Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai Cuisine opened a second restaurant a few weeks ago in Old Ballard. I dined there this evening for the first of what I’m sure will be many, many times — they are within a short walking distance of my apartment.
The atmosphere is similar, but not identical, to their Wallingford location — bright gold and deep burgundy hues, rich wood, botanical and organic shapes, a fresh flower in a small vase on each table. Jhanjay Ballard is quite a bit larger than the one in Wallingford. The spacious dining room feels quite welcoming and offers a good view of the open kitchen.
The food was, of course, delicious. I had the Star Potato Puff (mashed potatoes, green peas, and diced onions seasoned with curry and layered between two lightly pan-fried Roti pancakes, served with cucumber/red onion chili sauce) and Rad Nah (wide rice noodles stir-fried with broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms, swimming in a thick gravy; usually includes egg, but of course I had the vegan version).
The service lived up to that of the original Jhanjay: Attentive, efficient, friendly, and smiling — lots of smiles. The owner, I believe she said her name is Nata (sp?), came over to talk with me for a few minutes after I finished eating. I complimented the beauty of the restaurant, thanked her for a wonderful meal, and warned … I mean, assured … her she’d see me again soon.
Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai Cuisine, 5313 Ballard Ave. NW, near NW Vernon Pl. and the … south? east? southeast? … end of the Ballard Farmers’ Market. Open Monday – Friday, 11am – 10pm and Saturday – Sunday, noon – 10pm. (Jhanjay has not yet updated their Web site with their new location.)
PS: Sorry for the lack of photos to go along with this post. My regular camera is broken, and the camera on my cell phone doesn’t take very good pictures.