Jinda Thai

1-7 Ferguson St 

Abbotsford, VIC 3067

I didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to say this so soon but, Melbourne’s Thai food is pretty great. Still not Sydney mind you, but I am no longer seriously considering flying interstate just for my Thai fix.

Jinda Thai is the new it thing when it comes to Thai food. Between bloggers, my co-workers, and mum’s co-workers, I’ve had no less than half a dozen people telling me how great it is. Heck it even came up in a 1 minute conversation I had with a stranger. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited.

Jinda Thai is a nice place. A really nice place. Take away the little ethnic touches and the bare brick dining hall, with its floral cushions and deliberately aged furniture, could start serving up eggs hollandaise.

But still, this is serious business. Before our meal had even started, a basket of condiments was placed on our table, consisting of chilli in 4 different incarnations... and sugar, just in case you like your pad Thai sweet and dessert sweeter. 

Cha Yen ($3)

You can’t have Thai food without something to quench the heat, and I’ve heard great things about the Cha Yen ($3) – Thai milk tea, all of which were true. It was creamy and sweet, and whilst I would’ve liked a slightly stronger tea, the floral addition of orange blossom water was delicious. 

Boat Noodles with Beef and Flat Rice Noodle ($6, small)

The boat noodles are a specialty of Jinda Thai; you can see a bowl of it on every table because after all, you can’t get it anywhere else in Melbourne (as far as I know anyway).

Boat Noodles with Beef and Flat Rice Noodle ($6, small)

The noodles are fully customisable, and we chose to have Boat Noodles with Beef and Flat Rice Noodle ($6, small). Though the murky soup doesn’t make an appetising first impression, it is actually nutty and herbal on the palate, wafting with the sweet aroma of aniseed and cinnamon. The ribbons of noodle were smooth and slippery – a hearty meal paired with tender beef slices and pork crackling. 

Chicken Larb ($12.9)

After the no-brainer choice of boat noodles, our decisions became a little harder. And somehow, even with the intention of trying something different, I ended up with one of my all time favourite dishes, Chicken Larb ($12.9). This bright and tangy mince, tossed with toasted rice and herbs, doesn’t hold back on the spice or the flavour. I wasn’t sure about the handful of Mesclun on top but this dish was a nevertheless a fiery success. 

Massaman Curry ($14.9)

Whilst I was braving the spice in the larb, Chris made his happy way through the many tender chunks of beef in the Massaman Curry ($14.9). It was a rich and comforting meal, the sweet and creamy curry sauce even better over the Coconut Rice ($3.5) laced with lemongrass.

Pandan Cake with Ice Cream ($8.5)

Pandan Cake with Ice Cream ($8.5)

The portions at Jinda are a tad small, but I didn’t mind as it left me with room for the phenomenal Pandan Cake with Ice Cream ($8.5). Though it looked like one whole slice, the cake actually consisted of beautiful silken, melt in the mouth layers of crèpes under thick pandan cream. The accompanying coconut ice cream was similarly delightful, its light and icy texture and chunks of coconut a natural pairing to the indulgent cake.

Though not perfect, Jinda Thai is still pretty great. There are heaps of things left on the menu that I would love to come back and try. I will officially stop ranting about Melbourne’s Thai food (or lack thereof) from now on.

Rating: 14/20

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.