Siam Dragon

I'm not a huge fan of Thai food, but when a major supporter of my writing purchases ten copies of my newly released children's book The Rescuers, and wants to take me to lunch, I think I can make an effort. Apparently Usha and her daughter Tina are regulars at Siam Dragon. Servers greet them with hugs and kisses and make inquiries about other members of their family. And Usha is downright vociferous when telling them that I will be taking pictures and writing a blog about their restaurant. It's not usually my preference to announce that, but it's heartwarming to see how enthusiastically she promotes me.
 

     I was a little nervous. What if I didn't like the food after all the special attention? Fortunately, it all worked out. Usha and Tina ordered the Basil Chicken with white rice and I had the Pad Thai Noodles with chicken. As always, my dish could not be spicy, the total opposite of my friends' dish. Not only did they want it spicy, they asked for the bottle of hot sauce to be brought to the table.

     Both dishes came with a spring roll and Miso soup or house salad. I chose the soup to go, and the spring roll was a little chewier than I prefer. I took a bite of their Basil Chicken, before they doused it in hot sauce, and I found it true to its name. The chicken was tender, well-seasoned, and offered an additional layer of flavor with the basil. My Pad Thai was generous for a lunch portion and delightfully sweet. I could've eaten the whole mound if I hadn't stopped in expectation of dessert.

    We sampled the Thai donuts, always a must, and the fried cheesecake. We felt the donuts were a little stale.You wouldn't think that something as simple as serving them fresh could make such a difference, but it does. When the dough is warm, it's porous, and when you dunk it in the sweet milk, it absorbs it making each sugary bite melt in your mouth. These were cold and resisted interaction with the milk. The fried cheesecake was beautiful to look at, but it was cooked unevenly, so the outer fringes were melty and warm, but the core was frozen and detached from the batter.
     This hardly ever happens, but this time I liked the meal well enough and was disappointed in the dessert. Foodie adventures are so unpredictable!

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