I really like Siam Thani, but it is fast taking on the role of Lunchquest’s Bermuda Triangle. Today was our second questing visit, and yet again we really didn’t get the job done properly.
Exterior
Our first visit was back in November. Where’s the review, you ask? Well, the review fell in between the cracks, as that was the point when we were redesigning our site and moving across from Blogger to our hosted WordPress site where we now reside. The review sort of never came to pass, as we were too busy playing with our “new toys” to actually focus on the real task at hand.
And today, when I was joined by regular quester Jane, we forgot to take photos of our main courses! In all the quests so far, this is the first time this has happened, and for it to happen in Siam Thani, site of our only “failed to review” is a spectacular coincidence. I can only apologise to the owners and staff at this lovely Thai restaurant for our lack of focus, on both occasions.
Anyhoo, with the apologies made, on with the review. Siam Thani seats around sixty folks in simple surroundings. At lunchtime you can choose from two menus: their lunch menu, featuring two courses for £10.95; or their full a la carte, offering a wide range of dishes. What you immediately notice, from the dish descriptions is that while the cuisine remains staunchly Thai, they have a strong commitment to drawing upon high-quality local ingredients.
Soup
Jane and I opted for the lunch menu, although narrowing down exact dishes proved quite tricky as they all sounded rather tempting. We eventually settled upon the beautifully titled “profusion of avocado” salad, followed by the beef green curry for Jane, and the wonton soup and massaman gai for me.
Dishes arrived quickly, via our friendly and attentive waiter. The avocado salad comprised avocado, prawns and peanuts wrapped in rice pastry, served with simple, crunchy vegetables. I’d eaten this dish, last time, and it looked as pretty as ever. Jane was very happy with it, indeed.
My soup was enjoyable light broth, with three pork filled wontons lurking within. The soup could have used some extra zing, but the wontons were very enjoyable, so I was happy with the dish.
Main courses arrived promptly, too, with first some nicely fragrant rice then our saucy mains. Both dishes were generously filled with their respective meats, with flavour-rich sauces. My chicken was soft and succulent with the sauce just lovely. Massaman is a really warm hug of a dish and this really hit the spot with arms of enveloping nutty goodness. The sauce on Jane’s dish was a little too thick, but had a good spicy kick to it.
Profusion of avocado
It’s worth remarking that although portion sizes are generous, they are really well-judged, in the sense that we both cleared our plates with both courses. I remember from our previous visit that this was the case, too, so they clearly have the knack for getting the amounts right. This may seem a bit trite, but so many places get portion sizes wrong that it’s worth giving credit where credit is due. Of course, the clean plates are also due to the fact that the food is delicious!
Overall, I really enjoyed Siam Thani. They served us beautifully presented, well-executed dishes, in just the right amounts for a filling lunch. I’d happily go back, next time I’m feeling like Thai food, and would encourage you to do so, when you feel the longing.
Scores
Blythe scores Siam Thani:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 15/20
Jane scores Siam Thani:
4/5 for food
4/5 for presentation
5/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 16/20
Today’s lunch questers were: Jane, Blythe
We ate: avocado and prawn salad wrapped in rice pastry, wonton soup, beef green curry, massaman gai, jasmine rice
We drank: sparkly mineral water
We wore: tweed jacket, pink shirt
Total bill: c.£25
