Siam Society

We went there the other night for my wife's birthday and the door lady couldn't find us a seat so she was acting like a spastic even though we said we were in no hurry. It looked like she was spending more time ordering around the other workers (rudely) than actually finding us a seat. Seems like they need some better management there. Once we finally got a seat our server, Emily? was very courteous and efficient. We shared the halibut and the ginger chicken, both tasty but expensive for Thai food and not that outstanding. The same spastic door lady then started asking us every 5 minutes ""how is everything"" and became a little overbearing. Emily got us a complimentary birthday coconut ice cream that was very good. Pros: ok food, good server Cons: ok food, annoying manager more

I will have to say we have eaten here before and both times the food was good. However, we went last week with our son and when we asked if they had a high chair we were told"" no"" and then the server walked away. Not at all what we expected in a family friendly neighborhood. The resturarant was nearly empty and our service was not good. We were looking for the server more than once and waited a long time for him to come to take our order. Pros: good food Cons: inattentive and unfriendly staff more

I ate here with my best friend last Friday and man was it packed in there. They wanted to seat us up in the private dining room, but we decided we liked the atmosphere downstairs better. We had to wait a few minutes for a table to clear up, but they set it right away and besides we enjoyed our little chat with the older bartender behind the bar. I had a Ginger Cosmo and Dave had a Soi Cowboy. Both drinks were great! For dinner we had Pulled Pork Spring Rolls and Calamari. Next we shared the Grilled Beef Salad ""Tiger Cries"". Everything was awesome, but we were starting to get full, cause the portion sizes are really big! For our entrees we also shared the Yellow Curry with braised Lamb Shank and Dave ordered the Pan Seared Halibut with Green Curry, which was recommended by the server. The Yellow Curry as just heavenly and the Green Curry was spicy but totally out of this world! I am in love with this restaurant and I will definitely be back. Everyone was very friendly and the service was great. Pros: Huge Portions. Cons: Very busy on the weekends more

Terrible, terrible, terrible food. We were actually shocked at how bad it was. The food was surprisingly flavorless and way overpriced. Perhaps if we had had a ton of drinks prior to eating, we wouldn't have noticed as much. more

the drinks before dinner were great, the coffee after dinner was good. Everthing in between was poor. I had the farmers market stir fry with seafood. It was unforgivable. The plate, $20 worth, was a slop of over-cooked vegetables swimming in a soy kind of sauce. It was dark in the restaurant I had not a clue what I was eating until I got to the two clams and they were bitter and sour tasting. more

I crave the food at Siam Society. The first time we went I had the Banana Roasted Pork, it was so good I knew I had the best meal at the table......till I tried my husbands, he had the Kao Soi Chicken Curry, I can't tell you how good that is, I promised the next time I would get that. We went again and I got the Kao Soi Chicken Curry and my husband had the Pan Seared Halibut in Green Curry, that was so good, I said next time I am getting that. I am sure this will continue. We took our 17yr old son and his date and they tried everything and loved it. We started with the Pork Cake & Jalape?o Ice Cream, who would think of Jalapeno in ice cream, all those flavors together are amazing, the Fresh Manilla Clams were yummy, the Sweet Potato Fries delicious, our son had the Burger and loved it! For drinks we love the Jalape?o Margarita. Save room for dessert, the servings for dinner are big enough to bring leftovers for lunch and trust me they are just as good the next day, and then you'll have room for dessert. We had the Silk Cocoon and substituted the coconut ice cream for the cardamon ice cream, it was fabulous. Hmmmmmm, I think I might have to go there tonight, the flavors are spectacular!!!!!!!!!!! more

