The Siam -Thai Restaurant M City, Ampang

The Siam

Words: Nichole Ong
Photos: Monica Tindall

Having just opened last month, The Siam is set to serve its customers authentic and delicious Thai food. The restaurant is located on the first floor of M-City Shopping Centre on Jalan Ampang, with convenient parking in the building. The Siam aims to bring the authentic taste of all regions of Thailand to the Malaysian palate with an array of classic and unique Thai dishes. The menu weaves the four main styles of Thai cuisine (Northern, North Eastern, Central, and Southern) to provide a holistic tasting experience united across the board with a perfect balance of spicy, sour, sweet, and salty flavours to create a vibrant menu. On top of its emphasis on authenticity, The Siam also prides itself on its natural flavours, as all of its dishes are MSG-free. The menu is also pork-free. 

The Siam, Thai Restaurant, M City

Having spent two years in the Michelin-starred kitchen of R.HAAN restaurant in Bangkok, Chef Narut, along with Aunty Nita, bring their culinary and cultural expertise to The Siam with a team of seven (!) Thai chefs. Much of the team originated as Thai food and beverage experts who founded a street food store across the road after losing their source of income during the pandemic. JadJan in Hari Hari food court continues, and they now have this second business under their belt in M-City, Ampang.

The restaurant’s ambience provides a cosy and contemporary atmosphere to enjoy a meal amongst warm lighting and hanging plants. It is a lovely place to enjoy lunch or dinner with friends and family. 

Drinks Menu

The Siam offers an array of drink options, including many favourites such as Thai coffee and milk tea as well as smoothies, sodas, milk, and fresh juice. We had the Chilled Thai Young Coconut (RM12), a refreshing and sweet reprieve from a sunny day. The Rainbow (RM13.90) also looked intriguing and was an excellent soda option for a sweet tooth, with flavoured syrup layers providing an appealing visual effect. 

The Siam is in the process of getting a liquor licence, after which alcoholic options will become available.  

The Siam Appetisers 

A staple of Royal Thai Cuisine, the Chormoung (RM22) made an appropriately grand entrance, masked under a cloud of rosemary smoke. As the smoke dissipated, it revealed our appetiser: steamed purple flower dumplings made with glutinous flour and stuffed with flavoured chicken mince. The chicken mince was seasoned with the “three sisters” of Thai seasoning, garlic, coriander, and white pepper, complementing the glutinous rice wrapping to produce a salty, umami flavour. Apart from being impressive, the rosemary smoke also provided a deep, earthy flavour which tied the whole profile together. 

Chef’s Special Tom Yum Soup

When sampling the Tom Yum Soup at The Siam, there is the option to have it served in a Tom Yum Syphon (RM79), a unique and impressive way of delivering maximum flavour to the classic Thai soup. The syphon takes on an hourglass shape, with the bottom being rounded to hold the tom yum broth and the top half acting as a container for a variety of herbs. The visual effect was stunning as we watched Chef Narut take a flame to the broth, causing it to bubble and rise into the greens, absorbing their character. The dish tasted as good as it looked. The combined broth and aromatics resulted in a spicy and flavourful soup, elevated by fresh tiger prawns and mushrooms. This dish is a must-try when visiting The Siam. 

Thai Vegetarian Menu

The Siam has a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, taking up a whole page. From this, we sampled the Pineapple Fried Rice (RM20), choosing to mix the white rice grains with Purple Rice (RM4 a la carte). Visually, the dish was eye-catching, served in a hollowed pineapple, which also infused the rice with additional flavour. The rice itself was cooked to a good texture, and the purple rice added a complementary nuttiness to the whole dish. The pineapple added a zesty kick and was cut into perfect bite-size pieces. The portion was generous for the price point and enough to feed two people. 

Thai Curry

The Siam’s Green Curry (RM22) has received many compliments since opening, and we went with the crowd selecting the vegetarian option. As another classic Thai dish, the curry was hearty and rich, exemplifying the team’s passion for authentic Thai cuisine. The spice level was also palatable, bringing out the unique flavour of the Thai green peppers without overpowering the other ingredients. As a vegetarian option, the dish was not brought down by the lack of meat; instead, it contained tofu and was loaded with various vegetables. Of note were the Thai eggplants, which intermittently dispensed small pops of texture. The dish was plated beautifully and finished with drops of lime-leaf oil, which Chef Narut sprinkled on in front of us. Green Curry is another must-try at The Siam and was one of my personal favourites throughout the tasting experience. 

The Siam Single Dishes

We think the Pad Thai (Chicken RM18, Prawn RM22) is another must-order at The Siam. Commonly served by street vendors in Thailand, this stir-fried noodle dish was given extra pizzaz covered in an intricate and visually impressive fried egg lattice. Tastewise, the noodles were a perfect chewy texture. They had none of the occasional oiliness that sometimes threatens the quality of the recipe. In addition, it was seasoned well, with the lime balancing out the nuttiness of the seasoning. The prawns were also incredibly fresh and tasty, providing some bounce to the dish.

Meat Dishes 

The Siam offers a range of meat options, including chicken and beef. One such option, the Chicken Ginger (RM22), was wonderfully aromatic. The dish had an overall fresh, clean taste, with ginger and chillies giving it the right amount of heat. Additional seasoning with coriander, chillies, and garlic gifted a robust profile, great harmonised with the pineapple rice. 

Seafood 

The Chilli Lime Steamed Sea Bass (RM59) was another eye-catching selection. Served on a long metal tray, the full length of the fish was on display. The lime and chilli are fresh and impactful. Additionally, the mild sweetness and fleshiness of the sea bass were able to take on the heavy seasoning without losing its own natural character.

Desserts

I strongly advise not missing dessert at The Siam! Their version of Mango Sticky Rice (RM15) elevated the classic with premium ingredients and masterful plating. The dish was beautiful, with mango slices served alongside glutinous rice topped with nuts and paired with coconut cream. The care put into the plating could be seen in the swirl of mango slices topped with gold flakes which created an alluring iridescence. The Thai mango had that exceptional balance of tartness and sweetness, was as smooth as jelly and provided a refreshing counterpart to the sweet sticky rice. To top it all off, a dash of savoury coconut cream invited me to fill my plate with more. 

While not of Thai origin, the Melon Bingsu (RM25) is sure to be a popular pick amongst regulars. It’s a huge heaping pile of milk ice and melon balls topped with condensed milk in a carved melon bowl. The tartness of the melons and the sweetness of the milk stabilised each other to create a refreshing end to a wonderful meal. 

The Siam, Thai Restaurant, M City, Ampang

The Siam is a celebration of Thai food and cuisine. Come for delicious, visually-appealing and authentic dishes within a hospitable and contemporary atmosphere. 

Reasons to visit The Siam: authentic Thai food presented beautifully, value-for-money, an excellent range of meat-free options; casual and cheerful setting; must try the tom yum syphon, green curry, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice.

The Siam, Thai Restaurant
M City, R 13-A1, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+6 012-313 9105
www.facebook.com/Thesiamkualalumpur

The Siam Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 11 am – 3 pm, 5 pm – 10 pm

Find more restaurants in Ampang here and stay up-to-date on KL’s food and beverage scene here and here.