Sri Siam (East Greenbush, NY)

Did you know there’s a new Thai restaurant in the Capital Region?

Did you also know that you don’t have to cross the river to get to it? Unless, you’re coming from Albany and points west of the Hudson… then yes, you’ll have to cross the river to get to it.

You may have seen it mentioned on Steve Barnes Table Hopping blog. It’s because of this that I decided to check the place out tonight. It’s not hard to find – if you’re heading east on Columbia Turnpike, Sherwood Avenue is just past the Kmart – Big Lots shopping plaza on the left (if you pass the American Legion building, you’ve gone too far). On Sherwood, the restaurant will be on your left. It’s not too hard to see at night, because they have a big lighted sign.

The inside looks like it has been recently made over, and has a cozy vibe to it. The dining area is on the small side, perhaps a dozen of tables in the room, with some chairs for people waiting for take out orders. I sat myself down at a table by the kitchen, to get a better view of the food as it was coming out.




Thai iced tea ($3). Cool and refreshing on this warm January evening (seriously… can you believe it was 50 today?!?) And surprise, surprise… one of the few times I’ve actually ordered a Thai tea at a Thai restaurant.

I wanted to try a more Thai specific appetizer, but I couldn’t settle on one, so I went back to spring rolls ($5). They’re filled with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and bean thread noodles. Good, and not oily. I also ordered Tom Yum with soft tofu and mushrooms ($4). The broth was clear with hints of what I’m guessing is lemongrass and other herbs I couldn’t identify. The soup had  a generous amount of tofu, cut into bite sized pieces. Slightly more sour than I would have liked, but still enjoyable.





I also ordered the drunken noodles with pork ($11). Wide noodles sautéed with egg, onion, carrots, bell peppers, and basil. The sauce the noodles were cooked in was made in-house, and pretty good. The spiciness of the dish creeps up on you, so the iced tea comes in handy. The pork was tender and cut into bite sized pieces (I didn’t have to cut it up into smaller pieces, like other places). Because I had the spring rolls and tom yum, I wasn’t able to finish the noodles, so I took it home and finished it while watching tv.

The staff was friendly and made sure that all their customers were comfortable. Those who came in for take out orders were offered tea while they waited. The owner, Tin, stepped out from the kitchen and after noticing I was eating rather slowly (I was actually slyly taking pictures of my meal and jotting down notes), asked if there was anything wrong or if the spiciness of the dish needed to be corrected. It didn’t, but I did appreciate that he checked in on me.

I spoke briefly after my meal with Tin, and he mentioned that next week (Feb. 6 – 12) they were having a special – 20% off your check. I don’t remember if he said it was dine in only, but you could always call to clarify. I’m pretty sure I’ll be going back there with M soon, so it’s just an added bonus.

My dinner came out to just under 26 dollars, before tip.

Sri Siam
44 Sherwood Avenue (on the corner of New Jersey and Sherwood Avenues)
Rensselaer, NY 12144
(518) 915-1655
(518) 915-1654

Open 11:00 – 9:00 Monday – Friday
          11:30 – 9:00 Saturday & Sunday

Credit cards accepted