Ottawa By Night Journal |  Monday, September 13, 1999

by Joseph Raymond

Recently, Ottawa By Night and its sister publication, Toronto by Night Journal visited the Siam Bistro in Ottawa and discovered a true winner in exotic Thai cuisine at its best. Under the superb direction of owner and manager, Montha McGinnis, is a lady with a Midas touch, who serves exotic cuisine from Thailand.

The menu offers a wide variety of delicious meals that can also be taken out, impress the guests at your next party with a selection of exotic tastes that may be ordered mild, spicy or very spicy to suit your taste. You may begin your feast with five different Appetizers, Tood Mun Pla, fried fish patties served with sweet and spicy cucumber sauce or Poa Pia Tod, spring rolls stuffed with black mushrooms, shredded carrots and cabbage served with sweet sauce. Savor the exotic taste of a steaming bowl of Tom Yum Goong, hot and sour shrimp soup with lemon grass and fresh mushrooms, or Gang Jued Woonsen, pork or chicken soup with clear noodles and vegetables, popular traditional soups from Thailand.

The seafood lover will marvel at the tasty variety of dishes available, not to be missed is Tod Gra Tiem Prik Thai, shrimp or squid seasoned with coriander roots, garlic and black pepper, or choose something different with Toa Hu Ob Mor Din, steamed hot and spicy tofu with mixed seafood served in a clay pot.

At your next visit to Siam Bistro ask the chef to prepare for you one of her specialties, Goong Pad Prik, shrimp with dried chillies, pepper and pineapple in a special sauce, Pad Preow Wan Siam, shrimp, squid and scallops served with asparagus, tomatoes and onions, Gank Kour Sapparot, red curry with shrimp and tomato served in a pineapple shell and Pad Nor-Mai Fararng, stir fried asparagus with straw mushrooms are all taste sensations!

The vegetarian can select tasty culinary delights such as Pad Preow Wan, stir fried vegetables mixed with sweet and sour sauce or Pad Dok Galum, cauliflower and snow peas stir fried to perfection; and seasoned with garlic and oyster sauce. Fried Rice and Noodle dishes are popular, revel in the tantalizing flavor of Pad Thai, traditional fried rice noodles with shrimp, eggs, peanuts and bean sprouts.

A trip to Siam Bistro is not complete without sampling the curry dishes. Thai curries are cooked with a special paste, a mixture of special spices, including lemongrass, garlic, shallot, dried chili, shrimp paste, Thai ginger, coconut milk md other ingredients mixed with the meat of your choice and served piping hot! Not to be missed is Pa Nang, red curry with chicken or beef, coconut milk and pernuts, definitely an Award Winning Dish!

For this little corner of Thailand in Ottawa with its excellent Thai cuisine prepared with style and a service done with friendliness, Ottawa by Night takes great pleasure in Awarding Siam Bistro a definite Three Star Rating.