This place is definitely pretty and slick, and the service is fine, but the food doesn't justify the price tag. We have Thai food every Friday night with some Vietnamese friends, and had resisted going here because they feel that Thai food shouldn't be this expensive. But tonight was our treat and we wanted to try it because of the glowing reviews, and alas were really disappointed. The place is very dark which makes it difficult to read the menu, which also means you can't really see what you're eating, which leads to scarfing up whole chilis that you normally would set aside. And after picking thin, sharp sticks of inedible lemon grass out of the too sour and too salty Tom Yum soup I knew we were in trouble. The chicken in the soup was in chunks large enough to have to be cut with a knife in order for the 4 of us to each get some chicken, no easy task in a bowl of soup. We ordered entrees that seemed popular in the reviews and only enjoyed one of them, the Farmer's Market Stir Fry with Shrimp. The Banana Roasted Pork was loaded with fat, and the condiments surrounding it were confusing and uninspiring. The Koa Soi Chicken Curry came with a thick, too sweet peanut-like sauce served on overcooked noodles, not much there reminiscent of actual curry. And the jasmine rice that comes with the meal was overcooked and mushy. So out of 4 dishes only one was good, pretty bad odds I'd say. And at a third more than you'd pay at most Thai restaurants that's a pretty poor value. I wouldn't revisit this place even on someone else's dime. Pros: Farmer's Market Stir Fried Shrimp Cons: Overcooked noodles and rice, too dark to see what you're eating, 3 out of 4 dishes weren't good more

My wife and I periodically go to the Siam Society to enjoy their exotic drink menu and have a few appetizers. The time we actully decided to dine we got a great table in Dustin's section. He is what made this Thai restaurant different from the other dozen Thai restaurants on Alberta Street. When we asked him about wine he first asked us what we were looking for, and then just brought us a glass and it was perfect (and it was one of the cheaper glasses on the menu, which I respect). Then after that he gave us perfect service, he was not overbearing, or overly cheesy, he made me feel like I was a good friend of his rather than a customer he was trying to make money off of. For all of these reasons I will come back, as well as good food(Try the ko soi curry and the Banana Roasted Pork). The bottom line is anyone can cook you a good meal these days, however finding great service is like looking for a needle in a stack of needles. As for the owner I do agree with everyone about him being unprofessional - he should stick to owning the place and stay out of the way of the staff who knows what they are doing. more

We made reservations at Siam Society and we arrived 10 minutes late for our 8 pm reservations. The man who identified himself at the owner, smirked as he told me that he had given away our table. The way he smiled caused me to ask him if he was joking, he seemed as if he delighted in the fact that he had the power to take away our dinner plans. He made no effort to make us feel welcome, nor did he apologize for giving our table away stating he has a policy of holding a table for ten minutes only, even though we arrived at 8:10. It is really unbelievable that a restaurant owner could be this rude and unhelpful, the term, ""customer service"" seems to not be a part of the siam society business plan. We will never dine there again. more

Because my wife and I had enjoyed the Siam Society's atmosphere, food, presentation and service in the past, we and another couple planned a meal here Friday night after taking in a play. The place advertises that it's open until 11 pm or later on Fridays and that the late Happy Hour begins at 10 pm, so we thought there'd be no problem with our getting there at 10:10 pm. Were we ever wrong. Although we could see something like 16 people dining and at the bar--and there were probably more in the outside eating area who we couldn't see--we were told the place was closing early because the Labor Day holiday had slowed business. As we drove away, we noticed a party of about 6 who was also turned away and unhappy, and a party of three who also seemed to be changing their plans near the door. This means the restaurant lost about 13 customers in a 5-minute period. So, beware: it you plan on making this a later night destination, be prepared to have the Happy Hour carpet pulled out from under you. more

I don't know if Siam Society is the most authentic Thai restaurant around- it seems a bit too slick and put together for that, but its food sure is incredible. It's menu is a stunner- if you like Thai food, you'll have a hard time narrowing your choice down to just one entree, but you'll definitely be happy with whatever you get. The cocktails are fantastic, too, and the atmosphere, trendy and romantic. Pros: Innovative, exotic menu, great cocktails more

Hands down the best Thai food in Portland. Each dish had it's own distinct flavor (instead of a plethora of coconut milk). And family-style service allows you to try a little of everything. Pros: Flavorful Food, Beautiful Building Cons: Nothing more

