Star of Siam, located just off the bustle of Michigan Avenue, is a must for anyone who loves Thai food. The space is very open, with red brick and exposed pipes, which are painted red to match the brick. The color scheme is carried through in the red cushions and colorful wall hangings.
A couple of us stopped here for lunch Saturday, including one friend of mine who loves really hot spicy Thai dishes. We started with an order of Satay, which are skewers of beef and chicken (3 of each) marinated in spices and coconut milk and served with a creamy peanut sauce and cucumber salad. I tend to rate a Thai restaurant by the quality and quantity of its peanut sauce. This was one of the creamiest I've eaten, and you get a large portion of it to slather on your satay-yum!!!
I had my usual, which is Pad Thai: thin rice noodles with fried tofu, onion and served with ground peanuts and lemon. The delicate flavor was a treat, but I also tried a few bites of it doused in the red pepper sauce on the table...and drank lots of water after that!
I recommended that my friend try Pad Prik, which is meat (chicken, beef, or shrimp) stir-fried with hot peppers, onions and bamboo shoots in a spicy sauce. It must have been spicy enough, because he never bothered to add any of the red pepper sauce to his food!
Appetizer, entree and beverage will cost you about $10-12 for lunch; dinner prices are slightly higher. Star of Siam is open daily from 11:00 AM-9:30 PM; Friday and Saturday until 10:30 PM. If you're taking public transportation, get off the Red Line or Green Line at State and Lake, and walk north on State Street cross the river about four blocks.