Some people like to have varieties in life, while others think if you eat the same thing all the time you become bored. But there are some just stalls that one can’t wait to visit when they are in a foreign land – Siam House happens to be one of them whenever HFB visits Bangkok.

Located just across a small lane from Asia Hotel Bangkok, in front of Ratchathewi SkyTrain Station, this small homey eatery dishes out local spicy cuisine that seeks to tingle your taste bud.

Cha Yen, or Thai Iced Tea, is of course the preferred drink to start off with – sad to say, Siam House’s version came slightly too milky for me as seen from the photo – as most local version comes more orangey red with tea.

One of the dishes I never fail to order is their Olive Rice. What one gets is an aromatic sniff of the olives, but yet a not too overpowering taste when eaten (and you can trust HFB on that, as he is not an olive lover, especially on salads and pizzas). Coupled with Roasted Cashew Nuts that give the dish an extra crunch, this dish is highly recommended as opposed to boring plain rice.

Kang Kong Fried with Chilli Padi deviates from the usual sambal styled, but definitely packed the same punch, if not more – simply delightful! HFB finds it slightly too salty on its own but with the rice it is still acceptable.

The Thai Prawn Cake was the first time HFB is sampling at this eatery and he was very pleased he tried it. These prawn cakes were homemade and freshly fried to a crisp without any oily residue on the outside. And on the inside, it was full of crustacean flavour – absolutely wonderful and this undemanding piece of art is highly recommended too.

Besides Cha Yen, another thing HFB simply cannot miss in Bangkok is Tom Yum Goong. A tint of spicy, sour, bitter, sweet and salty all combined into one, this soup is analogous to woman species – totally confusing, and don’t know which taste it will leave behind first, but yet, man can’t help but fall in love with them. I feel that their version is slightly bastardised for the tourists, as it isn’t as spicy as other authentic ones I tried in Thailand. Nevertheless, it still taste as good and the generous servings of seafood and shrooms are very much welcomed.

Something everyone must try over at this eatery is their Deep Fried Fish. This time round, HFB opted for the Deep Fried Garoupa in Three Flavours. By ‘three flavours’, it simply means Sweet, Sour and Spicy. No major complains on the fish itself, as the flesh is firm with just a slight muddy taste – but it being well deep-fried with tangy gravy more than made up for it.

Overall, the meal costs THB660~SGD28, expensive for local standards but you bet HFB will be back for more the next time he visits Bangkok.

Food:4/5 (Quality simple fare)
Service: 3.5/5 (Efficient but otherwise normal)
Ambience: 3/5 (Retro - but slight stench lingers in the air)
Price: 3.5/5 (Expensive in local standards)
Total: 14/20
Across from Asia Hotel Bangkok,
296 Phayathai Road
Bangkok 10400, Thailand

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