Siam

[Jason Perlow]

Several nights ago, I went with Rachel and Jhlurie to a new Thai restaurant in Fort Lee, Siam.

Siam is located on the bottom of the hill on the intersection of River Road and Main Street -- it has parking, but the entrance is on River Road behind another building. Previously, it was the site of a persian restaurant, which closed over the summer.

Siam is clearly aiming for the upscale crowd -- most entrees are ฝ.95 and up, which is on the upper end of your typical Thai restaurant. The menu is a mixture of "fancy" thai dishes clearly aimed at the fine dining customer, as well as many traditional items as well. In Fort Lee, which is literally inundated with Korean restaurants, an upscale Thai is a nice change of pace.

We started with the Thai spring rolls, which were very crispy on the outside and had a mixture of clear noodles, pork and various herbs on the inside, with a sweet dipping sauce on the side. These were very good, and not at all greasy. We ordered both the Tom Yum Goong (Shrimp in clear hot and sour broth) and the Tom Kha Gai (chicken soup with coconut milk), and emphasized we wanted it Thai Spicy -- thankfully, Siam did not disappoint. These both came out very hot, with plenty of cilantro, galangal and lemongrass in them (not to mention a profuse amount of red chili oil and chopped green thai chile), and are some of the best examples I've tried, although I would say the chicken one was probably slightly better.

Rachel had a fresh fish dish, which she liked very much, but as I don't eat cooked fish (I vastly prefer sushi) I didnt pay much attention to it. Jhlurie and I shared a dry curry, Pad Prik Khing with sliced pork, which was simply the sliced pork sauteed in the curry paste mixed up with some green beans and some green pepper (no coconut milk)-- it was a great example of less is more, it was also ordered Thai Spicy and was incredibly hot, probably one of the best Prik Khings I've ever had. We also shared a Yum Neur beef salad, which was very good and made with good quality beef but for some reason I somewhat prefer the versions at Wondees and Bangkok Garden in Hackensack, which have a stronger shallot/lime flavor.

I'd also like to make a note about the service, which was VERY attentive. Water glasses were refilled every few minutes, and the waitstaff appeared very nicely trained overall, which is a huge plus.

All of us walked out satisfied, and we'll definitely be back. Fort Lee has lacked a decent Thai restaurant for so long, and now finally it has it.  

[Rachel Perlow]

Quote: from Jason Perlow on 10:27 pm on Dec. 13, 2001

Rachel had a fresh fish dish, which she liked very much, but as I don't eat cooked fish (I vastly prefer sushi) I didnt pay much attention to it.

Actually, I think you are thinking of the fish I usually get at Wondee's in Hackensack (consistantly good). The night we ate at Siam I had the Duck Salad, which was excellent. Jon (jhlurie) tasted it and thought it was good too. Even though I ordered it mild, as compared to your usual incendiary, it still had a little heat to it, which was nice. I would say the salads are fine as either the only appetizer or if shared, but not as an entree unless you aren't very hungry, as was the case for me that night.

[tommy]

was the duck in the salad the super-crazy-crispy-roasted-forever kind?   or the fatty-can't-really-eat-this-without-pulling-the-meat-from-the-fat kind.

[Rachel Perlow]

The duck was slices of well done breast meat with crispy skin but still had a layer of fat in between.

Speaking of roast duck. We had Peking Duck at China 46 recently (not something we usually order, but another in the party wanted it), and it was excellent.

[Hank]

Just a bit of additional info about Siam. The owner is a caucasian and his Thai wife and sister-in-law do the cooking and his daughter and he do most of the serving. There is also a young man out front but I am not sure if there is any relationship. The food has been very good the 2 times we have gone but I hope that it being fairly pricey for a Thai restaurant won't turn people off from going there. Right or wrong, many people think that a Thai rest. (likewise Chinese) is a cheap night out. Would be interested to hear your thoughts, comments, about this.

[Jason Perlow]

Well, I have been to inexpensive Thai restaurants but I have also been to very expensive ones as well (Such as New Main Taste in Chatham), there seems to be a lot of leeway with this. Given the economic status of most of Fort Lee's and northern Bergen county's citizens I think Siam should fit in pretty well.

[Rail Paul]

Where is new Main Taste in Chatham?

thanks!

[Jason Perlow]

225 Main St

Chatham, NJ 07928

(973) 635-7333

Nice place, but a little snooty and they only have 1 curry at any particular time.

Another nice thai restaurant nearby is:

Thai Elephant Bistro

504 Millburn Ave

Short Hills, NJ 07078

(973) 376-8450

Also pricey but their menu is a bit more varied.

for a bit more family-oriented thai, I would go to:

Morris Thai Cuisine

1975 Morris Ave

Union, NJ 07083

(908) 688-5678

Several different types of curries on the menu which you can have with any meat you want, also really good appetizers and not expensive at all.

[tommy]

is siam BYO?  if not, what was the wine list like?  thanks.

[Rachel Perlow]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think they have a liquor license because there is a bar towards the front. Obviously, we didn't drink any alcohol when we were there, but the Thai Iced Tea was good.