Siam Thai Eatery

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Thai Food in the South Loop Via NYC

Chicago's Thai food scene has always been pretty good but it’s not quite on the same level as LA and NYC. It’ll likely never reach the formers level as Los Angeles is home to the world’s largest Thai community outside of Thailand. The city’s ‘Thai Town’ neighborhood is the main point of entry for the more than 100,000 people from Thailand that now call Southern California home and more than half live in or near the neighborhood. In the case of the ladder, the Queens area is home to the country’s second largest Thai enclave. The other factor is quality of ingredients - like produce - available on the coasts compared to here in Chicago where it’s just not as good or in some cases just not available. That said the recent Michigan Ave opening of a well known Thai restaurant from NYC is trending.

Recently Opened in the South Loop

Siam Thai Eatery was established in 2022 in Flushing Queens where they first debuted their “home-style Thai dining with traditional flavors infused with fresh ingredients.” They became popular and opened a second location in Staten Island and now a third location in Chicago on Michigan Avenue in the city’s South Loop neighborhood. A note on their Instagram page states they’re also opening locations in Houston and LA. The South Loop outlet opened in March and it’s been crazy busy ever since. Clearly the area, which has become a bit of an extension of the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, needed a good Thai joint. It’s not all that big inside so I would recommend getting reservations if you plan to go during peak eating hours but they're open for both lunch and dinner. It’s byob for now but they have plans to offer a full liquor menu with cocktails and all once they get their booze license. 

a peek inside

I’ve visited Siam Thai Eatery twice now and we didn’t hold back with the ordering on either visit. Both visits came on a Monday night and on each time the place was busy with people waiting for tables. It’s a lively restaurant so don’t come here expecting a quiet night. The menu has a collection of Thai classics many of which they put their own little spin on. I was excited to see they have stir fried Morning Glory listed but so I was told they’ve had a tough time procuring water spinach so it hasn’t been available on either visit. My first impression of Siam Thai Eatery’s food was a good one as me and Steve Dolinsky started with a Spicy Pomelo Crab Salad that hit all the high notes of a classic Thai dish - it was sweet, it was spicy, and it had a nice funk to it. Pomelos are a large, round citrus fruit with a yellow/green/pink flesh and lots of spongy pith. They’re less bitter than grapefruit and have a firmer texture and are peeled when put to use in a salad such as this. I've never had this dish elsewhere. 

Spicy Pomelo Crab Salad at Siam Thai Eatery

Two visits in it feels like the crab dishes are a strength of this place. When I visited with Steve we ordered the ‘creamy crab curry’ but it never came out in the onslaught of dishes we tried and that was fine as we were both stuffed by the time we realized it never came. I had the same waitress each time and the service was more than fine but they’re new and they’ve been busy from the jump so that's not to come without mistakes being made. I was able to try the crab curry on a recent return visit when me and Erica joined our favorite drinking couple - my wonderful aunt and uncle - for a lovely dinner which included champagne, Chablis and some white burgundy (all from France of course). The crab curry was the first dish to come out and we all enjoyed the creamy house curry mixed with eggs, cream, scallions, celery and lots of luscious lump crab meat. It comes served alongside a small flatbread roti cut into four individual pieces. Our only complaint was it wasn’t served all that hot as it came out lukewarm. Also it would've been nice to get some rice with this dish to soak up the liquid.

Creamy Crab Curry at Siam Thai Eatery 

We had one other problem with a stir fried clam dish that two people at our table got an alkaline taste from so we sent that back only to have the manager come back and tell us he ate one and they were fine but he was going to remove them from the bill. He didn’t have to act all high and upitty about it but he did the right thing removing them from the bill as those that had the bad ones knew something wasn’t right about them. An order of the chicken satay wasn’t all that great either but I was kind of expecting that to be the case as that's more of a specialist type dish best ate at a spot that specializes in it and sells a ton. I appreciated the use of dark meat but it was overcooked and didn't taste fresh. As far as the apps go we had much better luck with the grilled pork jowl which is a dish I always like to try at Thai restaurants. Fatty but well rendered pieces of pork neck are sliced and served alongside a lip licking Isan style hot sauce. I suggest adding a rice to this one and eating it all together. The Money Bag Dumplings were such a hit on both visits that I’ve added them to my best dumplings in the city list. This Chinese finger food favorite is usually served during Lunar New Year to signify prosperous times head. These delicious morsels of fun are filled with a savory pork mixture and encased in a wonton wrapper before being fried until golden and crispy. These dumplings are different from traditional wontons by the piece of chive carefully wrapped around the end of each dumpling. The ones at Siam Thai Eatery burst with flavor and come served with a sweet plum sauce. 

Money Bag Dumplings

Grilled Pork Jowl at Siam Thai Eatery

We’ve tried at least one of the Thai noodle dishes on each of my visits and both the pad Thai and the Pad Khe Mao were good. I never get Pad Thai as it’s typically too sweet in the States but I’ve tried versions from places catering to a mostly Thai clientele and they’re always much better. The Pad Thai in Thailand was pretty damn good and the version served at Siam is much closer to that than the typical Americanized style. The chili powder served on the side is super spicy so use it sparingly. The Pad Khe Mao is also a really good rendition of the spicy stir fried flat noodle dish I consider to be somewhat of a comfort food. The use of long hot peppers gave this version a really nice spice profile. 

