Siam Society

The food was acceptable, nothing spectacular. Our server was wonderful but the owner/manager was very rude to us regarding splitting the bill for payment. No one from our party of six plans to ever go back because of this poor treatment. There are many other fabulous places to go where you will be treated with much more respect and where your business will be appreciated. more

The Khao Soi Curry was more peanut sauce than a curry. The food was more dynamic and creative when they first opened. Still a good restaurant and I'll be back, but can no longer recommend it as gourmet Thai. more

Awesome. Just a simple great place to drink, eat and be merry. Food was good, drinks were great, service was also good. Ask for Aaron to wait on your table. Eat the Spit roasted chicken. It's the best in PDX. TL;DR: Great Food, Great Atmosphere, good service more

My server came to me almost in tears before I even approached your table to offer any help. She indicated to me that your boyfriend's dad was beyond rude. When I came to your table to offer some help, your boyfriend's dad became belligerent and told me he didn't like the look of my face. At that point, when someone acts completely inappropriately, we need to ask the party to leave. Perhaps it's okay in your family to treat people like dirt or employees like servants, but you cannot do that to my staff or myself. Your boyfriend's dad became physically threatening in posture and proclaimed to us that he was from San Francisco, and therefore superior. After we escorted you and your family from the premises, I had three tables thank me profusely for asking you to leave. I'm sorry you tired to dine with such an uncouth individual, but if that is who you prefer to socialize with, it is your own choice. more

WOW! I am still in shock over last nights attempt to eat at Siam Society. Let me preface this with a little history. Siam has been my family""s favorite restaurant for the last three years. This is the place we always take our out of town guests, go to for birthdays, anniversary""s or just any time we want a fabulous dinner. What we tell people is ""just point your finger at the menu and you'll find something amazing"". So, last night we took my boyfriends dad and his wife along with my eleven year old daughter (her favorite restaurant, too). We had reservations and asked to be seated on the patio. I did notice that the hostess who sat us seemed to be in a very surly mood. I've been in the restaurant industry for 25 years so I understand having a bad day and I'm willing to give a little more latitude to people who have to deal with the public. We were seated and gave our drink, appetizer and dinner orders all within ten minutes of walking through the front door. When we were seated we commented on the fact that it was so empty (one other two top). We drank one round of drinks and enjoyed our appetizers. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. During the course of our wait the patio started to fill up and we started noticing the other tables around us were being served their food and ours was nowhere to be seen. At one point our server brought warm plates and set them in front of us. No food. We waited. The plates got cold. My boyfriends father got up, I assumed to go to the bathroom, and then came back. A few minutes later a man comes to the table says he's the owner and did someone at our table wish to speak with him. My boyfriend and I both said no, we assumed he had the wrong table, but his dad said yes. Then he started complaining about the fact that we were still waiting to be served our food when most of the tables around us which had arrived after us were already eating. The owner explained that the food comes from different stations and it takes longer etc. Dear old dad says that""s not his problem and they end up in a pissing contest at our table AS OUR FOOD IS BEING SERVED! The owner got irate and told us all to leave or he'd call the police. Did I mention that my child was at the table? By this time we had been waiting an hour and fifteen minutes for our food. They start setting the food down, my daughter has her fork in her hand and the owner orders his staff to pick up the food. WOW! Was my boyfriends dad rude? Yes, I think he was. Was the owner over-reacting? Yes, he was. Bottom line I ended up with a little girl crying for two hours and waking up in the middle of the night with a stomach ache because of the stress of the situation. I don't care how sexy the beef is, no food is worth that kind of trauma. Both men should be ashamed of their actions. Now I have to retract my recommendation of Siam Society from everyone I've given it to. The idea of sending another family into that kind of situation is not okay. more

I went to this awesome-looking restaurant with my wife last night. We sat on the patio, and our server Chris was super friendly. He asked if we wanted to start with some cocktails. We declined and ordered a French chardonnay instead, which Chris also recommended. I usually prefer red, but we were thoroughly impressed by this wine....I need to find out where to get this to drink at home! We ordered the Moo Taut appetizer, which was amazing and complemented our wine perfectly. This was a pork dish with sticky rice--totally delicious. It was finger food that started our meal off with lots of laughing. Then we had panang curry with mixed seafood and the roasted chicken. The curry was spicy, but so complex in its flavors. I tasted fresh lemongrass and lime leaves every so often--divine. And the chicken was sooo freaking juicy! It also came with sticky rice, so we got to eat with our fingers again. The one negative thing I would say is that the patio was very busy, and the restaurant didn't seem to have enough staff for the amount of customers. That said, the food came out quickly, even though we had to flag down Chris once for more jasmine rice. We sealed the deal with the chocolate cake, topped with cardamom ice cream. I had to lie down afterwards. It was so decadent that my wife got a little frisky, so I'm definitely going to take her back there again! Have fun! more