I HAVE LIVED IN PORTLAND FOR MANY YEARS NOW AND HAVE NEVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS ANYWHERE IN PORTLAND. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT TO ANYONE WHO THINKS CUSTOMER SERVICE IS IMPORTANT. THE WAITERS AND BARTENDERS SEEM GREAT HOWEVER THE OWNER RUINED THE EXPERIENCE, AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO SUPPORT HIS BUSINESS IF I WERE YOU!!!! more

The service is phenomenal and the food is fun. They got us in on New Year's eve and were very gracious. the building itself is historic and beautiful! Great place for a date or a small group of friends. Alberta Street is great to walk after dinner or if there's a wait. Pros: service, drink menu, food more

After having grown up in New York and a little stint in Chicago, I have to say I have never had Thai food as good as this. Amazing space and the food was completely out of this world! I had the Banana Roasted Pork dish. It was fantastic. My partner had the Kow Soy (Sp?) and I couldn't stop stealing bites off of his dish. Our friends had told us to come and meet them there because of their last dinner there. We were skeptical about another Thai restaurant, but am I glad we gave in. They ordered the Green Curry with Seared Hailbut. Another Oh My God dish! The service was friendly and down to earth. We really enjoyed ourselves. I highly recommend the place. Pros: Delicious food, great space, great service Cons: None yet. more

I never thought I'd give up Typhoon, but what luck--a really, really good Thai restaurant is right here on Alberta Street. My boyfriend and I have eaten here a dozen times and have always had excellent service. They are usually packed. We often order ahead and get food to go. I am such a creature of habit and order exactly the same thing: panang curry, extra spicy, with chicken. I love it! The portions are huge--enough for several days (and I am a big eater). Also, the spring rolls are the best in the world--do not miss the spring rolls--they ""flash fry"" them in truffle oil (!!!) and they are light and just delicious. more

I had heard such good things about this place, but it really doesn't live up to the hype, or its potential. We arrived there to _finally_ be greeted (after about 15 minutes of being ignored) with complete confusion about our reservation. Eventually they figured it out, and we were seated, where we had to wait another 10 minutes before even being acknowledged by our waitress. A few very simple questions about the food revealed that the waitress DOESN'T know the food, she had to ask the kitchen even the most basic stuff. And her service was appalling... she stopped by to drop of the food and drinks, but beyond that, she could never be found. And then THE FOOD... WAY TOO OILEY and WAY TOO SALTY. Ick. I had to wipe my lips every time I took a bite, due to the greasiness left behind. Not impressed at all. No interest in going back. Pros: Cool building (although it is very loud inside) Cons: Overly oily & salty food, noisy atmosphere, dreadful service. more

Have always enjoyed everything here--I believe this is what Typhoon used to try to be, but never quite succeeded at. Interesting preps with local ingredients and authentic Thai flavorings; service has always been knowledgable and efficient, maybe not the fastest or friendliest, but well worth the standard 20%. Their seafood anything has always been a great crowd pleaser, and we've dined in twosomes up to eight with few hiccups in seating. Pros: Great ambience, consistently good and inventive flavors Cons: parking, can be a little loud more

While Siam Society offers some of the best Thai infusion and amazing drinks their servicesleaves something to be desired. I have been there more than 5 times and I can only say that one of those times was a pleasant experience. Recently we had a birthday party there for 13 people, we were told to be there at 6:00 so we wouldn't interfere with their busy time, which we respect and understand. more

After casually passing the building twice, a quest for parking to be sure, I was amazed at how the building set itself apart from the neighborhood...yet belonged at the same time. Pushing the archaic doors open drafts smells of Indian Mace and Cardamom into the nostrils, an olfactory appertif. I don't often consume the top-shelf style infusions available here, but a nice 10 yr. Balvenie scotch would do nicely. The service was excellent, considering the amount of people on a Friday night. Food could not have been better. Authentic Yum Moon Sen, basil-coconut steamed mussels, Thom Yum soup, and Seared Char with Chimachurri glaze...you must be joking. Molten Flourless Cake with Kopke Port capped the night perfectly. I've NEVER had an experience like this stateside. Do it. Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Uniqueness Cons: Price, lighting more