Shrimp Pad Thai

Shrimp Pad Khe Mao

Getting back to my initial visit with Steve Dolinsky we both enjoyed the duck red curry which comes served with a crispy half duck in a stimulating Thai style red curry mixed with tomatoes, lychee, pineapple, coconut milk and basil. The duck was chopped up like a jerk chicken which I love as it allowed the curry to seep into every nook and cranny of the carcass. Duck curry isn’t a dish I get often but this was one of the best I’ve tried. Speaking of curries both me and Steve have an affinity for Khao Soi which has become one of the signature dishes of Northern Thailand. Khao Soi is a coconut milk-based noodle soup made with wheat-based egg noodles in a coconut milk curry broth and the bowl is topped with crispy deep fried noodles too. It's typically made with chicken but beef is also common. I pretty much always enjoy this dish and the version here was no different but I wouldn’t quite place it among my favorites in town. We got it with chicken so it came with a very traditional chicken leg but I think I prefer my Khao Soi with beef which is a short rib at Siam Thai. I would however add the Pad Kra Pao to my list among the best versions in town. Siam serves a minced pork version which is really well made in terms of texture and taste and it has good spice too thanks to a bunch of chopped up Thai peppers. My only complaint is it doesn’t come with a fried egg nor is there an option to add one. 

Duck Curry 

Khao Soi

Pad Ka Pao

Finishing up with my most recent visit with the wife and my aunt and uncle where we finished with the crab fried rice. We all liked this one which came with well fried rice and the crab was nice and fresh too. I liked how they put an omelet on top of the mound of rice and the spicy fish sauce included with the dish took it up a notch. Two visits in and I've liked eight of ten dishes I’ve tried and that’s more than enough to go back and further explore the menu. It’s just one spot but the opening of Siam Thai Eatery could be the beginning of the city’s next step up in terms of the local Thai food scene.

Crab Fried Rice at Siam Thai Eatery

Siam Thai Eatery
1329 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 763-6193
Website

Oliver's

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Retro Fine Dining in the South Loop

You may have noticed a slight shift in my published posts this past calendar year. For starters I no longer post up to three times a week. I’m also posting less reviews of recently opened Chef driven and restaurant group type of openings. There’s a simple explanation for the latter and that’s the price of going out has skyrocketed over the last couple years. Honestly I can’t afford to eat at higher end spots as regularly, not when the mom and pop spots are also getting expensive (I recently paid $26 with tip for a bowl of noodles just the other day). That said we still go out just not nearly as much. But we recently celebrated an anniversary and decided to go out for a celebration dinner. We ended up at Oliver’s - a newish spot in the South Loop reminiscent Hollywood’s golden age (the 1930’s). 

Recently Opened in the South Loop

Oliver’s is a Jason Weingarten production. If the name sounds familiar it might be bc he was recently in the news when former Alinea co-owner Nick Kokonas sold his stake in the restaurant group to Jason, a tech entrepreneur. Weingarten calls Oliver’s a passion project while others call it the best new restaurant in Chicago. It’s in a weird location in that there’s not a ton of other businesses on the block but that makes for easy parking. Once you enter you’re immediately in the bar area where they also have a handful of tables. I was surprised how big the space is as it includes a few dining rooms.

a peek inside

The food menu at Oliver’s is short…and expensive. It consists of six starters, five mains, and five sides (plus dessert). The drink menu looked good and considering the mixologist came from Scofflaw I bet they are. I don’t drink cocktails as often because I’ve cut down on sugar and also bc the prices are getting kind of silly. Since I had a few High Life’s earlier in the eve I decided to have another one as they were just $6 each. Erica tried a few of the wines but didn’t find one she liked. We knew we wanted to try the truffle gnocchi in Comte cheese sauce and we added the fried artichoke side for starters. The gnocchi ($23) was on point during our visit - I’d read mixed reviews as far as the texture goes but it hit both the buzzwords when it comes to good gnocchi - it was soft and pillowy. The black truffle mixed well with the Comte and it was much better than it looks. The fried artichoke ($18) starts with two whole Roman braised artichoke hearts fried naked and dressed with preserved lemon, black pepper aioli, and rosemary. The taste was there but they were a bit greasy from the deep fry. 

