Cafe Joy

Café Joy is closed– it is now Kan Zaman.
Same address but new website– and new food
I used to work near here and the women in the office had unique tastes that normal american hamburgers just would not due for a good meal. So the spicy pumpkin and great hot coffee iced that was Thai coffee were go tos.
BTW — closed.

Café Joy is a Thai restaurant with a secluded, outdoor patio in the back. When we went for lunch at around 12:35PM, we saw only two other customers the whole time we ate. I think I know why.
Place is easily summarized:
+decent prices
+patio in the back, which is great for getting away from the business of downtown
–food was NOT heated, and barely warm (they should either make the food later or at least keep it covered to retain the heat)
–my curry was salty as hell!
Gave this place an extra star because it is well-​decorated and I can see a lot of potential with that patio.

I am sorry Café Joy. But I do not love you long time.
The hubster and I were at the Hallowbaloo street fair and decided to try you b/​c we were SOOO hungry … and you looked so good. There were tons of food trucks … but we chose you … and you let us down.
We had a spring roll and two chicken skewers. Cold, gross, not worth my 5 dollars. To be fair … we were at a street fair — maybe in your actual restaurant your food is delish. My one star is based solely on your street vendorish-​ness. Also, b/​c you didn’t have napkins. Luckily my black cat costume could take me wiping my sticky paws on it.
As I learned in the movie Clueless … I will classify you as Monet. Far from good, but good from afar.

Certain situations bring out a level of desperation in all of us.
It is a sale, where we end up buying a piece of clothing we would never have paid regular price for. We are not going to look any better.
It’s being drunk in a bar and flirting with a man we are not interested in but we blame this ego feed on our intoxicated state. Almost certain disappointment will follow.
For me it was buying a plate of Thai food from Café Joy during Hallowbaloo. I was starving and it had been a long day. Café Joy was the closest food source available. How could I not have seen this coming?
It was $ 7 for one item and $ 9 for two items. Additionally you could buy a spring roll for $ 1 and chicken satay sticks for $ 2. I ended up buying the two plate combo (pad thai with bamboo red curry and cashew chicken) and added a spring roll, chicken satay stick and thai iced tea for a grand total of $ 14. Holy begeezus, did I really spend that much money on a plate of thai food?
I took my plate home and it was one of the worst thai food experiences I’ve ever had. The red curry had little flavor, the cashew chicken was just nasty and my spring roll was ghastly. The one thing which was decent was the thai iced tea. #fail. Desperate times, desperate measures, inevitable disappointment. Learn from this lesson my friends. Learn from it!
Unilocal 365 Challenge: #72/​365 (The Desperation)

Café Joy is a little lunch counter with some outdoor seating that stays open late for First Fridays. I’ve never actually been for lunch, but I adore starting First Fridays in their charming little garden patio. The portions are plentiful for the price, and the food is tasty if not exactly gourmet.
But the real attraction is the BYOB beer garden. It’s a fun and economic way to kick off First Fridays for those of us who aren’t eager to pay for overpriced cocktails on top of the $ 10 cover at Bar 35 or Indigo’s. (Okay, who am I kidding — of course I still drink the cocktails!) There’s tons of seating in the back, so whether you’re coming with your best pal or a large group, you can enjoy a little bit of peace and tranquility back here before wading out into the human sea on Hotel St.

A year ago, I came back from Vegas and I was looking for a place to sit and eat quietly. Just passed the Lions entering Chinatown, I took a left and found Café Joy.
Pumpkin Basil Chicken Stew– 3 ½-​stars– After eating this the first time, I went home to try making my own pumpkin stew – I never knew they could taste so good or be so filling! Firstly, the pumpkin actually lends the stew a salty flavor. Yet, it is soft, well-​cooked and breaks easily as you chew on it. I love the subtle flavors mixed into this stew. The chicken seems to be prepared separately, as it is still very firm, not totally softened and cooked inside the stew. This serving was stronger than the one last year, by the end of my meal, the subtle became more overpowering.
Pineapple Shrimp Curry– 3 ½-​stars– The shrimp have tails. Of course, I should have realized this with my own eyes, but I put an entire shrimp in my mouth and started eating. This uses a sweet, milky coconut sauce with mild spices, lending to the orange color. I felt the the flavor was well-​balanced, not being too sweet as pineapples can be. It was actually interesting, considering the pineapple was like pieces of meat in the curry. Each time I looked, it was like more pineapples were appearing!
Atmosphere– I have yet to venture onto the magical lanai in the back, but I saw lots of people coming and going through – so it must be bigger than I anticipated. Actually, a year ago, I sat alone eating here; a year later, people kept walking in, but it didn’t destroy the calm, laid-​back atmosphere of Café Joy. It was funny, I noted that her daughters were still on the same table playing games.
Service– As people have said, they are very nice here. I even got a «thank you for coming» as I left.
Conclusion– I go here for the quiet atmosphere, but also the delicious plates I usually don’t find elsewhere. As others have said, this is a ‘different’ Thai restaurant. I actually went here because I was eating with a vegetarian, and I knew they had good plates not overwhelmed by meat; while relying on the flavors of fruits, vegetables, and spices to create a meal. The servings are actually good for the price, unless you’re used to heaps of meat and fat, then this isn’t a place to go. The next time I come, I will have to see the back patio.

I went there at around Noon so not too late to get food I got the Sweet Chili chicken, Chicken Panang and Pad Thai Noodles. (see Picture) well for the $ 6.45 price I was a bit disappointed on the amount of food I got, basically 3 pieces of Sweet chili Chicken a small scoop of Chicken Panang the helping of the noodles was at least close to decent. The taste was a bit different from most Thai places I’ve been a bit more on the sweeter side but a lot of spice (not hot more like 5 spice I think).
What I do like about the place is the outdoor hidden oasis in the back that lets you get away from the downtown work environment and lets you feel like you are just relaxing away from it all.
Parking you can park at the parking lots around the area or if you are really lucky you might find one on the street.
So if you like the spices they put on the food which is a bit different taste than most of the Thai places around or want to get to a little hidden oasis then this may be the place for you.

I was excited to try this restaurant because I heard about the outdoor seating area. Unfortunately, the food was so horrible I would not recommend it to any friends nor ever go back. The food was greasy, cold and the curry was coagulated like it had been sitting out for hours (probably the truth). Gross!