Siam Square in Riverdale, NY is a true hidden gem. Tucked between a tight strip of shops on a busy Bronx corner, no one would ever suspect the culinary greatness that awaits inside to ignite our palates, literally. When you first step into the burgundy splashed paneling the ambiance warms you inside. Beautiful paintings dress the walls and authentic art pieces from Thailand make you feel like you are eating inside a cookery on the Southeast side of Asia.

The menu is fairly large and broken down by appetizers, main courses, chef specialties, rice/noodles and vegetables. Along with the menu comes a separate list of traditional Thai street foods all for under $6. For starters, try the Kui Chai, a light pan fried Thai dumpling filled with Asian chives and paired with a soy vinaigrette. Perfect for two. This dish will accompany your ice cold Singha, a delicious Thai beer that tastes similar to the Italian’s Peroni, quite perfectly. If you enjoy Asian infused greens, then try Siam’s Som Tum Salad, one of their award winning dishes. Inside lays a mixture of ripe-shredded green papaya, string beans, plum tomatoes, crushed peanuts all lightly drizzled with a lime-garlic vinaigrette. Yes this salad has won an award for all the right reasons. It’s a delicious mash up of refreshing and exotic flavors.

For an entree favorite most would suggest the duck. Every duck entree at Siam is crispy, flavorful and cooked to perfection, rare. For noodles, the favorites claim to be the drunken noodles with shrimp or a Thai classic, pad thai. Plates are filled perfectly and do not leave you overwhelmed or peer pressured to over eat. The portions are simply satisfying. While every chopstick of a bite is pleasurable my only complaint, which was my own fault, is the infamous Siam spice factor. Quite frankly I favor overly spicy dishes and had made the mistake of ordering my drunken noodles at a level three degree of spicy. Oh had the spice gods tricked me. Asking the honest server what she recommended, I probably should have went with her suggestion of two, but being the daring eater that I am I settled overly confident on three. Mistake. Was three intended to be fire? Warning: Make sure to notice the tiny hot red peppers next to the dishes you are considering.

1 pepper: spicy, 2 peppers: rather spicy, 3 peppers: very spicy, 4 peppers: Thai spicy, 5 peppers: for those who dare.

To cool down your taste buds try a mixture of the Thai ice tea, pandan leaf and mango squared homemade ice cream. The sweet ice milk is filled with actual tea leaves and shredded mango chunks. For true dessert lovers order their signature dessert the coconut mousse. A light creamy mousse made from young fresh coconut, typically served with seasonal fruits and berries. A perfect ending to any Thai fare.

Siam Square is a great spot for a fun and original first date or for casual dining with family and friends. Parking can be a bit tricky, but the subway and bus routes are near by. Opened on Tuesday-Sunday from 5pm to 10pm.

Siam Square: 564 Kappock St. Bronx, NY 10465