I'm always on the hunt for hidden gems, but not many fit the definition quite like Siam Thai Kitchen does. Located in an industrial area in the city's northwest, Siam Thai is a small, humble restaurant that opened its doors in the late summer of 2020.
I've been to Siam Thai a few times now and I'm always so impressed by the food and service. Everyone that I bring goes back with someone new, and they all agree -- the food is amazing.
The dining room has been quiet on my visits, but takeout/delivery orders seem pretty steady. They must be doing well since they will be opening up a second "express" location further north along St. Albert Trail.
My sister adores tom yum kai ($14.95), a sweet, spicy, and sour soup with chicken, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and Thai basil. The soup is a good sharing size and chock-full of ingredients. Although it's known for its sour and tangy flavour, I usually find it a bit too acidic for my taste. I guess it depends on your preference.
The Thai papaya salad ($11.00 lunch, $13.99 dinner) is my favourite appetizer. The crunchy salad has shredded green papaya, carrots, cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic, and Thai chili. It's traditionally made using a mortar and pestle which helps blend and infuse the ingredients together. The dressing is fish sauce-forward, but the flavour is well-balanced with the help of lime and palm sugar. Some bites are spicier than others, depending if you got a good chunk of Thai chili. Overall, it's a great refreshing bite to whet your appetite or to cleanse your palate between other dishes.
I was intrigued by the tamarind chicken ($16.99 lunch) when I overheard the kitchen staff recommending it to another customer during my first visit. The chicken is breaded, and stir-fried with onions, peppers, green onion, and ginger. During lunch, it comes served with a side of jasmine or coconut rice, and two spring rolls (pork or veggie).
The tamarind sauce is tangy and sweet, and I appreciated how the dish wasn't too saucy so that the chicken could stay light and crispy. The spring rolls weren't anything special, but the coconut rice was great. Fluffy and fragrant. Their dinner entrees usually don't come with rice, so make sure to grab a bowl a la carte.
Their curries come highly recommended, especially since they make their own curry pastes in-house. I was worried about my spice tolerance not being able to handle their version of "spicy" so we stuck to ordering two of their milder curries.
The penang curry ($17.99) is a rich mild curry, with red bell peppers, baby corn, and Thai basil. It comes with your choice of beef, chicken, tofu, shrimp (+$2.00), or seafood (+$4.00). We chose beef since our other dishes had chicken in them. The curry is wonderfully aromatic. Nice and thick, with richness and creaminess coming from coconut milk. I still found it to have a little bit of a kick, but it's sweeter compared to your traditional red and green curries.
On another visit, I tried their Massaman curry ($17.99). Massaman curry is considered a fusion between Thai and Indian curry. The base is tamarind and peanut, and it's served with potatoes, onions, and carrots. I preferred the aromatics in the penang curry more, but the massaman curry was a lot heartier. Both are delicious, and you really can't go wrong. I just have to build up my spice tolerance to work my way through their spicier curries.
Pad Thai ($16.99 lunch, $18.99 dinner) is always a staple. Rice noodles, stir fried with homemade tamarind sauce, egg, tofu, chicken, beansprouts, chives, prawns, and roasted peanuts. No joke, it's probably the best pad Thai I've ever had. The noodles have good texture and the flavours are so well-balanced. Nothing competing with each other, just really harmonious.
Now if there's anything you must take away after reading this far, it's that you must order dessert. Specifically, the sweet roti ($7.00). Flaky layers of dough rolled with sweetened condensed milk and sugar. The pro move is to order it with a scoop of coconut ice cream ($3.50). The hot and cold is such an amazing combo. My sister thought she was too full for dessert, but quickly changed her mind when she tried a piece. Trust me.
Siam Thai Kitchen is such a gem and I'm happy for their success. I will be back for more!
Siam Thai Kitchen
15883 116 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 455-5060
- CT
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