Saturday, July 23, 2016

A strip-mall restaurant recommendation

Another bit of evidence to support Tyler Cowen’s recommendation to seek out strip-mall restaurants: Siam Thai Restaurant in Charleston, Illinois (“east-central Illinois”). The NEW OWNER sign, which has been up since, I think, last winter, is important: the previous owner was a dud. The new restaurant is a two-woman operation: one host, one cook. The food comes in generous portions, beautifully prepared and intensely flavorful, without the sweetness that often dominates Thai dishes made for American tastes.

Hot? If you like, yes, from one to five, but all the flavors come through too. (That’s what happens with an expert cook.) Our host seems to understand our tastes well: one two and one three , which we share. They make a nice burn.

I have been eating Thai food with amateur enthusiasm since the early 1980s. Siam Thai is the best I have ever had.

A related post
Three great strip-mall restaurants

comments: 5

Pete said...

Some of the best lunch places in the Loop are on the ground floor of parking garages. They apparently can provide good food and stay affordable by avoiding the high overhead of more established buildings.

Michael Leddy said...

Same logic! I’d love to read your recommendations.

Fresca said...

Oooh. Didn't you say I'd be welcome to drop in for lunch sometime?
If that still holds, I vote we go to this place.

Michael Leddy said...

This restaurant is the restaurant. Game on!

Frex said...

One day...!
Frex = Fresca