A spacious setting and fast service make this River North Thai restaurant a delightful lunch and after-work spot.
Authentic Thai Cuisine
Dine-in, Carry-out, Catering
Full Bar
Star of Siam, located just off the bustle of Michigan Avenue, is a must for anyone who loves Thai food. The space is very open, with red brick and exposed pipes, which are painted red to match the brick. The color scheme is carried through in the red cushions and colorful wall hangings. Not your usual place to go for Thai food, this locale serves a standard Thai menu in an urban warehouse setting rather than in a storefront dive. This has led one reviewer to call it "yuppie-Thai," which is, perhaps, not so far off the mark given the young, urban, professional crowd often found dining here.
For a quick lunch on a busy afternoon or an inexpensive meal when you find yourself in the heart of downtown with nowhere to eat, Star of Siam is a good choice.
In Short The lofted ceiling and giant windows create a sunny setting. For a more authentic experience, request a sunken table with cushions for seats. The dishes tend toward the spicy, but can be requested mild. Beef and broccoli has a mix of ginger and oyster sauce. Chicken satay is especially tender, with real breast meat. For dessert, go for green tea ice cream or warm star custard with hints of caramel and nuts.
Sometimes when I was walking home from work at Lake and LaSalle, I would go out of my way to swing by this place to pick up some crab rangoon to take home. They make the best I've ever had. Even if you only stop in to try the crab rangoon, you will not regret a visit to Star of Siam.
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With so many good thai restaurants in the city, I'm surprised that this place has such a good reputation. It's just okay -- the food is okay, the atmosphere is okay and the prices are fine but not great.
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Star of Siam cannot be beat with a stick when it comes to its prices and the food. The dishes are delicious, but they offer any substitutions, of if you don't see anything, they will make what you want. That was not a problem when we went there; we were thoroughly satisfied. The dining room is nothing to write home about, except that there are some fun booths that are build into the floor for a different dining position.
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Latest reviews by Citysearch:
(read all 20 reviews
on Citysearch)
RUDE STAFF
By mmc123
My boyfriend and I have been eating at Star of Siam for about 2 years now, almost on a weekly basis. The owner knew us and would say hello when he saw us. It was our favorite place for thai. Until yesterday. We were there for almost an hour, finishing the carafe of wine we bought, getting ready to go (my boyfriend was in the bathroom) and a staff member came to me and asked us to leave because we were taking too long and they needed the table because it was busy. Are you serious?!! Ask a customer to leave? Especially two loyal customers who regularly stop by and tip extremely well??!! I don't think we will ever go back. Too bad.
Posted 04/18/08
Average Thai food
By psnchckn
Went here for lunch on a Saturday. I got a noodle dish and my girlfriend got steamed veggies with tofu and rice. Her steamed vegetables were drenched in butter, of all things, and my noodles were average at best. The fish cakes appetizer was good, but nothing exciting. Service was very fast. Overall an average Thai place, probably won't go again and wouldn't recommend it.
Pros: Fast service, quick seating, OK prices Cons: Average food, at best
Posted 11/23/07
Best Thai Food for Miles
By ejr6573
I love this place! The food is great and so is the service. The spring rolls were addictive. In fact, so was all of the food. There were a coupld of things I said I would never try, but did. For instance, the spring rolls, I don't normally go for them, but they were excellent. You can dress up or just decide to go in as you're awalking by. It doesn't matter.
Pros: Food, service Cons: Parking
Posted 10/29/07
Eeewww!
By k2frank
I have never ever had SWEET Pad Thai until my lunch here. I asked for spicy Pad Thai, and it resembled overcooked noodles in a bowl of grease. All the great crunchy vegetables had either been cooked or left out of the dish, and the "spicy" part came from some sliced jalapenos and red peppers (?) that were also overcooked. My friend's Pad Kee Mao was pretty much the same thing...overcooked in a puddle of grease. The only flavor we really had was from the generic red chili sauce they gave us in abundance. Unfortunately we had ordered out, so we couldn't send it back. We both threw out more than half of our lunch. If I wanted grease for lunch, I'd have gone out for a burger instead.
Pros: none Cons: puddles of grease, poor flavor
Posted 12/22/06
Some of the best Thai I've had
By babasyzygy
Star of Siam has a nice, modern feel to it. Their tables are arranged, set into recesses in a platform so that you can sit cross-legged, or straigt up, western-style.
The food was excellent. Their Tom Kha Gai was fantastic, and lacked mushrooms (for which I do not have a liking) but had not strained out the lemongrass.
My Pad Thai was delivious - I didn't care as much for my dining companion's beef and broccoli, but it was fairly gingery (which taste like soap to me).
Altogether, I'd gladly go here again the next time I am in Chicago.
