Siam Gourmet

When Siam Gourmet opened about 7 1/2 years ago, it was a tiny storefront in Boca Raton. Since then, Siam Gourmet has doubled in size – and tripled in ambience. Where it once featured utilitarian decor with bare walls and simple tables, the dining room now resembles a Thai temple with multipatterned wood paneled walls tastefully offset with large mirrors. One section of the dining room is slightly raised, with comfortable, cushioned banquettes. And table tops are peach and black, with peach linen napkins. Service was excellent, unobstrusive yet efficient. Water glasses were immediately refilled and courses moved smoothly. We began our meals with the Siam Platter ($7.95), a mini buffet of appetizers with two each of satay, kiew grob, stuffed chicken wings and spring rolls. The spicy beef satay grilled on a stick was lean and nicely seasoned; the accompanying peanut sauce, rich and thick. Ground chicken, bean thread noodles and chopped vegetables filled the light, tasty spring rolls. Kiew grob were crisp-fried wontons filled with chopped chicken. And the stuffed chicken wings were plump drumettes dipped in a tempura batter and deep-fried. The wings were tasty and greaseless, but we could not taste the crabmeat stuffing. All our entrees, however, were delicious. The Panang Kai/Neua ($10.95) was a curry with a sauce made thick and robust from an abundance of ground peanuts tamed by sweet coconut milk. The beef (you can also have chicken) was lean and tender and the vegetables – straw mushrooms, snowpeas, green beans and bamboo shoots – were crisp. The Goong Tord Kratiam Prik Thai ($9.95) featured nine large shrimp perfectly sauteed with white pepper and a light garlic sauce. The result was an assertive dish in which the shrimp was not overpowered by either the pepper or the garlic. Red and green bell pepper strips, straw mushrooms and bamboo shoots accented the shrimp. Triangles of fried tofu were the highlight of the Floating Market ($8.95), which also featured stir-fried red and green peppers strips, bamboo shoots, onions, chopped celery, sliced carrots, green beans and broccoli. All the vegetables were crisp. Other entrees include shrimp with basil leaves and chili pepper ($9.95); shrimp with chili paste and string beans ($9.95); shrimp with mushrooms, baby corn and onion ($9.95); chicken with cashew nuts ($8.95); chicken with broccoli and oyster sauce ($8.95); beef with ginger, onion and mushrooms in a bean sauce ($8.95). A scoop of homemade coconut ice cream ($2.50) – with its rich coconut taste – was a sweet ending to a wonderful meal.