THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
Tangy Or Tame r It's Tasty Thai!
Siam Spicy II stirs up complex flavors and textures just they way you like 'em.
T
his year marks the 14th anni-
versary of a neighborhood eth-
nic restaurant that has quietly
become a favorite because of its reputation
of cleanliness and food consistency.
Since its 1995 opening, Siam Spicy.
II on Northwestern Highway between
Middlebelt and 14 Mile, Farmington Hills,
has maintained a wanted steadiness in its
constant flow of good Thai food ... The
result is a making of many friends.
Although peppers of Thailand are
quite hot, Siam Spicy II does not serve its
authentic Thai food overly piquant to the
taste unless requested ... Being a good
Thai restaurant is having chefs who know
the difference in varied preparations to
accommodate individual tastes of custom-
ers ... Because of this there is no guess-
work at Thai operations such as Siam
Spicy II in Farmington Hills ... Its food is
served as desired, mild, medium or tangy.
Noodles are very big in Thailand ...
natives eat them for both lunch and din-
ner ... Of the many noodle dishes at Siam
Spicy II, Pad See Iew, stir-fried noodles
with Chinese broccoli and egg, is accom-
panied by the choice of chicken, beef,
shrimp or squid; and Pad Gai, stir-fried
chicken with noodles, egg, green onion
and lettuce, are favorites ... All noodle
dishes at Siam Spicy II are prepared
with authentic knowledge ... reasonably
priced, filling and excellent value.
Seating at Siam II accommodates 54
and it is open seven days ... Monday-
Thursday, 11-9:30; Friday, 11-10:30;
Saturday, 3-10; Sunday, 3-9.
Thai dining as offered by small places
like Siam Spicy II presents an interesting
adventure with its complex fla-
vors, textures and pungency that
depend on ingredients native to
Southeast Asia or to Thailand. Of
special interest are the spicy or
mild salads, which are favorites
with Thai nationals ... The sour
and spicy salads served at Siam
Spicy II are at room temperature
and meals in themselves.
If you have never mastered
chopsticks, you'll be happy to
know that modern Thais usually eat their
rice with a spoon and fork ... Rice is
served in its own dish and the other food
is savored separately between spoons of it
... The two are rarely mixed, but the Thais
have a charming habit of composing each
mouthful on the spoon.
Thai food is generally hot unless oth-
erwise desired, but adapts happily to
Western palates, with searing and pungent
sauces usually added at the table by Siam
Spicy II diners ... If you prefer mild food,
just ignore the sauces ... And for sure,
don't order the lethal Nam Prik, a com-
bination of pounded red chili peppers,
shrimp paste, onions, black pepper and
garlic, or Nam Pla, a pungent thin, translu-
cent brown sauce made from the liquor of
fermented fish or shrimps.
Thai food is one of the world's exciting
cuisines, and Siam Spicy II, Farmington
Hills, with numerous tasty dishes suited as
well to the Western palate, does it among
the better neighborhood Thai restaurants
... 14 years of joyous ethnic dining is
indeed a compliment.
HIS NEW restaurant, Oliverio's On
Benstein, opened last week and is already
drawing many folks who have
enjoyed Artie Oliverio's fine
ways of food preparation ...
It is located on Maple and
Benstein, the second traffic
light west of Pontiac Trail,
Commerce Township ...
kitchen open Sunday through
Thursday 3-10, Friday and
Saturday until 11.
BACK IN THE 1960s,
it ranked among Detroit's
heaviest dining locations ... Darbys
near the corner of 7 Mile and Wyoming,
Tom's Tavern across the street, George
Fink's George's Delicatessen just east
of Wyoming, places like Rocky's, Sol
Shpargel's Sol's Deli, Zukin's, Diamond
Jim Brady's, Lotus Gardens, etc., etc., etc.,
westward down Seven Mile Road.
Jerry Gurwin, at Al Gendel's Collision on
Seven Mile, just west of Wyoming, recalls
being a regular at Darbys and every visit
having one of its many wonderful special-
ties dished out by Sam Boesky and his
stepson Bernie Kerner ... Gendel's ace
body man, John Ladd, with Jerry 35 years
since the days on 8 Mile, where Jerry had
his Gurwin's Autobody Klinic, remem-
bers Tom's Tavern well as the place where
he was among those who walked with a
seeming limp because the floor was so
slanted ... The Tom's Tavern sign is still
there after all these years ... Popular Jerry
still parks his car in the former Darbys
parking lot sharing memories with most
of his old customers Jerry sees when fix-
ing their autos these days ... many who
met their spouses and friends at the areas
numerous dining spots ... In fact, it was
at Bill and Mae Kozin's Imperial Kosher
Catering on Wyoming where Jerry and his
late wife, Lee, were wed.
Jerry is at Gendel's every day except
Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays ...
Sunday is for rest and playing with his
grandkids ... Wednesdays and Saturdays
are religiously reserved for golf.
MAIL DEPT. ... "We asked my mom,
Dorothy Haber, if she wanted a party on
her 90th birthday, but she said no. I asked
if she would like to have dinner with rela-
tives at her favorite restaurant and she
agreed. So 25 of us went to the Boneyard
on Orchard Lake Road [Farmington Hills]
for the barbecued ribs that my mother
loves so much" ... Larry Haber
MAKING ROUNDS ... To Sweet
Lorraine's, Greenfield, Southfield, for
Pecan Chicken ... To Rhapsody in
Southgate for Hungarian Goulash.
IVORY TICKLING guys and gals, plus
organizations, will go for this in a big
way ... 185 songs on sheet music for the
piano that date back to the 1950s, 1960s
and 1970s ... at no charge ... They are
being donated by Judy Isaacs, who can be
reached at (248) 851-5939.
CONGRATS ... To Joe Cornell on his
80th birthday ... To twins Sondra and
Sharon Wolf on their 70th birthdays ...
To Robert and Shelley Landaw on their
10th anniversary ... To Howard and
Susan Levin on their 40th anniversary ...
To Arnold and Elaine Berman on their
60th anniversary ... To Scott and Bonnie
Raskin on their 25th anniversary. I I
-
Danny's e-mail address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net .
201 S Old Woodward Avenue • Birmingham MI 48009
248.594.7300 • www.forterestaurant.com
June 18 • 2009
B13