I had the Northern Thai Green Curry. It was very good. The lychee and green bean salad was great too. We were seated quickly at a nice table. The server didn't match the food quality. I was served pork spring rolls even though I specifically told them I was vegan. I even took a bite before they realized their mistake. She didn't offer to comp me for the mistake, which is a pretty serious one. She smiled maybe once, and my girlfriend and I were very friendly to her. I'd still give them another try because the food was delicious, but I'm still mad about getting served piggy meat. Pros: The food was excellent. Cons: The server was very unfriendly and seemed distracted. more

I have been going here with my boyfriend for over a year, there has been a few changes but if you live in the Alberta area then this is a must do for the restaurants in the area. Pros: Alberta Cons: Sometimes crowded more

I went with my family last night and Aaron waited on us. We had a large group and it was a birthday celebration. The food was spot on and we really enjoyed all of our drinks. We had the Farmer's Market with mixed seafood, Pulled Pork Springrolls, and someone ordered some spicy noodles (I can't pronounce the name). All were very wonderful. I don't know what the earlier reviewer is talking about in regards to the Koi fish, cause I really love it! People will nit pick and complain about anything when they get on line. Hey, getting online is usually anonymous, right? I suppose it gives everyone the needed courage to be nasty online, when one could just ask their server to fix a dish if it came out wrong. Instead of being petty online, just try and enjoy yourself and be good to one and another. It makes a better planet. Pros: I really loved the Massaman Curry with Chicken Cons: Had a great time! more

We just had a great dinner at Siam Society. My only complaints are that we were seated by the open door on a chilly rainy evening instead of in the other half of the restaurant which remained empty. Seemed like they were really trying to keep everyone on the bar side. The cocktails are always creative and well executed. Some of the flavors on this menu are nontraditional, with even some Brazilian influence, which sounds odd but mostly hits the mark. There are a few plates I'm not too fond of, including the hazelnut spring rolls, but some people may love them, and most of what we've had in our 4 or 5 visits has been really delicious. Our kettle of Thom Kha soup was rich and velvety with complex flavors. The Kao Soi chicken is a standout, but all of the curries I've had there have been delicious, including the halibut in green curry with mango. The space is beautiful - it's a fun place to bring people from out of town. Bring a sweater on a chilly day though, as such lofty ceilings must make it hard to heat. Pros: rich, unique flavors Cons: chilly on a cold day more

I have been to Siam Society several times with my boyfriend, and it's one of our favorite places to go. Tuesday he and I decided to swing on by for happy hour, to find these giant, hideous koi hanging from the ceiling. I really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, and tall ceilings give an open feel to the restaurant. The new decor gives a claustrophobic, ""sushi-to-go"" vibe. The food was still spot on but unfortunately, the atmosphere has changed. I really hope next time my boyfriend and I go in, things will be back to normal. Pros: Example: best croissants in town Cons: What are the drawbacks? more

It seems that many people I know have said, ""You just have to try Siam Society for great Thai food!"". So a few months ago, my wife and I did just that. And the verdict? What a disappointment! Pros: Decent drinks, nice atmosphere, hip neighborhood Cons: Grossly overpriced food, much better value at other Thai restaurants more

Siam Society was one of the first restaurants I visited on my arrival to the US. I loved the ambience and the food. I always do. They have so many virgin drink choices and that is a huge plus for non-alcoholics like me. We booked a table and ate a nice romantic dinner there. Very nice old world-ish ambience. There were some mushrooms in my dish that kind of did not 'look' mushroomish. The person who waited on us, brought me an uncooked mushroom of that variety to put my fears to rest. I found it really nice on his part to have done that. There is plenty of parking around the restaurant in the street and this is a huge plus! Pros: Food, Ambience, Wait Staff more

This place is really good. Its a higher end Thai Fusion place with a really cool buildout. I have always had good food there but people I have gone with every once in a while say its so-so even though 75% of the time its nothing but good things. This is a great date place with a cool albeit small bar on the second floor. more

