Old Siam

[Tweaked]

The Hill's restaurant explosion continues...anyone tried Old Siam on 8th Street yet (formerly Mickey's patio)?

[banco]

The Hill's restaurant explosion continues...anyone tried Old Siam on 8th Street yet (formerly Mickey's patio)?

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There is a review on the "other" board.

[Chef Shogun]

Point of order: 'Other' implies a binary system of boards, and MY 'other' board makes no mention of this particular establishment what-so-ever. Which board is it that has the review?

[Tweaked]

In e-gullet speak, the "other" board means Chowhounds.

[JennyUptown]

So...how do we refer to the other other board then?

[FunJohnny]

The alternative board?

[Tweaked]

The Parallel Board?

[smayman]

Okay - I looked at the "parallel board" and the two reviews up there were good. One was pretty glowing, and one was mediocre, dubbing The Old Siam as americanized, dumbed down Thai food which was still good. The good review mentioned the spring rolls and blanket shrimp as good dishes to try. I may go tonight and come back with more details.

[mnebergall]

I thought the "other board" was chowhound and the parallel board was something else. I see nothing on the parallel board on this.

[Al_Dente]

I plan on giving this place a try sometime this week. I'm hoping for the best.

[smayman]

So I went to Old Siam last night and I have to say I am extremely happy that this restaurant has moved to the hood. My one complaint is that the nice tables in the front of the restaurant near the window are also near the bar, where smoking is allowed. (Yes, the bar is the old Mickey's bar, but it's all dressed up).

That aside, the rest of the experience was great. The 3 boys I was with had beer, but I tried the sake martini which was very nice. We started with the chicken satay which was fine, and the spring rolls which were really good, especially the sauce. We then had a spicy seafood dish, pad thai with shrimp (which I had heard was above average - it was), spinach with black bean sauce, and duck basil. The duck basil was fabulous - crispy chunks of duck in a brown sauce with basil - yum. The spicy seafood dish was three stars spicy - the spice level was perfect - had a good strong kick, but didn't make you feel like your tongue was melting.

On a Monday night at 8 all of the tables were full - a good sign. I'm definitely going to be a regular here.

Edited April 13, 2005 by smayman (log)

[banco]

Had dinner there last night with the wife and the Red Terror (our 4-year-old son). Following raves on this thread, I had the duck with Basil, which was crisp, juicy and with a nice kick. The soup with chicken, coconut and Thai ginger (the name escapes me) was also deep and flavorful, as was the Pad Thai with shrimp. The spring rolls were perfectly cooked, but I kept wishing for a bit more savory flavor or spice to them. Perhaps it would help if they offered them with a meat-based stuffing as well as the vegetarian version. The bar made a perfect martini and our open wine selections were also excellent. Service was friendly and without a hitch.

The place was crammed, even on a Wednesday evening--full of Hillbillies like us starving for a good, moderately priced local restaurant. It's an inviting and pleasant space, and it will be interesting to see when they open the rest of it up. It also looks like a great place to stop in for a drink and a snack later in the evening. My wife and I kept raving how glad we were to have a place like this on the Hill. You'd have thought we spent the last few years in Siberia. But with Montmartre, Belga, and now Siam, things are looking up!

Edited April 14, 2005 by banco (log)