SIAM EXPRESS,
170-B1-33 (Basement) Gurney Plaza,
Persiaran Gurney,
Penang.
TOUTED as the first contemporary Thai restaurant serving backstreet Bangkok-style dishes in Penang, Siam Express in Gurney Plaza and Queensbay Mall have been enticing taste buds since 2004.
Patrons will constantly find something new to please diverse palates.
The latest creations are Tam Tad (seafood papaya salad in a tray) (top pic) and Mama Kee Mao (stir-fried drunken seafood noodle), both of which will only be available next month.
A must-have in every restaurant in Thailand, the Tam Tad features a tray of appetising seafood papaya salad complemented by sides such as a variety of vegetables, fried anchovies, peanuts, fried chicken, hard-boiled egg and rice vermicelli.
The sides will vary from place to place, with each restaurant having a different combination depending on what they have in the kitchen.
With servings for two, patrons can either mix everything up together or eat the sides individually.
The Mama Kee Mao is a flavoursome and spicy dish comprising noodle, seafood, vegetables and various seasonings.
Despite its name, no alcohol is added in any of the original Thai recipes.
It is believed that the name was derived from the need of spicy food to cure hangovers.
There are many types of Kee Mao dishes with stir-fried noodle being the more popular one.
The Mama Kee Mao (top) and Thai beef noodle.
Perennial favourites at Siam Express include Thai tapas, salads like miang kham (wild pepper leaves roll), soups such as tomyam and kaengsom (spicy and sour tamarind soup with vegetables), and massaman or green curry.
There are also a mouth-watering array of vegetables, bean curd and egg dishes, chicken and beef interpretations as well as fish and seafood.
Single Plate items consist of the popular Thai noodle with beef slice and beef ball soup, tomyam seafood fried rice wrapped in omelette, Siam laksa, phad Thai (fried noodle with seafood) and Thai carbonara.
Available are also set lunch priced from RM18.90+ per person, single set at RM15.90+, couple set at RM68+ and family set (for four persons) at RM138+.
The set lunch and single set are available from 10.30am to 3pm daily while the couple and family sets are from 10.30am to 9.30pm.
To quench your thirst are refreshing spice and herb drinks like LGH (lemongrass, ginger, honey and lime) and roselle flower with soda besides fresh juices, Thai coffee and tea.
Both Siam Express outlets are open from 10am to 10pm daily.
For enquiries and reservations, kindly contact 04-2265491 (Gurney Plaza) or 04-6405492 (Queensbay Mall).
Will sample next visit Penang.