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| - One of the most frustrating things a diner can experience is inconsistency. Do you think it's an accident people love going (often) to places like Players, Lolita, Fahrenheit, etc? It's because they pretty much know their meal is going to fall somewhere between damn good and holy crap.
So, how did I know not to review Siam Cafe after my first visit? Well, kind of an educated guess in that 1) the place itself is huge, and 2) the menu is hugh-er. Very often that combo guarantees things are going to be all over the board. And, so, they were.
Had I reviewed Siam after my first visit three weeks ago it would have been a five star no-brainer. Ordered the beef short ribs with "Chef's Special Sauce" and it was pretty much off-the-charts amazing. But I waited.
Second visit two weeks ago and ordered the same thing. It was very good but totally different than the first time. How does that happen? I imagine they have many people cooking in a place that size and they all do things a bit different. But I didn't want different, I wanted the dream dish from visit one. Nope.
Wifey didn't join me the first two visits so we decided to go last Saturday after seeing the Rembrandt show (if you missed it, oops, it was great). So, we ordered the beef satay which was solid, and I made the mistake of ordering a shrimp dish without asking how much it was ($25,00) and wifey ordered a chicken dish which had less flavor than, well, any chicken dish either of us ever had. And my shrimp dish was considerably below average. Hell, I would have kissed average on the lips. This sucked.
So, does that mean we won't go back? Well, my wife won't, and I may not either. I've been to Wonton Gourmet once (it was great) but holding off a review until another visit. No, it's NOWHERE near the size of Siam but just thought I should try it once more.
Do I suggest you don't go to Siam? Of course not. My guess is with a menu that gigundous there are going to be plenty of wonderful dishes and a few clunkers. Finding the good ones could be a challenge but it could be fun, too. Maybe. Kinda of. But, please, don't be a googootz and order something without a price and NOT ASK. That dish will be worth $25.00 when I grow my hair back. Which I'm not. Ever.
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