The Guardian samples the world’s cuisine in San Diego.  This Week: Thailand

When you approach it from the outside, j.wok looks like a futuristic warehouse, with wide doors and wood paneling on the front — but it’s cozy and welcoming inside. With a mix of blue-collar comfort and chic interior design, j.wok is the perfect place to find delicious, Asian fusion dishes. Located between Horton Plaza and Petco Park, j.wok offers an easygoing restaurant to relax and take in the best that downtown San Diego has to offer.

J.wok’s menu features predominantly Thai curries and noodle dishes, but they also serve Korean and Chinese dishes, like kimchi and kung pao chicken. The appetizer menu has perhaps the greatest and most affordable variety, with dishes ranging from potstickers to egg rolls to short ribs. Get the most bang for your buck with the delicious chicken potstickers starter ($5.75) filled with cabbage, green onion and onion.

Before ordering your main course, take a gander at their drink menu. Looking around the restaurant, it’s clear that the Thai tea ($3.75; with boba, $4.25) is a customer favorite. But if you’re looking for something lighter, go for the mango iced tea ($3.75). There are free refills, and an attentive wait staff will make sure you never get to the bottom of your cup.

As traditional Thai entrees go, j.wok offers two to-die-for curries, the yellow chicken curry and the red curry, in either entree or wrap form. The yellow chicken curry entree ($10.25) comes with white-meat chicken, bell peppers, onion and potato. The red curry ($10.25) comes with your choice of tofu, chicken, beef or shrimp, zucchini, bell peppers and onion. For the same price, you can turn either dish into a crispy roll. Both the entree version and the crispy roll version come with rice and a side salad. The side salad comes with either peanut or a spicy lime dressing. The rice comes steamed, brown or fried, but don’t hesitate to jump for the brown — j.wok cooks it to perfection.

If you aren’t in the mood for a salad-and-rice combination, don’t hesitate to ask your server for a substitute. The Tom Kha (regularly $4.75) comes with either chicken or tofu and is made with coconut milk, cabbage, mushroom, cilantro and limejuice. And if you prefer something light, then try one of j.wok’s several “little plates,” each less than $5. Guests can try out different flavors for themselves or and share their plates buffet style.

J.wok’s dessert menu has just four options, but it’s honestly all they need. Their fried banana with ice cream ($5.75) is melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The wait staff will refuse to disclose too much information about their “secret” J-OMG dish, but it’s worth taking a chance on — at the very least, you’ll learn how the dish got its name.
Next time you need a break after a day of Fashion Valley shopping or are heading to a Padres game, make a pit stop at j.wok. Its chill, industrial vibes will give you the break you need from a high-energy day and excellent food to boot.