11/9/08 - People often give me flak for mentioning a small Thai fast-food eatery in the Makai Market of the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Usually, though, the heat comes from people who have never tried the place before, or at least not not for a long time. Not that this is a location I'd take anyone accustomed to or looking for top-knotch Thai cuisine, but at $6-$8 for a full meal, with two or three entree choices plus jasmine rice, it's hard to go wrong. They've also greatly improved over the years, especially very recently, in quality, taste, and portions. But we'll get to these dishes themselves in just a bit.
The Makai Market is a sprawling food court that offers something for just about everyone, from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to Mexican, Italian, and American. As large as the place is, it's amazing to see how quickly the long rows of tables can fill up with hungry diners, especially during weekend lunch hours. The vibe is cool, casual, and relaxed, with early mornings attracting a good crowd of seniors, who gather for coffee and a little socializing. It always warms my heart to see them out and about every day like that - it gives them something to look forward to in their retirement years, instead of being cooped up in the house all day. After all, mingling is one of those important factors in keeping the mind sharp and active.
Little Cafe Siam has moved over a couple of slots from its original position within the food court, with a re-vamped, sleeker looking design. Outside of a couple of blown-out light bulbs, I think it's a much better look.
And surprise, surprise - on the flourescent signboards above, there is listed Hainan Chicken Rice, that Chinese creation adopted by several Southeast Asian countries and so popular as a kind of street food everywhere in the region. With such a large amount of Southeast Asians here, I find it amazing that they don't offer it in the islands, save for a few spots, one of them being a little-known Chinese restaurant in Downtown called Cafe Oriente - check it out if you want to learn more about chicken rice. For a version that has more of a Singapore/Malay style, Green Door in Kahala is the place to be.
Most items at Little Cafe Siam are displayed cafeteria-style, rows of hot pans making it easier to know exactly what you're getting. As always when going Thai, entrees are dominated by curry choices.
There's also a cool little satay grill right up front, where pieces of skewered chicken make for a fragrant, tempting offering that comes 50 cents per piece. The one factor determining the outcome of these sticks is whether they are overcooked or not. Today, we caught them at the perfect time, when the chicken was soft, tender, and redolent of curry and smoke, but I can't say this has always been the case in the past, where I've had a few that were left sitting on the hot grill for a bit too long.
Wifey wasn't quite so hungry today, so she waived any plates and went with an order of summer rolls. Unlike deep-fried spring rolls, which I prefer, these cold or room-temperature varieties come with no greasy-heaviness at all. The paper-thin, translucent rice paper wrapper holds a bundle of rice noodles, cucumber, basil, mint, green onion, and a few small, half-pieces of shrimp. A dip of peanut sauce completes this dish well, for a refreshing, light meal to help keep you cool in the summer. Not that it's summer... You know... The Name? Forget it...
Knowing that we always share meals, wifey gave me the elbow about the duck w/red curry, which seemed to pop out and grab her attention. Catching the hint like a Private in the Marine Corps does a drill instructor, it was my first choice!
One feature that has changed at Little Cafe Siam is that instead of a single, flattened plate, separate items now come in individual bowls, which better capture the liquid-curry base that most entrees are prepared in. I always considered that a bit of a problem before, as the curry would run all over the plate, making it harder to really get a good dose in any one mouthful. Plus, I'm pretty sure these portions are bigger than the former set-up. My bowl came with several large pieces of duck, all with that trademark-thick skin bursting with fatty, succulent flavor.
The other side of my order was a yellow chicken curry, a standard choice that no self-respecting Thai outlet should mess up, no matter how inexpensive! Again, large pieces of meat, along with generous portions of carrot, peas, onions, eggplant, and bamboo shoots sat in a coconut milk-infused curry that goes so well with hot jasmine rice or the popular noodle of Thai cuisine, which we'll get to immediately after the curry.
Like a standard yellow curry, any Thai restaurant without good pad thai noodles is doomed, as well. Mess up both and they won't last a week. This is another dish that has improved greatly, as it was once filled with so much beansprouts and other veggies that you barely tasted the noodle. This time, the flat rice noodle was the dominant ingredient, as should be the case. Oftentimes restaurants serve a pad thai that can come with a light red or even orange color, but the real thing in Thailand favors a lighter-colored, lighter-tasting sauce and seasoning, like the one pictured next from Little Cafe Siam, along with a couple of chicken satay sticks, straight from the grill we saw earlier.
For Thai fast-food, I would not be ashamed at all of this little cubby-hole at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Another great Thai place that is kinda considered fast-food, but not really, is Bangkok Chef. I say kinda because it's not cafeteria-style and therefore, not really fair to compare with today's featured closer look eatery. It's more comparable to plate lunch, as it is seat yourself and order and pick-up at the counter. The only other place I know to compare Little Cafe Siam with is Thai Mixed Plate, at the Pearl Highlands Shopping Center Foodcourt. I don't think they have quite the same quality over-all, but they do have a killer garlic chicken, deep-fried and drenched in a sweet chili/garlic/soy sauce. For a quick look at all three, check out the Thai Fast-Food spots in our main pages.
As always, the pleasure's been mine. I'm looking forward to the day when the guys over at Empowered Internet Solutions help me open up a comment/feedback box so that you all can share your thoughts, criticisms, or cares regarding the grindz with the world, as well! It's all being implemented as we speak, but hold tight just a while longer! I know there are a lot of you that can talk about food all day long, as can I!
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