Siam Noodle and Rice (Thai)

Siam Noodle is a quintessential neighborhood restaurant. Located in a depressed part of Uptown in a storefront that's easy to drive by, this restaurant is full of charm. Fresh ingredients, authentic preparations, and friendly service make this place stand out. The various Pad preparations put the standard versions found around Chicago to shame. They also do dishes like papaya salad and Thai fried chicken extremely well. And the specials boards are always interesting.
I can't think of a better bang for the buck in Chicago dining. The only downside is the limited selection of beverages, but hey, bring your own.

For doing a lot of things well year after year, Siam Noodle and Rice is deserving of high praise.

[Edited out of GNR nomination format, since this post was moved to the Eating Out in Chicagoland area of the site.]

Siam Noodle and Rice
4654 N. Sheridan Rd.
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 769-6694

Are there any past threads to link to? I know this place has been talked about, but I have no particular sense of the general view on it (no doubt because it's far from the only place named Siam something or other).

If there hasn't been that much discussion, it might be good to plan a dinner (which could be very informal) or at least make some more posts about specific menu items.

Okay, I went looking through threads the other day and there's not a lot that's more than mild about this place. Anyone want to make a claim or two for certain dishes? I get the impression that it's a venerable place in the Thai community, but nobody seems all that wowed by any dish.

I've been eating Thai at Siam for 12 years now. It's the only Thai place I've found "Fried Dried Beef" - fried bits of jerky with a tangy chili dipping sauce. They made a lovely Khao Nah Ped, I usually order it family style, for extra greens. The Khao Moo Dang is also good, a sliced BBQ pork over rice. I prefer the Tod Mun there and they make balls instead of patties, so they are less greasy.

The standard noodle dishes are always good and are the soups (Tom Yum and Tom Kha)

If some others wanted to do a lunch there, I could get behind that, as I'm home on maternity leave. I'd bring someone small and squawky along.

Mike, sorry about the wild goose chase. I had several excellent meals at this place, and I thought I first heard about it from LTH threads. I now realize that a friend told me about it. But there are some positive mentions around here.

In any case, I do wish people would take another look at this underappreciated restaurant and stop by. I've hit several other LTH Thai favorites, and I think these folks do a great job and hold their own. Since TAC Quick and Spoon are GNR incumbents, I thought there should be other Thai possibilities in the mix.

And kafein, I'm glad you've given them so much support over the years.

Next time I make a nomination I'll be sure to have the requisite threads for backup.

Since TAC Quick and Spoon are incumbents, I thought there should be other Thai possibilities in the GNR mix.

Inclusion in the GNR is merited on community support, which is not evident, not just to be equitable. Siam Noodle and Rice is the Grandfather of Thai restaurants in Chicago and still supported by the Thai community. However there are better Thai restaurants available, which are recognized, patronized by the LTH community and some have GNR status.

I have been to Siam Noodle and Rice a few times in the past. I was with people who wanted to evaluate certain dishes against others offered in other Thai restaurants. Not once did Siam Noodle and Rice offerings better those had elsewhere.

Interestingly, there are Thais who don't necessarily like Spoon Thai. These people are from Bangkok who find Spoon's Northern Thai food different from what they grew up with. It's akin to people from Chicago visiting Bangkok to be treated to genuine American food from Mississippi. While grits, greens and crawfish are delicious, they are not the food a Midwesterner typically grew up eating.

Regards,

I just returned from what I consider to be a decent lunch at Siam Noodle with a few LTH'ers. We went with the specific intention of checking it out for GNR status. While we sampled quite a few dishes (in true LTH fashion) I'd say not one was anything better than good and none even remotely came close to great. Knowing that there's more to it than just the food, like vibe, service, ambiance or that certain hard to define something, nothing I experienced would make me feel differently.

While respectable, we pretty much agreed that the food is on par with numerous other "good" Thai places that are easily found throughout the city. Places that do a decent job, but that I would never be inclined to single out for GNR status or feel compelled to return to, which really is my benchmark. Do I need to go back? That would be a no.

When considering the other wonderful GNR's worthy of the title and at whose alters I worship at, I'd have to say this meal was nowhere near in the same league.

Now, dinner at Xni Pec tonite, that will be a meal worth inclusion on the GNR list.

