant is crab curry with wild betel leaves.
But unfortunately, the day we went for lunch, it didn’t have crab (Chef Dang said he normally has it for dinner). But he recommended some fresh fish for the day, “pla mong hui siem (ปลามงหัวเซี้ยม, I think in English it’s longnose emperor fish, not entirely sure)”, which he said was really delicious in a coconut milk curry. This is what we ordered.
It was delicious. The fish itself was plump and fresh, and he made a curry that wasn’t as powerfully flavored as some southern Thai curries, but kind of a balance between southern Thai and central Thai. It almost tasted like a panang curry. However, it was delicious and very fragrant with a handful of finely chopped kaffir lime leaves.
Tom yum with seafood
Seafood Tom Yum (seafood tom yum talay)
Next we ordered the mixed seafood tom yum and ordered it “nam khon”, which means the milk version of tom yum, which includes evaporated milk.
My wife particularly liked the tom yum, with a delicate, creamy soup base, lots of seafood, mainly fish and calamari, and a good balance of salty, sweet and spicy.
I can never stop myself from ordering stinky beans
Shrimp, stink beans (goong kapi sataw)
Then prawns with stinky beans fried in prawn paste with minced pork. She fried this dish over high heat in a flame and a cloud of smoke, so what struck me was the vibrant smoky flavor. Shrimp paste always gives a boost of umami and the stinky beans were huge.
It could have been spicier for me, but the flavor was wonderful and smoky.
The fried garlic calamari was one of the best dishes
Fried calamari, fresh chillies (meuk tod prik sod)
But without a doubt the meuk tod prik sod (หมึกทอดพริกสด) was the highlight for me and one of the best versions of this dish that I ate in Thailand. Even though they called it fried calamari with fresh chilies on the menu, it was more like fried garlic calamari.
To prepare this dish, Chef Dang mixed the squid with a little seasoning, a sprinkle of flour, a generous handful of garlic and fresh chilies, then fried everything. There was so much garlic that the whole jumble was sticky. If you love crispy fried garlic, this is a must.
Our total bill for everything we ate
Total price
The total price has arrived 910 THB ($28.95 at the time of writing), which is reasonable for the fish we ate, the quality and portion sizes are pretty good too. Also included in our bill (but not pictured in this article), my son got the crab fried rice (khao pad boo ข้าวผัดปู), which was amazing – I had a few bites!
Although the name of the restaurant is Jadjan Restaurant (ร้านจัดจ้าน), which means intensely flavoured, the food here is not extremely spicy like in other restaurants in Phuket, but I think what the name implies is that the food is very well seasoned and balanced.
Our meal at Jadjan Restaurant (Jadjan Restaurant), Phuket, Thailand
For me, the food was delicious and I especially appreciated it because it is a family restaurant where everyone can enjoy themselves. My wife loved the food, as did my son.
It’s a great family restaurant, delicious food, simple, relaxed and friendly.
Jadjan Restaurant (Jadjan Restaurant) – Phuket, Thailand
Address: 9, 3 Sakdidet Rd, Tambon Talat New, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000 (Google Maps), located in Phuket Town, just south of the Old Town.
Opening time: every day from 10.30am to 10.00pm
Prices: Our total bill arrived 910 THB ($28.95)
