Thai cuisine in Cebu with Siam Thai Cuisine

Not being a fan of anything spicy, Thai food has never been on top of my favorites list. I prefer eating Filipino or Italian cuisine over Thai. But my wife has always held Thai cuisine in high esteem.I often had little choice if she wanted to eat in a Thai restaurant.

There was one “hole in the wall” Thai restaurant in Manila that we gravitated to most of the time. The place had very reasonably priced, authentic Thai fares. Surprisingly, the food was delicious – I avoided the spicy ones. And thus, I’ve set this small restaurant as a barometer whenever I try other Thai restaurants.

One Sunday night, my wife and I decided to try out the Siam Thai Cuisine at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu. The waiter recommended the Bagoong Fried Rice and the Chatuchack Spareribs. We added the Golden Bag and the Fried Tofu with Sweet Sauce to these orders.

So how did Siam Thai Cuisine fare against my gold standard?

The Golden Bag, vegetables and meat in a flour wrapper that are deep fried, tasted just average. I was not able to find anything different in this dish from those cooked at home. It was also very messy to eat with bits flying around when you try to slice it. You should try something else.

Golden Bag - just average

Fried Tofu with Sweet Sauce was no different. The tofu was very bland and the sweet sauce did not help enhance the flavor at all. A little spice sprinkled on the tofu or on the sauce could make this dish more exciting to the palate. This dish is in dire need of improvement.

Fried Tofu - boring dish

The Bagoong Fried Rice was above average. The differentiating factor for Siam’s Bagoong Fried Rice was the amount of onions with each serving. I never knew that mixing more onions on Bagoong Fried Rice could greatly enhance the taste.

Bagoong Fried Rice - better than most

The Chatuchak Spareribs when not dipped in the sauce was okay. The ribs were soft and were a bit on the salty side. But the dish, mixed in its sauce, suddenly tasted exquisite. The sauce greatly complemented the flavor and the texture of the ribs. The initial flavor was tangy and sour and then the spiciness comes out at the end. The Fried Tofu needed this sauce!

Chatuchak spareribs

Siam Thai Cuisine’s prices range from P150 and up. The servings can feed two to four persons.

My verdict? Siam Thai Cuisine was not able to match the standards I’ve set for flavor and price. I’m not dismissing Siam Thai Cuisine just yet since I’ve tried only a portion of their menu. And to its credit, the restaurant’s modern interior with Thai and Asian accents trumps most restaurants. But as for now, round 1 goes to my little “hole in the wall” Thai restaurant in Manila.



Siam Thai Cuisine is located at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu between The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Cyma.