Jo's Modern Thai

One of my favorite new spots. Came here with some friends and we all had a great time and loved everything we ate. The place had a great vibe, nice lighting, good music. Lots of unique options on the menu, interesting cocktails and solid N/A options. The server we had was really nice. Would absolutely recommend the wings, crab rice, pork belly curry, drunken noodles (spicy!)... And really anything else. Everything we had was great (see photos). We will definitely be coming back

Update 2/4/24 Oh my god. The spicy brussels sprouts. So bummed it had to share it. Next time I'm getting my own! Also, you can get the pad thai w/out lobster so it's a bit more reasonable. Still pricy, but honesty the best one I can find in the area. ======= This review encompass two separate visits: last week a friend and I had an early 5:30 dinner in the outdoor rear seating area; and tonite I ordered take-away. Tonite's take-away was the green papaya salad, and the Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodle). The Drunken Noodle was interesting, as is all of Jo's Modern Thai, there's always some kind of twist or unexpected element to their interpretations of the classics. I've come to expect drunken noodles to be a pretty "wet" dish with a lot of gravy. Not really my cup of tea, but Jo's version is quite dry which I like. The noodles are thin, light "instant ramen" style noodles which I also enjoyed, boldly flavored stired fried with onion, bell pepper, and topped with fresh basel. The real.... creative element here is the BBQ beef brisket. I found it kind of dry, and felt it wanted to be moister given the overall dryness of the rest. And it's not heavily flavored meat; the smoke is def. there though and certainly adds an interesting twist. I ordered "thai spicy" which contrary to what I've always understood, is their "medium spicy" level (waitress clarified that to me when I ordered). Which is good because i always order spicy and their "thai spicy" level was pretty damn spicy. At $21 not sure I"d order again, but maybe. The green papaya salad's "twist" is the fresh cut apples; a nice variation. The lime dressing was solid and overall I liked the dish, would order again but I do prefer the dressing to have an even stronger lime/vinegar presence then it had. My favorites were from last week, though. First, the Oyster appetizer was just outstanding. Beautiful to behold, with an initial mignonette-like vinegary front, but exploding into and finishing with a delicious super intense curry bang. We each had one, I will be ordering more (I want at least two to myself!!) next time we eat there. Next, the "Fried Fish Taco" (Miang Pla Lui Saun) was also delightful. I actually got more of the "green papa salad" vibe from this dish (even though it's totally different, hard to explain). The flavors and textures were really well done and executed and it's a really substantial portion. The catfish does not really scream "I'm catfish", it's kinda like deep fried crumbly bits infused in the super intensely flavored lime/nam pla dressing. Will def. order this again. Amazing. The Chef's special "Butterfly Pea Glass Noodle Salad" (not pictured) was solid, but I just wasn't blown away as with the other two dishes. And finally, we just didn't much enjoy the Massaman Curry (also not pictured). It needed more than just the fingerling potatoes and felt like it was missing something. Further, the potatoes were dry and a bit crumbly; if all your going to have is them potatoes, they better be waxy and yellow to stand up to the intensity of the peanut curry. Can't recommend. The bottom line is Jo's is an exciting new restaurant that I'm delighted is in the neighborhood, and I very much look forward to eating at in the future and doing our small part to make them successful.

Went here last night with another couple and had a blast. We had cocktails, two appetizers, 3 different entrees, and dessert. The owner was even kind enough to speak to us, but the entire staff was very attentive. The flavors in every dish pop in a great way. I was surprised (in a good way) by the level of spice in the medium dish so maybe go with mild to be safe. Every dish felt like it had a lot of thought put into it. This is a new favorite restaurant for us in Oakland. Real gem. We hope to return and highly recommend it.

New Oakland fav ! Food was delicious, careful with the spice level tho they are serious about their spice. Will be coming back often.

Wonderful food, served quickly. You can definitely taste the intricate flavors they design into their recipes. I highly recommend the Laurel Punch cocktail, although sweet it’s deliciously complex and smooth. The restaurant has indoor (dining room and bar stools) and patio seating. At 8pm on a weekend night, indoor dining room was busy, with one or two tables open. The bar seating was half occupied. For a party of 1 or 2 people, you may not need a reservation. Reservations require a credit card and incur a $25/person fee if canceled less than 24 hours in advance. Dietary restrictions: Gluten free and vegetarian dishes available. Options are also available for dishes to be modified to be gluten free (“GFO”)

We ended up here by accident when another place was closed New Year’s Eve. We didn’t have reservations but they were able to offer us a spot at the bar. I didn’t mean to spend a lot but the food was so good! And the drinks were equally impressive! We tried the mezcal last word- loved it. The oysters were delicious. Everything was great. I just wish I could afford to eat out more often.

Now this is modern Thai. Very interesting combinations of food, nothing like your local pad thai joint. Excellent service and amazing quality food. 12 out of 10

The service was the best. Our server was so knowledgeable of all the food. One of the persons in our party of 4 is allergic to shellfish and made sure to accommodate accordingly. It was a fantastic experience, the food is absolutely amazing as were the cocktails.