I visited Siam Society on last Wednesday night. My girlfriend and I had scheduled ""date night"" and I wanted to take her to a romantic dinner that didn't cost a fortune. I also wanted to avoid the ""high society"" types in the NW, or SW. I decided on NE, and couldn't have found a better choice! The atmosphere was romantic, with low lighting, ambient house music in the background, and a friendly, attractive staff. I appreciated the staff's ability to ask the right questions, allowing our date to remain private and the flow uninterrupted. The service was leisurely, but so was the tone of the evening. The food was delicious. I actually planned to propose to my girlfriend that night, and had the ring with me. I mentioned this to the server and the host, and they excitedly took my requests and assured me that I would be taken care of. After dinner, they brought out desert, and had placed the ring inside the outer shell of the dish. It was very well thought out. They told me that it was their first time having a patron propose inside their place. They made it seem so smooth, and it went off so well, that I would love to recommend this place for such an event. The staff would make it go wonderfully. more

Friday I sat down at the computer & looked up the website to get a number to make a reservation. They had several modern features on their website including an online menu & the ability to make your reservations online. The online reservation was easy to use. Pros: Food , Service, Ambience Cons: Parking, more

My wife and I had made an online reservation and were seated immediately outside. We enjoyed conversing with the hostess, who made us feel welcome. We perused the wine list, but were more tempted by the unique cocktails. My wife ordered a Thai Me Up (vanilla Stoli in a Thai tea) and I opted for the Soi Cowboy because it sounded manly and contained Tamarind pulp. After a short wait for our drinks from the bar, we ordered. While we waited for our entrees, an ""extra"" papaya salad was brought to our table at no charge. A pleasant surprise to say the least. The waitress was able to snag the last barbecued chicken for my wife (who had a backup planned since they told us they were low), and my S3XY Beef lived up to it's name. It being my wife's birthday, we ordered the Flourless Chocolate Cake with cardamom ice cream, which we enjoyed very much. We were then treated once again to a birthday presentation of Coconut Milk ice cream by the exuberant staff. We had an amazing time, experienced spectacular service, filled up on great food and managed to keep it under an hour and a half from when we walked in the door. I will be bringing family here, it is that good. Pros: Friendly staff, attractive presentation, interesting beverages. Cons: Kinda noisy. more

My girlfriend ate last Saturday. We were seated without a wine list with my chair facing my lovely girlfriend and behind her, a plain concrete wall with some black and white photographs of pointless images. Our veggie spring roll rap was good, the sauce bland. There were small pieces of something in my girlfriends glass of wine. We ordered two of the stakes but only got one order and plates to split. They offered to cook us another one but I declined. The Asparagus was not prepped (the bottom end broken off) the ""demi gloss"" was watery, stringy, and barely evident with little to no flavor. The fried sweet potatoes were hardly touched by either of us, you can check it out for 21 dollars. Nothing had salt or pepper, there was no salt and pepper at the table giving the food a bland and plain lacking basic structure of bouquet or flavor. Pros: Lots of booze Cons: too many to mention more

I ate here for the first time with a party of 8 about six weeks ago. I definitely recommend reservations for weekends. We all shared one of the shrimp soups, and was fabulous. Cooked to perfection, with extremely fresh ingredients. We also shared the wonderful sweet potato fries. I had a chicken dish, which was good, but my husband's Beef stir fry was to die for. Everyone enjoyed the food, and our server was very attentive. Prior to meeting the rest of our party, my husband and I got to look over the happy hour menu, which is very inexpensive! Pros: Good food, nice wait staff Cons: A little too expensive for what you get more

On a friend's last night in Portland, 4 of us headed over the the Siam Society for fare-thee-well drinks. We sat at the bar and were greeted by a friendly older gentleman bartender. I knew then that this was going to be good (I inherently trust older bartenders more than teeny-boppers covered in tattoos that can't make a old-fashioned.) I had an espresso cream martini. It was so delicious, so perfectly balanced, like no other espresso/liquor drink I had ever had. 2 of my friends had caipirinhas, the national drink of Brazil. They were very pleased with the flavors. It isn't a common drink so I was impressed that it was on the menu. They also had laphroaig whiskey, which is rare to see in a bar as it is definitely an acquired taste. The drinks were $8 each, but worth savoring and they have a happy hour too! We didn't eat anything, but it smelled good. Overall, a classy place with delicious drinks and a friendly bartender that gave us a nice discount! We'll definitely be repeat customers. Pros: amazing drinks, experienced bartender Cons: tiny bar area more