Siam Country - Classic Thai Cuisine
- January 2007Although "Family Restaurant" may be used by a variety of eating establishments, there is a place in Lincoln Square that truly fits this description. Siam Country may serve Thai food, but it is a family restaurant from its origins to its atmosphere. On any given night, the spot is filled with neighbors who know each other and who are all warmly greeted by Siam Country's owners, Suthiparn and Anchika. Now married with a son and daughter, they met for the first time in the restaurant. Longtime customers of Siam Country have watched their two children grow up there. It's not uncommon to see a patron sitting with their son, JP, at one of the tables, helping him with his homework. "We like being around people," explains Suthiparn. "Our son is learning a good thing by being here. He gets to meet new people and learn how to get along with people."
An average night at Siam Country sees a steady stream of people eating in the dining room or stopping in to pick up carry out orders on their way home from work. The colorful dining room attracts its fair share of first dates and birthday celebrations, too. It's a comfortable space decorated with traditional Thai art and musical instruments. Offerings to Buddha sit on a shelf on the wall. Fish swim lazily about a tank, and lucky bamboo dots each table. But most importantly, the food is delicious and plentiful. This is homestyle Thai food—what your mom would cook for you if she were Thai. The menu includes typical Thai elements including seafood, curries, soups, salads, noodle and rice dishes. Sweet, sour and spicy flavors blend together from kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, tamarind and of course, chili peppers. "Sometimes I buy the chilis from a Thai temple that grows them," says Anchika. "All of the money goes to the temple." Those who fear spicy foods can still enjoy a meal at Siam Country, however. All of the dishes are cooked to order, so you can have them prepared mild, medium, "American spicy" or for full-strength heat, "Thai spicy."
Although it is adjusted slightly for the American palate, the food at Siam Country is traditional. "The food here is very similar to the food in Thailand," explains Anchika. "We change it a little bit, but the flavors are the same. The only real difference is the vegetables we use, since you can't get all of the Thai ones here." Some of the most popular dishes include Pad Thai with Shrimp, Red Curry, Chicken Pad Basil, Tomyum Soup, Panang Curry and Whiskey Noodles. Most dishes can be made with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, seafood or tofu. Vegetarians are welcomed at Siam Country. Everything is homemade, and often is cooked by Anchika or her mother, who helps out in the kitchen. "We make our soups every day from scratch," says Suthiparn. "We also make our jasmine rice fresh every day." In fact, Siam Country goes through about 10 pounds of rice on a daily basis. All of this delicious food adds up to an extremely loyal following. On Wednesdays, the only day when Siam Country is closed, it's not uncommon to see people staring into the darkened windows with looks of disappointment. But it's an important break for everyone. "Wednesday is our family day," says Suthiparn. "That's the day we spend together, take the kids to see a movie or do something fun."
The husband-wife duo that runs Siam Country is proof that opposites attract. Where Suthiparn is always cracking a joke and bantering with the customers, Anchika is the quiet one of the pair who tends to smile and listen. Anchika is the fantastic cook behind the food at Siam Country, while Suthiparn can't cook at all. "But I can microwave," he says. "No problem!" Like her own children, Anchika grew up in a restaurant on Phuket Island in Thailand that was owned by her godmother. When she was 16, she came to Chicago and worked in her parents' restaurant, Siam Country, which they owned from 1991 through 1994. Her father bought it from another Thai family who opened it in 1988. "Everyone knew him as Sak," explains Suthiparn. "That's because he had a really long name." On his 24th birthday, Suthiparn came in to Siam Country to celebrate with a group of friends. When Anchika served him dinner, it was love at first sight. "I came here once and I end up working here," laughs Suthiparn. "I never left the place." They got married and he started working there as a delivery guy. Finally, they bought the business from Anchika's father in 1995.
Suthiparn also came from a family that was in the hospitality business. Born in the southern part of Thailand, like Anchika, he grew up with a father who worked for a Thai airline in the catering department. After they moved to the U.S., his mom opened a Thai restaurant in Downers Grove, where he often worked to help out. One of Suthiparn's two sisters now runs a restaurant in the suburbs. Before he met Anchika, Suthiparn spent three years in the U.S. Navy fixing boilers on huge aircraft carriers. "We were supposed to go to England, but we ended up sailing to the Gulf and staying there for nine months during the Gulf War," he recalls. Now he's teaching his own children about the restaurant business. "I tell them that money is not important, it's the heart that is," says Suthiparn. "But sometimes if the business is slow, the heart is slow too!"
Anchika and Suthiparn's son JP spends his time after school in the restaurant. He's usually doing his homework or playing a game at one of the tables in the back. Their daughter just started Montessori pre-school, but when she was a baby, she sometimes slept in a crib at the restaurant. JP travelled to Thailand with his family a few years ago to visit some relatives. "He saw a real crocodile there," says Suthiparn. All of the exposure to the restaurant business has inspired JP think like a young entrepreneur. "I'd like to have my own business someday, but I haven't thought of it yet," he explains.
Siam Country is the place to enjoy flavorful Thai food while you're surrounded by neighbors and friendly people. Guests are welcome to bring their own bottles, as there is no liquor served. You can, however, get one of the ten or so varieties of Bubble Tea such as mango, green tea, taro and honeydew. Thai iced tea and Thai coffee are also on the menu. If you do any Thai cooking at home, Siam Country sells a small selection of condiments to brighten up your meal. Food is available for carry out or delivery within the neighborhood. In fact, Suthiparn knows his customers so well, he usually knows what they order before they even say it. "This restaurant is about relationships and getting to know people," he explains. "They become part of your family." And all you have to do to be welcomed as part of the family is show up for dinner.
Siam Country - Classic Thai Cuisine
4637 North Damen
Chicago, IL 60625
773.271.0700
www.siamcountrychicago.com
Hours:
Sunday - Tuesday 11:30am - 9:30pm
Closed Wednesday
Thursday 11:30am - 9:30pm
Friday - Saturday 11:30am - 10:00pm
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