West Mobile’s reputation as a hub for Asian dining continues to grow, and Siam Thai Cuisine, located at 915 Hillcrest Road, has become one of the area’s steadier draws for residents looking for fresh Thai food without heading downtown or across the interstate.
Siam Thai Cuisine has been open a little more than two years in a retail strip on Hillcrest Road between Airport Boulevard and Grelot Road, an area long familiar to West Mobile shoppers and diners. The space previously housed a Chinese buffet, but the current owners have given the restaurant a noticeably more polished look, pairing updated décor with a more upscale style of service than the location saw in years past.
The restaurant draws a mix of newcomers and regulars, and staff greet familiar faces by name, a small but telling sign of the loyal following the restaurant has built in a relatively short time. Service has been described as attentive and prompt, even during busy lunch stretches.
Siam Thai Cuisine offers a happy hour Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., featuring discounted drinks including Champagne cocktails, giving after-work diners an incentive to stop in before the dinner rush.
The menu strikes a balance between approachable and extensive. Appetizers include basil rolls, sometimes called summer rolls, made with rice paper wrapped around shrimp, cucumber, carrots and fresh basil, served with a peanut dipping sauce for $3.95. The Thai pot stickers, at $5.95, are pan-seared and served with a mild, slightly sweet homemade dipping sauce, and can be ordered steamed or seared depending on preference.
Diners looking for something beyond Thai staples will also find a sushi menu, rolled fresh in the dining room, in addition to a full lineup of noodle dishes, stir-fries, rice plates and curries drawn from the restaurant’s dinner menu.
At lunch, Siam Thai Cuisine offers combination meals that let guests build a plate around a choice of soup, such as tom yum or tom kha, or a bowl of miso, paired with a second course of spring rolls, fried wontons or salad. Entrée options at lunch include red curry, made with a customer’s choice of protein along with bamboo shoots, carrots, bell pepper and Thai basil in a coconut milk-based sauce, and a stir-fried cashew dish with onions, carrots, bell peppers and a light sauce. Both entrées are priced at $7.95 and come with steamed rice.
Portion sizes at lunch have been described as generous, with entrées, soup and a starter course adding up to a filling meal for a modest price. A meal for two with multiple appetizers and unsweetened tea has run under $35 before tip, making it a relatively affordable option for a sit-down lunch in the area.
Siam Thai Cuisine’s arrival adds to what has become a notably strong lineup of Asian restaurants west of Interstate 65, an area that includes established names like Aroy Thai and Von’s Bistro. Residents and longtime observers of the local restaurant scene have noted that West Mobile now boasts a wider variety of Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese options than can be found in Midtown or downtown Mobile, a shift that has taken shape gradually over the past several years as the commercial corridor along Airport Boulevard, Schillinger Road and the surrounding area has continued to develop.
For diners in West Mobile searching for a satisfying, reasonably priced Thai meal, Siam Thai Cuisine on Hillcrest Road offers a solid option, with a menu broad enough to satisfy both newcomers to Thai cuisine and more seasoned fans of the region’s flavors.