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http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61107-2000Jul6.html
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FARE MINDED
Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, July 7, 2000; Page N20 You could say Old Town Gaithersburg is having a restaurant revival. Almost two years after the closing of the popular but managerially erratic Thai Thani (which twice lost its liquor license), the restaurant has reopened as Old Siam, now owned by former bartender-headwaiter Preecha Sriklueb and his wife, chef Amporn Sriklueb. The slightly untraditional but pleasant blue and white veranda-style decor is unaltered (as are the pretty footed blue and white porcelain dishes); the menu is nearly unchanged. And the old crowd of area business diners, family groups and neighbors is already mixing comfortably. It's the sort of place people enjoy having conversations in, because so much of the food is ideal for sharing and easy to nibble--easy to talk around--and that informality is one of Old Siam's main attractions, especially on warm summer evenings. It's almost like having a light and stimulating cocktail buffet on the porch. (The Srikluebs have settled for a simple beer and wine bar.) Like many smaller mom-and-pop establishments, Old Siam has an ingratiating air of simplicity and grateful hospitality. What distinguishes this kitchen is an equally unpretentious cooking style, a noticeably light touch with sauces and a restraint in recipes that recalls the emphasis on clarity and balance--the distinct elements being saltiness, spiciness, sweetness and heat--that characterizes authentic Thai food. (In fact, the menu's slogan, "exquisite Thai cuisine," seems almost too showy, though often deserved.) Diners more accustomed to the kitchen-sink approach of piling up the plate that many Asian restaurants have adopted in order to appeal to American appetites may think Old Siam's style and portions slight on first encounter, but they will find it surprisingly satisfying on both points. You may want a whole meal of the appetizers here: satays (chicken or pork); minced spiced chicken (larb gai) or pork; grilled beef with cucumbers and chili-lime dressing; bean-thread noodles with chicken and shrimp; tuna mixed with ground peanuts, ginger and lime. The crab-stuffed drumsticks, here called "wonder wings," have a batter so crisp Colonel Sanders is spinning in his grave. The steamed vegetable dumplings, new to the menu, are small shu mai-style open-topped buds. Among the soups are two particularly intriguing stimulants, the tom kha gai (chicken with galanga in hot and sour coconut milk broth) and tom klong, delectably described as "old-fashioned lime-flavored soup with roasted scallion and roasted chili." Thai curries come in traffic-signal colors: red, yellow and green, green generally being the hottest, the red having a long finish, and the yellow curries (which tend to get their color from the relatively mild turmeric) the coolest. These are the staple sauces aside from the clean-and-clear chili and nam pla (fish sauce) stir-fry. In one form or another, you can get chicken, pork, beef or seafood in any one of these sauces. Fish and seafood remain strong points here. There are several mixed seafood options--spicy, curried or stir-fried--plus a sort of noodleless seafood pad thai, tossed with bean sprouts and ground peanuts. Squid was always amazingly tender here, and it still is, all "steak" and no tentacles, diamond-scored and just cooked. (Although pla mug ka prow, squid with the classic basil and chili stir-fry, isn't listed any more, it was instantly available from the easy-going kitchen.) The popular crispy-fried flounder with chili-garlic or black bean sauce is still on the menu; but for smaller appetites, choices now include a crispy fillet with fresh celery and chilies, a salmon curry and a sauteed fillet of catfish in addition to daily specials of steamed perch, flounder with chili, etc. There are not many vegetarian dishes on the menu, although some stir-fries and noodle dishes can be arranged. (The pad thai here is, not surprisingly, a relief from some of the gluey masses around town.) One of the new offerings is shrimp with eggplant, which stars bitter-free and butter-soft pieces of tiny sweet eggplant you could easily make a meal of (and I might try). Old Siam is still feeling its way back into Gaithersburg's gastronomic thermometer, so if you like your Thai truly spicy, mention it to your server; or ask for the "spice tray," which has soy sauce, ground chili powder and two liquid condiments thick with red chilies, one with fish sauce and one more vinegarish. Experiment and enjoy. OLD SIAM: 2 FORKS Location: 108 E. Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg. Phone: 301/926-9199. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30-10, Sunday 4-9:30. Prices: Appetizers $3.25-$6.95, entrees $7.95-$12.95. Wheelchair access: Good. THE RATINGS: An explanation of our ratings system:  Previous Article Back to the top Next Article |
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Thailand
