Silom 12

Silom 12 has opened in the old Cafe Matou space at 1846 N. Milwaukee, just south of Oakley, in Bucktown. We tried it last night with interestingly mixed results. Very complex flavor and skillful preparation (nice sear on the noodle; chicken not overcooked; veg fresh and not overcooked) in Paht Siew; unusual and tasty (if a tad greasy) Duck Delight; and Silom Salad, whose "crispy papaya" we sadly mistook for "green" when they meant "fried". The ambitious menu (noodlehouse standards but also adventurous entrees like Osso Bucco) and the good location (with nice decor and friendly service) will bring us back.
http://www.silom12chicago.com/

annak wrote:Silom 12 has opened in the old Cafe Matou space at 1846 N. Milwaukee, just south of Oakley, in Bucktown. We tried it last night with interestingly mixed results. Very complex flavor and skillful preparation (nice sear on the noodle; chicken not overcooked; veg fresh and not overcooked) in Paht Siew; unusual and tasty (if a tad greasy) Duck Delight; and Silom Salad, whose "crispy papaya" we sadly mistook for "green" when they meant "fried". The ambitious menu (noodlehouse standards but also adventurous entrees like Osso Bucco) and the good location (with nice decor and friendly service) will bring us back.
http://www.silom12chicago.com/

Steve Dolinsky was not impressed: http://twitter.com/stevedolinsky/status ... 8392699904
http://twitter.com/stevedolinsky/status ... 7157576704

We've been twice and really enjoyed it. Fresh bright complex flavors and good service. Walkable from home and BYO. They seem to be trying to be a little fancier than a standard Amerithai place, with as good food as somewhere like TAC. It's got more of a loungey feel. It was quite noisy last night, there was a 6-top having a vociferous whole-table discussion. They take reservations but there were plenty of available tables at 8 on Friday - it didn't feel empty, but they should have more people in there on a weekend night to survive, I'd think...?

We have stopped here a few times for dinner while out for an evening walk. Perfect location across from my favorite wine shop, Red & White, and I can walk over with a great bottle. Last trip was a delicious Matin Calme Sans Temps carignan. I have never seen this bottle before, but love their Ose white blend

Our last visit was a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening and it was extremely quiet, hope they get more business. It would be a loss for the neighborhood.

Everything we have had has been very fresh and well executed. We really love their version of green papaya salad.

7 years since my first post - and we very happily eat here frequently. Or, rather, as I suspect is the case for many families in the neighborhood (hence the longevity despite the emptiness you observed?), we get take out here frequently. The food is very fresh, they do a great job not overcooking vegetables, and we enjoy the menu very much.