Review: @Siam Thai Cafe
A taste of… @Siam Thai Street Food Cafe, 22 Heuheu St, Taupo. Open seven days for dinner and Monday to Saturday for lunch. The small Thai restaurant did delicious, fresh meals. ❚ Spicy stir-fried noodles with pork, egg, chilli, tomato and vegetables (Pad Ke-Maow), $14.50 ❚ Yellow curry noodle soup, with chicken, prawns, squid and vegetables (Curry Noodles), $17.50 ❚ Fresh spring rolls, chicken, vegetables, $14.50 The flat pad ke-maow noodles had soaked up some soy flavour. Yum. Ample slices of fried pork were mixed through the dish, along with egg and aubergine.
A Google search revealed pad ke-maow are also known as ‘‘drunken noodles’’ – I suspect because of the soy sauce, or because they’re a palatable hangover cure.
Because we ordered ‘‘hot’’ spice-level, chunks of red pepper were thrown in too.
The yellow curry had an interesting depth, thanks to the mixing of yellow curry spices and coconut cream. Chicken, prawns and squid matched creamy soup well. Pak choi and sprouts gave a bit of crunch.
The fresh spring rolls probably wouldn’t be filling enough for a main, but made a tasty palate-cleanser. Plump with lettuce, juicy chicken, thin noodles with and herbs, we dunked them in the accompanying sweet schilli sauce and dabbed them in crumbled peanuts.
With two mains costing $32.00, it’s certainly a cheap night out.
Staff, who greeted us on entry, were friendly but succinct. The meals came 15 minutes after we ordered them. The vibe .... @Siam has the air of an unassuming Oriental cafe.
Thai script adorns the walls, along with hangings and cultural artefacts. The hallway to the toilets has a water-feature and other interesting objects.
The Thai theme is simple but not overdone.
There was no music, but it certainly wasn’t quiet with the chatter of our fellow diners. If you go… We’d recommend requesting a medium-level spice for the curries. The flavours are delicate and to be enjoyed – they don’t need to be doused in chilli.
Vegetarian can ask for tofu and extra vegetables to replace the meat, at no extra cost.
The meals come quickly and are light and fresh.
@Siam is a great place to relax, talk, and refuel on some healthy food.
Rating out of 5: Five stars.