Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2009
Photos courtesy of Siam Thai Cuisine
The warren of side streets around Mita station is home to one of Tokyo’s liveliest after-work scenes. Izakaya, ramen shops, yakitori stalls and karaoke bars attract salarymen from the nearby Tamachi office district and students from Keio University. So it’s something of a surprise to find Siam Thai Cuisine nestled among all these Japanese-style nightspots. This refined outpost of authentic Thai cooking would seem more at home in an upscale, international neighborhood.
Recently opened by longtime Tokyo expat Ross Purdie (see Q&A, page 5), Siam Thai Cuisine is notable for its wine list as much as its food menu. Purdie has put together an international list that ranges from France (2005 Guigal Cotes du Rhone, ¥4,500) to Chile (2007 Anakena Viognier, ¥4,500) to the Napa Valley (2006 Girard Old Vine Zinfandel, ¥6,500). Most bottles are under ¥5,000, and champagnes and by-the-glass options are available.
While the wine list takes its inspiration from around the world, the food is all Thai. The trilingual, photo-filled menu brims with over 80 items, and even though all the popular dishes make an appearance, diners would do well to explore. If you’re a fan of the ubiquitous pad thai (¥1,250), for instance, try instead the pad unsen (¥1,150), a hearty dish of glass noodles, shrimp, vegetables and egg. Or if you usually enjoy tom yam kung (¥1,250), order up tom kha talay (¥1,350), a spicy, coconut-based seafood soup.
Other excellent dishes include fried spring rolls (¥850), seafood salad (¥1,300) and fried rice with cashew nuts and pineapple (¥1,250). Don’t miss the stir-fried squid with garlic (¥1,300), whose ika is the most tender we’ve ever tasted.
Another notable aspect of Siam Thai Cuisine is that the chefs are unafraid to spice things up. Unlike most local Thai restaurants, where the chili peppers have been tempered to soothe wimpy Japanese palates, the spiciness rating on this menu should be heeded. We managed to finish the green papaya salad (¥1,100) only with copious gulps of Singha beer (¥650/bottle).
Siam Thai Cuisine’s narrow interior, divided by the genkan, has simple wood floors complemented by white furniture and walls. When the main area gets busy, as it tends to do later in the evening, the scene is loud and festive. Couples on a date will have a hard time finding intimacy, but with a variety of wines and fantastic Thai cooking, they’re sure to enjoy themselves anyway.
