Siam Ruby Cafe

[tommy]

(201) 291 - 1144. 184 West Passaic St Rochelle Park, NJ 07662

this place opened and then closed for a while and now it's open again. it's an old luncheonette, and nothing much has changed on that front.

the food, however it's quite good. given the atomsphere i don't know if it's worth a special trip, but it's certainly as good as Malee and has a more extensive menu (although the menu does seem limited to the usual suspects). and it's dirt cheap.

it's right near the shoprite, which has a liquor store, which has a suprisingly decent selection of cold wine, including some riesling, which is a good thing. it's about 1 minute off of exit 161 of the parkway (northbound) and 1 minute from 4 or 17.

closed monday and tuesday.

[Curlz]

Good to know you're still out there checking out the new restaurants for us, Tommy! Is this Thai? Malaysian?

[zhelder]

I went to this place several months ago for takeout. I got pad thai and the coconut milk soup (thom kha kai?). I thought it was good and reasonably priced. Another good reasonably priced thai restaurant is in Bangkok Grille around the corner from the Stop & Shop in Hackensack. Too bad there aren't more thai restaurants in the area. There are a few, but many are too high fallutin (expensive) for me. These two are good and reasonably priced.

[tommy]

Good to know you're still out there checking out the new restaurants for us, Tommy!    Is this Thai? Malaysian?

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thai.

my thoughts on urine and jackensack's Bangkok Grill here.

[menton1]

Wow, thanks-- I pass this place often, but it seemed like such a hole in the wall I would never dream of going in-- maybe it's good for a lunch or take-out. Anything other than the usual Pad Thai and the coconut creams?

I also passed Pimaan in Emerson recently and it was pretty busy. Nicer environment than Siam Ruby. Also the usual Thai offerings there as well?

Edited June 15, 2005 by menton1 (log)

[Curlz]

Why I miss Tommy:

my thoughts on urine and jackensack's Bangkok Grill here.

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I read that about nine times because I was sure I had misread it.

[tommy]

Wow, thanks-- I pass this place often, but it seemed like such a hole in the wall I would never dream of going in--  maybe it's good for a lunch or take-out.  Anything other than the usual Pad Thai and the coconut creams? 

I also passed Pimaan in Emerson recently and it was pretty busy.  Nicer environment than Siam Ruby.  Also the usual Thai offerings there as well?

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for some reason posters soured on Pimaan. i find it pretty good. they have some out-of-the-ordinary selections. one that stands out is a steamed fish with an acidic broth . i forget what they call it, but it's a great summer dish.

Siam Ruby is certainly nothing to look at. But it's good. It's literally an old luncheonette, if i even know what that means. they have a very good duck salad. Give it a shot for take-out at the very least. i'd say if you find yourself at the mall that it's a much better option for a quick bit than anything there (although i know you're partial to your beloved Napa Grille).

[menton1]

although i know you're partial to your beloved Napa Grille

"Beloved"? Hmmm... I give Napa Valley Grille about a "C". The only good thing about it is that it is the best the Mall can offer. Lunch isn't bad, sometimes some decent specials, and the ambience is quite nice, large tables with REAL tablecloths. But nothing I would ever go on a special trip to.

On the other hand, Maywood Seafood Gourmet is another hole-in-the- wall nearby with above-average fresh fish, very good prepared to order dishes, and terrific chowders. Now that's worth a detour!

[ghostrider]

I went to this place several months ago for takeout. I got pad thai and the coconut milk soup (thom kha kai?). I thought it was good and reasonably priced. Another good reasonably priced thai restaurant is in Bangkok Grille around the corner from the Stop & Shop in Hackensack. Too bad there aren't more thai restaurants in the area. There are a few, but many are too high fallutin (expensive) for me. These two are good and reasonably priced.

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Search eG for Wondee's. If you're already in Hackensack, no reason to go elsewhere. IMHO of course.

Edited June 15, 2005 by ghostrider (log)

[GoodEater]

Went here last night for the first time. (Second time for my parents) Even though the place is not much to look at the food was excellent. The food is as good as Wondee's but their menu is more limited. Prices were very, very reasonable.

The owner said that she closed the restaurant temporarily because there were too few customers coming in. She reopened in April but said that business is very slow. I agree with Tommy that if you are at the GS Plaza it is well worth it to drive around the corner for this place than to eat at the food court. Hopefully all of the E-gullet people can help her keep the place open. I know that my family will be going back soon.

They use the perfect amount of oil and they adjusted the spice level (read heat) of the food to our tastes. (We like the food to be very spicy but not so much that it overwhelms all of the other flavor components). Every dish we order was a winner. That is a very rare happening at most restaurants.

Please give this place a try. As has been stated on many E-gullet posts, we can't let the chain restaurant knock out all of the hard-working independent owner who deserve a chance.

[zhelder]

I don't get it. Restaurants charging $50 a plate for two salad shrimp and half a baby potato are thriving and good, cheap restaurants like this are suffering. I have to admit that I have been to this place only once, but it is a bit of a distance for me to go as often as I'd like. I will make sure I go there more regularly. The food is good and the prices are great. The highbrow Ridgewood Thai restaurants charge at least double the price of this place, and the food isn't as good, and they have no problem drawing business. What gives?

[menton1]

I don't get it. Restaurants charging $50 a plate for two salad shrimp and half a baby potato are thriving and good, cheap restaurants like this are suffering. I have to admit that I have been to this place only once, but it is a bit of a distance for me to go as often as I'd like. I will make sure I go there more regularly. The food is good and the prices are great. The highbrow Ridgewood Thai restaurants charge at least double the price of this place, and the food isn't as good, and they have no problem drawing business. What gives?

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An easy one. Environment is the first thing to bring you in to a restaurant for the first time. Also, Thai food is a more sophisticated type of food, and this is in a really blue collar strip. The folks in this area probably would prefer Chinese takeout, egg rolls, fried rice, and the like. Also, being empty is self-perpetuating. It's tough to walk into an empty restaurant and dine alone, you wonder why no one else is there.

[zhelder]

OK, everyone. Siam Ruby Cafe needs our help! While getting some dinner for takeout tonight, I had a nice long talk with one of the owners of this place. She said that her business has been very slow and she may have to close up for good! She closed for a few months a while back and decided to give the restaurant another shot, but she needs more buisness!

If you like Thai food, please give the place a shot. The food is excellent, and the prices are very low. I told her I would scan the menu to place on EGullet. I never uploaded photos on EGullet before, so I hope this works:

Please try to give this restaurant a shot. I need to go there more myself. There aren't many Thai restaurants in Northern NJ, and of the few that are around, several are very expensive. Siam Ruby Cafe offers great food for low prices. They are in a tiny little strip on W. Passaic Street near the Shop Rite, along with a few other small stores. The sign is hard to see from the road, but they're there! Please try them and tell your friends. It would be a shame to lose this restaurant. Thanks for your help!