Chinese restaurants in North America ranges from your Americanized chop suey to your fusion food to your hardcore traditional authentic chinese food. Being raised on good old authentic home-made chinese food all my life, there are always those nostalgic times when you want some traditional real chinese food. Unfortunately, this is not readily available in Cleveland. However, there is one place I that I know I can always go to for a taste of home cooking - Siam Cafe in downtown (asian town) Cleveland. This place although caters to every taste out there can still wok it up - almost as well as mom's home cooking.
Without further delay, I'm going to junk right into the food. Me and my two other friends started off the meal with some good hearty soup to share. Made of watercress and salty pork, tofu and mushroom, the soup was a clean start - almost like a broth or bouillon with some simple ingredients to start your meal off with. Not greasy, slightly savory and very nutritious. This is a typical beginning of a chinese meal; designed to wet your taste buds! There was plenty to go around for the three of us, as the waiter expertly ladled the soup out evenly for the three of us into soup bowls with enough for seconds all around.
We then went onto Siam stuffed wings for our appetizers. Although the picture on the left seems to be just regular old fried wings; as you can see on the picture on the right; as their name describes, these wings are first stuffed with dumpling innards (a savory mix of pork, veggies and vermicelli) and then deep fried to create an amazing combination of fried wings most people have not experienced. Dipped in the supplied sweet/sour and slightly spicy sauce the wings were a great start - very tasty, not over powering and a nice way to start the meal. Although not a typical chinese dish; this modification of the regular fried wings is quite innovative and very tasty indeed.
Next, we went onto sauteed scallops with chinese vegetable stir fry. The dish was very well prepared; although some may consider it slightly oily; but to properly prepare this dish; enough oil must be used to create enough heat for the scallops and veggies to stir fry and fold the flavors together. Tossed in some garlic/green onions this dish was great and came out piping hot. Very flavorful, fresh scallops and as you can see, plenty of scallops too! A well done dish done in a very traditional way. I was not disappointed at all.
Next, we shared a whole chicken; accompanied with a generous helping of soy-sauce; and green onion and ginger toppings. Now this is a real home-style chinese dish. The sauce is what makes the dish; and they hit it right on. Lots of green onion and ginger strips submerged in their special soy sauce which is doused all over a perfectly seasoned (subtly seasoned) cooked whole chicken. The sauce resonated its flavor through the chicken which was tender and flavorful throughout each and every piece. A perfect dish to eat with the complimentary white rice (which soaks up all the chicken and sauce flavor) they always supply with any menu entree item you order.
Finally, our last dish we ordered was a tofu dish. Tofu cubes were first fried and then re-cooked along with mushrooms and veggies in a light brown sauce - rendering the tofu, a savory, soft, and delightfully flavorful. This dish, was also well done; nothing out of the ordinary, but solidly made.
The dishes we enjoyed at Siam cafe; although would not put them on the map as being a culinary break-through or anything innovative; but its these dependable flavors that remind us of home that make it so appealing. Especially since these flavors remind us of home; Siam cafe is my go to place for home-cooking and I've never been disappointed. Always good food; for very good price. The service is personable, and the atmosphere is your typical chinese restaurant. A good, tasty and filling meal. So if you're ever craving some good authentic chinese food; don't hesitate to make it out to Siam Cafe - i would definately recommend!
3951 Saint Clair Ave NE
Cleveland,
OH
44114