Well, I feel kindlier than Jazzfood. The larb, the Thai sausage, the Thai fried chicken, and some "thai chicken rolls" were all good to pretty good. Papaya salad was decent but seemed less than absolutely fresh; a chicken dish that was supposed to be authentic Thai was pure Ameri-Thai and the chicken was dried out to boot; I can't blame the restaurant for the fact that certain LTHers inexplicably order a fried rice dish with eggs that is pure 50's Chinese restaurant.

I say "good to pretty good" but when you look at the Thai places that already have GNRs the bar is just set way, way higher-- food at Spoon or TAC or Elephant Thai just pops with fresh spices and mindbending flavors. If it was in your neigborhood, I can see Siam being your neighborhood place, but nothing we had (and we tried pretty hard to order to the restaurant's strengths) ranked with the most outstanding Thai in the city.

Thank you to the LTHers who took the time to make the trek to Siam Noodle. I am sorry your experience was not stellar, but I appreciate that my nomination was given serious consideration.

LTH,

I've always liked Siam Noodle and Rice, as much for it being the first place I tasted Thai Fried Chicken as anything else. Food has always been reliable, solid, enjoyable, but I've never had palate rocking experiences such as Spoon Thai or TAC.

I found our lunch to day right in line with past experience, solid, reliable, not a bad thing at all, and, if there was more of a track record on LTHForum, which is a prerequisite for being awarded an LTHForum GNR, would give Siam Noodle and Rice serious consideration.

I'm a fan of Thai Fried Chicken, Siam Noodle and Rice's version, all wing (both fling and drumette) hit the spot.

Thai Fried Chicken


Larb was fine, but seemed to be missing the 'brightness' I associate with my favorite versions. I'm also a fan of Northern style larb dotted with offal mystery bits which lend a funky deliciousness, SNR was, it seemed, neither.

Larb


Agree with Mike completely about the Ameri-Thai chicken dish (Pad Nam Prig Pao), chicken slightly dry and overall lacking in punch.

Pad Nam Prig Pao


Though I did like the Papaya salad which included small dried shrimp.

Papaya Salad


Overall friendly efficient vibe, I wouldn't hesitate to go back when in the neighborhood and in the mood for Thai.

I understand it's a favorite amongst a segment of the Thai community though, and I've had this conversation in the past, I don't seem to 'get' the elements that cause it to resonate for some.

A few additional pictures of our lunch may be found here

Enjoy,
Gary

Siam Noodle and Rice
4654 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60640
773-769-6694

Mike G wrote: I can't blame the restaurant for the fact that certain LTHers inexplicably order a fried rice dish with eggs that is pure 50's Chinese restaurant.

Mike,

Thai Fried Rice is a completely different dish than the Chinese restaurant version you have stuck in your mind, although I'll agree that yesterday's version was very much like somethig you might find at Orange Garden. When done well, and topped with the requisite deep fried egg with a runny yolk, it's umami up the yin-yang.

As for my opinion of Siam Noodles & Rice, there was nothing to set this restaurant apart from any of dozens of other corner Thai places found throughout the City and Suburbs. I found the food average at best and the location slightly depressing.

I'll agree with CamusMan and say thank you for trying. I'll also agree, after the amazing meal I had at Spoon, in the beginning of July, the flavors there are brighter, but I attributed that more to what we ordered (with the exception of the fried chicken and Nua Nam Tok) they were dishes I had never had before.

At Siam we stick with meat dishes - duck, beef, pork. I'll also concur on the depressing location, but I think it's part of the reason it's kind of amazing the place has survived for so long.

I would be in agreement that it's amazing that this place has been there so long but that in turn does not make it an amazing place.

We're fortunate that the bar is pretty high on Thai food in this city. What we sampled yesterday (with added input from our waiter as to what to order) fell somewhere in the middle, along with scores of other local Thai places. Not one dish was distinguished to be more than average.

kafein wrote:It's the only Thai place I've found "Fried Dried Beef" - fried bits of jerky with a tangy chili dipping sauce.

If this is neua dtaet dtiaw, Spoon makes it.

stevez wrote:When done well, and topped with the requisite deep fried egg with a runny yolk, it's umami up the yin-yang.

Nomination for banner quote!

Thai Avenue on Broadway just south of Argyle also has fried dried beef (and pork, which I think is even better). I had FDB first at the Thai restaurant which was briefly on Western Ave. near Lunt which is now Jesse's Mexican Grill.