Star of Siam - Chicago

On our first night in Chicago we went to see Cirque Shanghai, which is a version of a Cirque du Soleil show. I had never seen this kind of show before, but I really enjoyed it; the performers were very talented and had our mouths gaping in awe during most of the show. The show got over at about 9:30, but we were still on Phoenix time (7:30 pm), so we were ready for some dinner. I had looked up Thai restaurants that were near our hotel before we left, because both Laura and I love us some Thai food. It had rained during the show, so it was really humid and sticky outside, we decided to just head towards our hotel and eat somewhere nearby it so that we could avoid being outside as much as possible....it may be hot in Phoenix, but it is a dry heat! So we were both thankful that I had some options already picked out for us.

We settled on Star of Siam, mostly because we came across it first and were ready to get in some air conditioning, but also, my friend who is from Chicago highly recommended it. The rush of cool air that we got as we walked in the door was much needed, and we were happy to get to sit down as well. The inside was a mix of regular tables with chairs and then there were two rows of tables where you sat on cushions on these platforms that made it seem like you were sitting on the floor. Laura and I were lucky enough to get one of those tables which we thought was fun, we had never seen that in a a restaurant before. The rest of the restaurant had a very industrial look, with an exposed ceiling and various wall hangings. It was very cute and a nice soothing atmosphere.

We had had a late lunch that day when we got into town, so neither of us were overly hungry, so we decided to just get a couple of appetizers and then share an entree. I am much more of an adventurous eater than Laura is, so we just ended up going with some basics. We ordered the crab rangoons and the Gyoza, neither of which I think are of Thai origins, but both are standards that we like to order.

The Gyoza had a chicken and vegetable filling and were lightly pan-fried until lightly browned and crispy. They were served with a side of spicy soy sauce, which I think was soy sauce mixed with a bit of sirracha. Most restaurants that I have Gyoza at are usually made with pork, so the chicken was a nice change. The filling was very good, it had a nice flavor and the dumplings were perfectly cooked. The sauce was also a really nice change from the norm,we liked the hot and salty flavor paired with the Gyoza.

Crab rangoons are a weakness of mine when I get Chinese food, so if they are on a menu, I usually end up ordering them; and this night was no exception. Laura really likes crab rangoons as well, and these were her first choice when she spotted them on the menu. Well, we were not disappointed with our choice, we both agreed that theses were the best crab rangoons we have ever tasted! The filling as creamy and full of crab, and it had a flavor profile to it that neither of us could quite pinpoint, but it is what made these so special. They too were served with the spicy soy sauce, rather than your typical sweet and sour sauce; the combination made for a delicious dish, with Laura even contemplating if we would be able to come back for a second time before we headed home!

For our entree, we decided to share the classic Pad Thai with Shrimp. Laura does not like spicy food, so we ordered our dish mild, I usually get mine a medium heat level. I have to say, when you eliminate the heat element from the dish, the fresh flavors shine through. This was a delicious dish, the sauce was light and sweet and the bean sprouts added a nice crunch. We both agreed that this was one of the better Pad Thais we have eaten.

Our meal was a wonderful end to our first day in Chicago. The food was delicious and we couldn't believe how reasonable the prices were for a downtown Chicago restaurant. Our total bill was something like $22.00! When we went to the Taste of Chicago a few days later, Star of Siam had a booth there, and the line was quite long, so we were happy that we had already tried their delicious food and didn't have to wait in line!

Star of Siam
11 E. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL 60611
www.starofsiamchicago.com