Tucked in an out-of-the-way suburb in Rensselaer is a small Thai restaurant with a reputation that has quickly grown beyond its modest location. The Family Chow decided to follow several recommendations from friends and check out the 7-month-old eatery, Sri Siam, to see what the fuss was about.
44 Sherwood Ave., East Greenbush
Food 3 C’s (out of 5)
Service 3.5 C’s
Family friendliness 3.5 C’s
We arrived on a rainy Sunday evening to a completely empty restaurant and a couple of young employees eager to serve someone anyone, dinner. The space is very tidy, with room for about three-dozen customers. Between the pouring rain, low lighting and soft Thai pop music, we felt cozy and comfortable at our window-side table. Our waitress/hostess served waters right away as we perused the menu.
The menu opens with appetizers, salads and soups and moves along to the entrees, including six different kinds of curries, several noodle and fried rice entrees, chef’s specials and a healthy number of vegetarian options. Helpful descriptions appear below each menu item and most entrees came with a choice of protein: chicken, beef, pork or seafood.
We decided to start with an order of potstickers ($6) and crispy wontons ($5). Dad chose the pad thai (with chicken, $11) for his main dish while Mom picked the chef’s special tilapia ($14) and Daughter opted for the sweet and sour Thai style chicken ($11). Son decided to make the crispy wontons his main dish, since almost every other choice included vegetables that he was unwilling to try. If you like vegetables, Sri Siam delivers.
We expected things to move along fast given the dearth of diners, but the pacing of the meal was perfect throughout; not rushed, but no long waits for food either. We enjoyed the tasty chicken potstickers that were expertly fried and rested on a bed of very thinly shredded carrots. The menu description of the crispy wontons included chicken, but it took us a minute to discern the very tiny bit of it wrapped within the fried wonton. These were not Mom’s favorite, although Son did manage to claim they were enough to satisfy his appetite and Dad thought the flavorful chicken morsel was “like a present.”
Daughter liked the sweet and sour sauce in her main dish and thought the chicken was perfectly cooked. She also appreciated the crunch of the snow peas, but left much of the pineapple on her plate, describing it as “too sweet.” That was Mom’s complaint with her tilapia dish as well. While the carrots and red peppers were nicely cooked, the whole dish was drowned in an overly sweet sauce and might have worked better with a sauteed or broiled piece of fish rather than a fried fillet. Dad really liked Sri Siam’s version of pad thai. While he liked the generous amount of chicken and just-right amount of scallions and bean sprouts, he thought it could have used a little more egg. He finished his dish by commenting that the cooks at Sri Lam “cook like they are paying attention.”
Out of the seven dessert options available, we chose two: the fried ice cream ($5) and a more authentic Thai option called the star ($6). The fried ice cream was not our favorite the ice cream was too “icy” and the fried coating didn’t turn out as perfectly fried as the entrees. We did really enjoy the Star dessert that included two different tastes: a baked taro root custard and a star-shaped portion of sticky rice with black sesame seeds. The custard reminded us of the spicy warmth of pumpkin pie and ironically, the sticky rice was less sweet than many of the main dishes.
Overall, we enjoyed our night at Sri Siam and would return if we found ourselves nearby. Though an empty restaurant is not a great test of service, Sri Siam’s staff was friendly and attentive. We also liked the healthy amount of vegetables on the menu (Son might disagree), but we thought some of the overly sweet sauces may have negated the benefit of the veggies. We give Sri Lam 3.5 C’s for service, 3.5 C’s for family friendliness, and 3 C’s for food.
The Family Chow hails from the Capital District and contributes regular reviews of area restaurants based on service, food and family friendliness.