A boozy, tropical Thai restaurant is headed to Oakland. Jo’s Modern Thai is set to open this summer at 3725 MacArthur Boulevard in the Laurel District, in the former home of the now shuttered West African restaurant Miliki.
Owned by Kao Saelee, an Oakland native whose family also runs Racha Cafe in Berkeley, Jo’s Modern Thai’s mission is “to demystify Thai food and provide a unique yet craveable menu with a full array of food and cocktails,” according to the restaurant’s job posting on Craigslist.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the menu at Jo’s Modern Thai will give traditional Thai food a unique spin, offering modern takes on Thai classics. The space will boast a patio in addition to indoor dining, tropical wallpaper, and terrazzo tile work to give the place a modern, tropical feel.
The vibe here should be pretty different from Oakland’s typical mom-and-pop Thai restaurants, which tend to serve up traditional Thai dishes in a super casual environment. On the contrary, Jo’s Modern Thai seems like a good place to break in a new summer outfit on a night out.
Honestly, a bowl of red curry and a tropical drink in a contemporary, boozy setting sounds pretty great right about now. Unfortunately, Jo’s Modern Thai isn’t expected to open until July 1st. We’re just hoping we can get a table at the grand opening.
