3.5 stars for Asian tapas at Hollywood's Siam Rice

Rochelle Koff11/13/2012

Tapas are a Spanish tradition, but the small-plate concept has become so popular that even Asian restaurants have embraced it. Siam Rice Thai & Tapas in Hollywood has 27 items on its combined appetizer and tapas list. Forget chorizo and cheese — here tapas include marinated beef on a sticky rice ball and fried oysters with mixed berries. The 3-month-old restaurant also shines on Thai standards like fiery curries and noodles both sweet and sour.

Ambience: Tucked into a shopping plaza on Sheridan Street, this offshoot of Miami’s Siam Rice Thai & Sushi has an attractive, contemporary dining room with a view of the open kitchen and a few communal tables flanked by high-top seats that are inviting to after-work crowds. Servers are gracious and accommodating despite some language limitations. Speak up if you have any ingredient concerns, as dishes are made to order.

What Worked

• Sensational lemongrass-scented tom kha gai - a little hot and a little sweet with  soothing coconut milk broth, pungent galanga, lime juice, cilantro, sliced mushrooms and chicken
• Pumpkin-carrot puree soup with fresh ginger
• Lab kai (ground chicken salad) with nutty roasted rice powder, refreshing mint, scallions, red onions and a tart lime dressing
• Curried beef osso bucco
• Snapper in ginger-yellow bean sauc
• Excellent, aromatic chicken panang curry with bell peppers, bamboo shoots and lime leaves
• Hearty red, green, yellow and massaman curries with lots of potatoes and a topping of roasted peanuts
• Tender beef and pineapple stir fry in a sauce redolent of garlic and ginger
• Top notch pad Thai - a mountain of noodles dotted with stir-fried egg, perfectly cooked shrimp, crunchy scallions, bean sprouts, ground peanuts and a delicate not too sweet sauce

What Didn't Work

• Taro corn fritters with lot of coating and just a bit of vegetable
• Too heavily breaded fried bananas