truffle gnocchi black truffle, comté, aged parmesan

fried artichoke preserved lemon, black pepper aioli, rosemary

The choices among the mains are limited but there’s still something for every type of eater ranging from a NY Strip Loin for two to a meatless tomato risotto plus a roast chicken and seafood selection. I went to Oliver’s knowing what I was going to get which is pretty much always the case when I eat out. But I switched my order last second and decided to try the Millers Half Chicken ($46 as is) instead of the burger ($27 with fries). Erica got the risotto ($27) and I added on a side of the house made fries ($9) for us to share. The risotto was good though I only had a small bite but it was cooked al dente and had a nice tomato and cheese flavor. My roast chicken was bigger than just about any half chicken I’ve ever seen and that kind of turned me off but the skin had the perfect shade which really turned me on. So I was told they rub fat all over the skin as it roasts which in turns creates a beautiful lacquer. It’s served atop a delicious crème fraîche made with dill and shallots plus the fat drippings of the chicken. It was cooked to perfection but I should’ve got the truffle mashed potatoes to go with it. Better yet the truffle mashed potatoes should’ve came with it at that price. I did get two meals out of it and it was better than any grocery store bought rotisserie chicken so don’t get me wrong, it was very good. But I’m still not sure the price is totally justified as is. I probably should've got the burger. 

tomato risotto smoked olive oil, aged parmesan, pimentón de la vera

miller's half chicken shallot, dill, crème fraîche, roasted chicken fat

We finished with a slice of the housemade Key Lime Pie ($13) which like the chicken was a big portion which does help justify the overall prices just a little bit, I’ve paid equal for lesser sized portions elsewhere. The pie was perfectly tart with an awesome gingersnap crust and whipped chantilly and pistachio praline. I’d be leaving out the biggest plus of this meal if I didn’t mention the fantastic service. Oliver’s is supposed to be like a spot you’d find in 1930’s Los Angeles meaning it’s rich and elegant with lots of ambiance including some world class service. It really did remind me of a previous era in that everything about the service was perfect. Expect to hear this place mentioned when what's left of local media starts mentioning Oliver’s among the year’s best restaurant openings.

coconut key lime pie whipped chantilly, pistachio praline, gingersnap

Oliver's
1639 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60616 
(213) 320-3100
Website

Apolonia

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

I’ve been an admirer of S.K.Y. in Pilsen since the pre-pandemic days and even during the middle of it as they cooked up some of the best meals in that time of takeout only. So I was overdue on a visit to the South Loop which is home to S.K.Y.’s sister spot - Apolonia. The restaurants name is a feminine one of Greek origin meaning “belonging to Apollo” while the menu has a modern Mediterranean feel. All in all it was a good meal that kind of took me back to my recent trip to Athens so that was cool.

Recently Opened in the South Loop

We tried a handful of the plates starting with their signature ‘Black Truffle Puff Bread’ with crunchy herbs and toasted garlic. You can really taste the staying power in this dish which is some of the better bread I’ve ever had. Bread seems to be a strength of the kitchen as there was also some really nice slices paired with a tasty whipped feta spread. If there’s charcoal grilled skewers on the menu I’m getting them and that was the case with a Harissa Spiced Lamb Skewer over cucumber tzatziki with lime and dill. I much prefer a tomato free pasta and will typically order pasta made with meat and cream this time of the year so I knew an order of the Roasted Lamb Mafaldine with mushroom cream and walnuts was for me. The pasta is made in house and had that perfect bite that only fresh pasta cooked to a perfect al dente gives off. We also liked a Mediterranean Branzino with marinated olives, dill and fennel while dessert was actually the puffy truffle bread so that was that. We’ll have to check out the newest sibling of S.K.Y. and Apolonia, Valhalla, over at Time Out Market this coming spring.

Dinner at Apolonia

Apolonia
2201 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 363-2431
Website

Moody Tongue Brewing Company

-Grubbing in Chicago

Elevated Bar Food in the South Loop

I stalled this past year on making NYE dinner plans like I do every year. As I browsed a list of spots I'd like to try I noticed a few openings at Moody Tongue Brewery in the South Loop. Aside from the fact they brew beer here they also sport two separate kitchens one of which is fast becoming one of the city's most coveted reservations. That said there were no openings for the Moody Tongue Tasting Room that night. I would like to check it out and will plan on doing so soon. In the meantime they also have an ala carte kitchen menu where you can eat above average bar food and drink their beer.

Newly Opened in South Loop

Some trusted people in Chicago food have spoke highly of the tasting menu. So I kind of figured the same execution was being put into the regular kitchen albeit with a slightly less adventurous menu. This is a brewery after all. That said the menu is much more mature than your typical sausage and burger options. Yes they do have a burger but it's a pimento cheeseburger. A cult classic among chefs these days. I didn't get to try it but I would come back for it based on the dishes we did try. Chicken Liver pate was served with a super fresh side of housemade pickled vegetables in the style of giardiniera. The pate itself was ricos and they gave us plenty of extra bread. I didn't love the sweet potato agnolotti which was the long cigar shaped kind. But it's no longer on the menu if their website is up to date. Mussels are mixed with one of their house beers and served with toasted baguettes. Nice batch of mostly plump specimens. Moody Tongue does a whole fried branzino which caught both my eyes and hers. Whole fried fish is one of our favorite dishes when done right. Theirs is served with a Calabrian chili relish. Well done. It had a nice fry job and the relish wasn't too overpowering. I also tried a beer sampler but couldn't tell you which ones. As far as bar food goes this was terrific.

Dinner at Moody Tongue Bar (click pics to enhance)

Moody Tongue Brewing Company
2515 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 600-5111
Website