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| - I went to Monsoon Siam with the Madison Review Crew meetup group with the intention of writing a review. Then, a day before, a member of the group writes that he can't come, but is looking forward to hearing if it is indeed of authentic Thai quality, since he is Thai, and he cooks traditional foods here at home.
So. Is Monsoon Siam authentic Thai? Is it Thai traditional, fresh, authentic, vivid?
I have no idea! It could be authentic Serbo-Croatian for all I know - - I have never been to Thailand - - but whatever it is, they should not change ANYTHING, because this is splendid cuisine. The presentation - - just the very looks of the meal? You will be tempted to let it sit getting cold on the plate for 45 minutes, staring at it, just because it LOOKS so gorgeous. If you were really small, or got down really low to the table, and looked at them, it would be like going to Disneyland for the first time - - it would be that colorful and fantastical.
And same with the flavors. The three dishes we got - - one was big, broad, flat, floppy noodles that were sublime delicious (with just a touch of sweetness); another was crispy squid done up luscious with smatterings of fresh herbs and veggie touches, and you just wish that the dish was big as a house, instead of just a regular portion, because you could eat it nonstop for a month; the last was minced chicken with spices in a thin flaky-formed shell that was super hot but unlike anything else anywhere. All three dishes were electrifyingly interesting, pretty, and delicious.
And did I mention the cigar roll appetizer? No, I did not yet mention the cigar roll appetizer. It was like egg rolls, but actually FUN. The texture was the thing - - it made life more interesting and alive, just sharing one of the three cigar rolls in this appetizer. When was the last time you could say that about an egg roll?
Service was great, because these were (also) real people, enjoying themselves, and being themselves, and loving what they were doing.
(BTW: the company was great too!)
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