"6"^^ . . . "5"^^ . "3"^^ . . "2009-01-24T00:00:00"^^ . "3"^^ . "Siam cafe's decor is looking a bit long in the tooth... the architecture is from an era past, and the colours are a tad weary. On the way in to meet a friend, I did hear a pair speaking in Japanese. I almost turned around to ask them where they were from... but decided against it. (Yes, there are really _that_ few japanese in CLE)\n\nInstead, I decided to sit down with my friend John and try the place out. \n\nThe menu selection is largely cantonese. There's a tiny bit of Thai and moderate amount of Vietnamese. My guess is that the founders are Viet-Chinese. Who owns/runs the place now is beyond me.\n\nWe had Mapo Tofu (I\"ve been craving food from North of Guangzhou since coming back to the 'States), a Tendinous beef steam-pot thingee, and a vietnamese style pork cutlets.\n\nThe Vietnamese Pork was the highlight getting a 4 from me. Texture could have been a bit better, and the salt factor was just a tad high... but the taste was good -- especially spruced up with a bit of Sriracha.\n\nThe Tendinous Beef and tofu skin pot was also pretty good 3-4. Texture good, flavour deep yet mellow. \n\nRice was adequate, nothing stunning, but good consistency.\n\nThey served ice water, no tea. That kindov hurt.\n\nThe Mapo tofu was not what I wanted. I'd actually asked the waitress if the cooks were southerners (Chinese), and she said yes. I turned to my friend and said that I didn't want Mapo tofu if they were cantonese... My experience is that Canto interpretation of Mapo tofu is typically off.\n\nI commented also that their use of peppercorn typically left a lot to be desired.\n\nWe got it anyway because the waitress assured us that it was alright.\n\n\n\nI'm not ever getting it again.\n:/\nNumerous peppercorns of 0 potency do not make for numbing-tufu. Mapo tofu needs to NUMB THE TONGUE!\n\nThe confucian concept of the Rectification of Names demands it! Instead, the numerous emasculated peppercorns merely clutter the sauce with bits of rigidity that add nothing to flavour, and everything to inedibility.\n\nSigh.\n\nDespite my intensely negative reaction to the tofu, the other fare wasn't nearly so poorly received.\n\nIn due time, perhaps I'll sample more of their work... in the mean time, I might venture elsewhere..."^^ .