When we are looking for a cheap, quick and filling meal for lunch, it’s generally a safe bet to find a local Asian restaurant in the area. We have recently found a small Thai place in Oakville that meets all three of those criteria quite nicely (and is located dangerously close to a cupcakery to boot)!
Thai Siam is tucked away in a large, busy plaza with anything from a grocery store to a bank covering the gamut. Walking in, the restaurant is small and narrow, but with lots of natural light coming from the big windows at the front. There is usually a lunch crowd, so plan to get there early or a little later on weekdays if you would like a seat.
One of the reasons we like coming here is the extensive lunch menu that ranges in price from $7.95 to $10.95 for a mini meal that is more than sufficient to get us through the rest of the work day. Each meal comes with a salad (with the most delicious dressing) and a hot, crispy spring roll filled with mushroom and bamboo and goodness.
My favourite is the Basil Chicken, which I ask to be extra spicy. The portion is generous with lots of crisp, fresh vegetables and a few large strips of chicken breast. The dish smells and tastes garlic-y rather than basil-y and each time I order it, I always wish there was more basil. It comes with a generous amount of steamed rice, which is fantastic for mixing in with the salty, spicy sauce.
The Pad Thai has chicken, shrimp, egg and bean sprouts in a sweet sauce. The top is sprinkled with nuts, which isn’t mentioned on the menu – something to keep in mind if you don’t like nuts or are allergic. The sauce isn’t what I would consider an authentic Pad Thai flavour because it was a mixture between ketchup-sweet and fish sauce-salty. It reminded me of the flavour of food court Pad Thai, which wouldn’t be my first choice in an authentic Thai restaurant. That being said, the noodles were cooked perfectly (they didn’t stick together) and the shrimp were plump and juicy.
Sesame Chicken sounded a lot better on the menu than the actual dish. The portion was generous and there were plenty of chicken strips, but the sauce was too sweet and thick for my taste. It was reminiscent of a thinned out teriyaki sauce, and aside from the sesame seeds on top, there was no hint of sesame flavour. I was expecting more of a sesame-oil infused stir fry with chicken instead of a chicken teriyaki.
Yellow Curry came out in a pretty bowl that looked like a flower (I’m so easily distracted by presentation) and it was chock full of crispy vegetables and chicken. The smell of curry was not over-powering and could have been a big stronger, but it was a hearty meal for the price.
This is one of our favourite places to go for lunch on a weekday, to get away from the office and unwind for a bit. The service can be slow on days when the restaurant is really busy (there are normally only two servers), but they are attentive and the food is worth the wait. If you’re in the area and looking for a lunch that won’t leave you hungry for more, I encourage you to try Thai Siam.
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