Food Review: Siamais Brindleyplace Thai Food and Cocktails Review

What's Siamais? The name Siamais is taken from 'Siamese twins', to reflect the dual nature of Brindleyplace Birmingham's only Thai restaurant.

A restaurant and bar, the two areas are quite separate meaning you can enjoy an evening at the bar or in the restaurant without needing to do both.

I was able to enjoy an evening at the restaurant courtesy of Brum Bloggers and met up with Kerry from Brum and Beyond for a Bloggers Dinner Date.

Taking a seat in the main restaurant, myself and Kerry were matched up for a blind date and hit it off like a house on fire. My date had already started on the cocktails so I quickly caught up and ordered the Oriental Orchid, mainly because I tried this at the launch and have craved it ever since. Served with a smoking flask, the cocktail itself is stunning; a light combination of peach and vodka that I could simply keep drinking.

We ordered our starters of Weeping Tiger Sizzling Steak and Crispy Duck Salad and decided to try both. The Sizzling Steak was gluten free but the Duck salad was served with the sauce on the side for my benefit as this part was not.

Both dishes were beautiful, with the steak being rich and full of flavour, whilst the salad was exceptionally light and refreshing.

For our main course, I opted for Green Curry with Chicken which comes served with Jasmine Rice, whilst Kerry chose the Massaman Curry. Again, my curry was gluten free whilst Kerry's Massaman was not.

The server was very helpful when it came to helping me pick what was suitable for a gluten free diet, and checked with the kitchen to ensure I ordered the right dishes!

I adored my Thai Curry, and since Ekachai in Selfridges has closed I've found it difficult to find somewhere that matches up. Thankfully though, I can safely say that I would come back repeatedly for this dish, and that's before I even get started on the cocktails.

Kerry enjoyed her Massaman and similarly to mine, felt that the flavours were just right and rich enough to carry everything in the dish, without tasting like a wash out of coconut milk.

We also shared a cocktail called the Bang Pai Falls, which I highly recommend for the social media pictures alone. This is a sharer that comes served in a skull head glass, complete with steaming top. The drink itself is bright red and delicious, and comprises rum, cherry, vanilla and cranberry juice.

We were both far too full to enjoy a dessert, especially since we'd tried a few cocktails too and picked some sweet options! However, if you're not drinking then definitely try three courses.

The atmosphere whist we were there was lively and it has an almost electric feel at the moment as it is one of Birmingham's hottest restaurants/bars. The restaurant was full and the seating means you can come either in a couple or large group, with the restaurant being able to accommodate both. If you were after a quieter experience, then I'd recommend coming at lunch time to try out two course for £12.95, which is fantastic value for the quality of food.

The cocktails were all imaginative and fun, and the waiting team were really knowledgable on the menu so were able to recommend drinks based on our preferences. This meant that we were happy with each cocktail we tried and I'd order everything I tried today again.

The food was well crafted, well put together and full of flavour, as well as offering good value. My beef starter was £12 and the Green Curry was £14.95 including rice, making it an affordable treat.

No matter what the occasion, a casual lunch, a few drinks after work or a celebration with friends, Siamais ticks all the boxes. The food, drink, service and atmosphere are all to a high standard, as well as the value for money offered by the dishes.

Time for Thai? Yes please!

*My meal was complimentary and courtesy of the team at Siamais.

Event: Siamais Thai Restaurant and Bar Launch, Brindleyplace

Siamais restaurant has just opened in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, and I was lucky enough to attend the launch event and also sit down for a three course meal on the night.

Located on the corner of Oozells Street by the IKON Gallery, Siamais sits on the site of Thai Edge. Offering Thai food and cocktails, the restaurant takes it's name from the word Siamese to reflect the dual experience on offer to customers.

At the entrance is a gorgeous gothic cocktail bar, decorated with lamps and skulls to create an exotic, stylish area for serious cocktail drinking.

Beyond here is the main restaurant, where diners can sit and eat in a space that's quite separate from the bar area.

At the launch, we were treated to a VIP night of smoking cocktails, music and Thai treats.

Following a champagne reception, we were able to choose from two cocktails at the bar. I opted for this smoking teapot cocktail:

This was prime selfie time and you can see I got to spend time with the very lovely Denise Morris and Claire from Nosh and Breks.

After the cocktails, we were seated and presented with a menu that included dishes such as satay chicken, prawn rolls, stir fried chicken beef or lamb and pad thai.

As a gluten free diner, the team were great at navigating me through the menu and instead of a starter platter, I was able to try the Tom Yum soup instead of the House Platter of prawn rolls, fish cakes, spring rolls, satay chicken and chicken wrapped in Pandan leaves. There was also an option to try the Vegetable Platter which included spring rolls, deep fried tofu, sweetcorn cakes, deep fried vegetables and samosas.

My Tom Yum was exactly as I'd want it to be, and edged enough to the side of sour to make me believe that this is a pretty authentic rendering of the dish.

I also tried the chicken satay and chicken wrapped in Pandan leaves, and was again pleased with how well these had been cooked and how delicious and tender they were.

Onto the main course, there was a choice of chicken or vegetable Thai Green Curry, vegetable or seafood Pad Thai or a spicier option of stir fried chicken, beef or lamb.

I opted for the Thai Green Chicken Curry and was again, pleased to find that there is finally a new player in the fight for the title of 'Best Thai in Birmingham'. Again, this was exactly as I'd want it to be, creamy without being overpowering, with large tender chunks of chicken and vegetables that made this a dish I can't wait to try again.

At the table, we were also able to try another cocktail, this time the Oriental Orchid. I picked this as my tastebuds do tend to edge towards the sweet scale. A blend of vodka and peach, served in something that looks like it came out the laboratory was light, but sweeter than I expected. However, the presentation was excellent, hot on the heels of our favourite trend for chemistry inspired concoctions.

Finally, we were able to finish off with a little bit of something sweet, the mango and coconut Thai sticky rice. A small but perfectly formed portion, I adored this dessert for being sweet enough to satiate a craving, but light enough to not overpower the meal. I'd take this over an Alabama Fudge Cake any day.

Siamais offers cocktails and Thai dining without compromise. Whether you're happy to stay at the bar and work your way through the extensive cocktail menu or prefer a quieter night at the main restaurant, you'd be happy with your evening either way. The cocktails on offer were varied, thoughtful presented and well executed, whilst the food was to an exceedingly high standard and fills the gap for Thai food, something which is under-represented in Birmingham. Personally, I can't wait to come back again soon.

*With thanks to Siamais and Delicious PR for the invitation.