Siam Garden

Have you ever been in love?

Don’t be fooled by the shabby exterior and lack of typographically sexy
signage…Siam Garden is one of the best Thai restaurants in central Florida. I discovered
this little gem way back in high school and have been a devout consumer of their
fare ever since. For starters, the Thai salad is an awesome and fresh dish of mixed
greens, cabbage, incredibly juicy tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots. It comes with a
traditional thai peanut dressing that is so incredibly good it’s like the Thai version of
Kobe Steakhouse’s famed white sauce. I make sure to order extra sides of dressing (at
no additional charge!!) and drown my veggies in it. It’s only about $6 and is more than
enough for two to share as an appetizer.

My tried and true favorite entrée is the Pad Thai. I have made a point to try the
dish at various place—P.F. Changs, Thai Sushi in DeLand, Pei Wei…—and I usually end
up with a plate of burned rice noodles and too many bean sprouts. The Pad Thai at Siam
Garden is a huge plate of really juicy rice noodles and Pad Thai sauce with a side of
cabbage. I order my Pad Thai with tofu (though you can choose from poultry, red meat
or seafood as well) and it is always cooked to that perfect firm consistency. Nothing
bothers me more than when my tofu is mushy…eww. $9 gets you get a huge plate of it
that will surely yield some delicious leftovers (it’s just as good, if not better, the next
day). Another dish I recommend is the Panang, a curry-based dish with vegetables and
your choice of meat. Like the Pad Thai, it’s a wonderful mix of flavors and aromas and is
sure to delight your senses. The food is always presented beautifully as well. Carrots
shaped like cute little starbursts? Yes, please!

What I also love about the restaurant is that it’s family owned (I love supporting
local businesses over chain restaurants any day) and the entire staff is so friendly and
professional. I’ve never waited more than about ten minutes for my meal to come
out and I’ve never had any problems in all the almost eight years I have been dining
there. My verdict: it’s cheap, fast and absofuckinglutely delicious! I’m in love!
Most entrées range from $9 to $15.

-Stephanie D’Ercole

Siam Garden is located at 1111 W Webster Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789.
Tel: (407) 599-7443