(thaisiamrestaurant.com) – Crown Hill

How I heard of this place: My friend Sadiq first introduced me to Thai Siam nearly a decade ago. It immediately became one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Seattle, with Thai-level-spicy, delicious food!

Type of cuisine: Authentic Thai cuisine served with as many local ingredients as are available to create the dishes. “We serve quality, nutritious dishes, and insist on working with only the freshest ingredients from local suppliers. Aside from our healthful traditional Thai dishes, we are also very attend to current food trends, such as the growing appetite for low fat, low carb, and vegetarian cuisine. While remaining fresh and current, we are very careful to ensure our guests’ satisfaction we prefer an uncomplicated approach and strive for purity and the perfect balance between local-grown ingredients and our natural, flavorful, and exotic Thai herbs and spices. Our beautifully presented dishes do not contain MSG and are prepared individually to ensure freshness and the highest quality our diners expect.”

Ambiance: Enter the dimly lit space and you find yourself amidst a clutter of Thai decorations, space dividers and wall art. As you approach the cashier desk, you are greeted warmly by one of the many attentive staff and seated as quickly as the space allows, or by making their own table spread through the numerous customers coming through to pick up take-out orders. Customers flock to the neighborhood restaurant to enjoy the good food, sweet servers and Thai feel. Cozy quarters make for intimate meals shared between couples, among families, and surrounded by friends.

What I ordered: The three of us dining at Thai Siam on this cold, rainy evening enjoyed, firstly, a large Tom Kah Gai ($10.95) with tofu and mushrooms and galangal (similar to ginger), lemon grass, lemon leaf and cilantro in coconut milk. The dish was served in a raised, metallic bowl, fire burning from the center to keep the contents warm. For our dinner, we ordered family style and enjoyed the Phad See-Iw ($8.95) of thick rice noodles with tofu in a special soy bean sauce, served with broccoli and bean sprouts; Dressing Rama ($9.95) with tofu served over spinach and bean sprouts, topped with peanut sauce; and the Vegetable Curry ($9.95) including a variety of vegetables served in a green curry. Jasmine rice was served alongside our dishes.

What I loved: It was a difficult decision, as every dish was as good as the last and continued to grow in satisfaction as the meal continued and our plates were replenished. One of my dining companions most enjoyed the curry, the other was most impressed by the tom kah gai soup. I thoroughly enjoyed the warm, creamy soup, the sweet phad see-iw and the flavorful curry. It is difficult to choose just one best dish at Thai Siam!

Why I loved it: The servers are attentive and friendly, the food consistently delicious and the atmosphere bustling and joyful. I also love that their dedication to serving the community, “Our mission is not only to give our customers, their families and friends the best in quality and healthy food, but also to be involved in the community as much as we can. We believe that community is the heart of all things. That is why for 19 years, we have used our restaurant to help raise funds for local charities that serve our neighborhood, such as, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Union Gospel Mission, Boys and Girls Club, the Masha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research, Cancer Lifeline and many many more. Also, we have hosted a yearly dinner to provide warm food for the less fortunate every Christmas. Food is a source of life, and we are thankful to have been blessed with this gift that we can share with the community. Thank you for the continuous support you have provided us. We are encourage to know that you are standing with us.”

Cost: Low to average ($9 – $17.50 per dinner entree/combination special)