Siam House offers exotic cuisine

During the worst night of the school year thus far (in terms of weather) I decided to treat myself to an evening out for dinner at a place that might serve something to warm me up. Fortunately for my companion and I, Siam House was the perfect place.\nUpon entering, we were the only patrons in the restaurant, so the host took us to the warmest space in the dining room. We were surrounded by windows full of plants and various trinkets of Thai art and icons. Unfortunately, the flowers at the table were fake.\nWe began with coffee for my companion and Jasmine tea for myself. My friend found the coffee to be strong, but warm, and I loved the tea. It was the perfect thing to warm us up. Both the tea and the coffee creamer came in quaint teapots, which added to the overall ambiance.\nThai food is much like a cross between Chinese and Indian. The textures, looks and ingredients are reminiscent of Chinese, but the flavors are closer to Indian. It makes for a nice mix of cultural flavors.\nThai food can also be daunting to order since it has not been Americanized, and the names of all the dishes are Thai. But, the menu at Siam House has brief explanations of all the dishes. Our server was willing to help us choose by giving his own experience with a dish and by telling us what the chefs cook especially well.\nThe menu is extensive, ranging from 15 appetizers to more than 50 entrees including three meal soups (or stews). As appetizers, my companion and I chose Ka Nom Bueng Yuen and Yum Nur. The first appetizer was a crispy crepe stuffed with a whole shrimp served with a tangy sauce. It was quite delicious, and my companion devoured three of the four.\nThe Yum Nur was something I'd had before at a different Thai restaurant. It is like a shredded beef salad on lettuce with tomatoes, cilantro and a minty-lime juice dressing. It was a great combination for the shrimp crepes, because one was hot and crispy, and the other was a cool palate cleanser.\nFor our entrees, we ordered an old favorite (so to speak) and a bold choice. My companion ordered the Pad Thai -- a noodle dish served with a choice of meat and spice level and white rice. I ordered Lamb Pad Kroeng which is "sauteed sliced lean lamb with Thai spices, green beans, zucchini, bamboo shoots, lime leaves and sweet basil."\nIt also came with white rice.\nThai food is generally served in a fashion where the dishes are meant to be shared, so we sampled each other's choices. While all of the food was especially flavorful, nothing was particularly spicy, which was good because hot spicy food is better suited for a hot day. (The sweat from hot food cools the body off.)\nThe Pad Thai had a nice consistency in the noodles and spices and didn't overpower the dish. The lamb dish I had was juicy, fresh and a nice balance for the noodles.\nTo finish the evening, we ordered two desserts: a fried banana with vanilla ice cream and Thai pie "made from taro root, coconut milk, eggs and brown sugar." The banana had an interesting, tangy flavor.\nThe Thai pie is really a piece of textured custard, which, if one is not a custard fan, one should not try.\nOverall, Siam House is now a favorite of mine and with the large amounts of leftovers I have from the other night, I won't miss it for very long.