Siam Garden Thai Restaurant, Winter Park, Florida

"Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache;  You won't be able to find it.  But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you."

 - Ajahn Chah

May you be deluged with bountiful waves of happiness today.  Once that smile parks itself upon your face you will not be able to let go.  I wish you only the best today and nothing less.  Be good.  Be happy.  Pass it along and share the feeling with others.

In mid-February Tiffany and I were able to use a Restaurant.com certificate at Siam Garden Thai Restaurant in Winter Park, Florida.  If memory serves me correctly, I paid $3 for $25 restaurant credit.  Of course, there are provisions associated to each Restaurant.com deal, all of which seem quite acceptable.  In this case, I believe we were restricted to dinner hours only and 18% gratuity is required.  For this particular coupon, the minimum $35 purchase could apply to alcoholic beverages.  This is not always the case with every Restaurant.com deal so read the restrictions print carefully before purchasing, okay?

Vegetable Spring rolls with sweet plum sauce

Oh... Thai cuisine!  Perhaps my absolute favorite ethnic cuisine if not closely tied or behind that of Vietnamese cuisine.  When it comes to Asian foods and health, both Thai and Vietnamese dishes simply cannot be beat.  Trust me ~ Walk into a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant and you will almost inevitably find several healthy low-fat vegetarian options.

Tom Yum soup with tofu

But ~ Please do be careful when ordering.  Take our Tom Yum soup, for example.  Yes, it's a seafood-based broth (fish sauce) but I have seen some restaurants offering a vegetarian option.

In the case of Siam Garden, I did not bother to ask the waiter because Tiffany and I don't pass-up seafood broth dishes when dining out.  However, had I made a similar dish at home I would most certainly substitute a vegetable for a fish-based broth.

Pad Thai and Spicy Cashew with tofu

When dining Asian-style, be cognizant that many dishes may include dashes of fish sauce, oyster sauce, broths derived from shellfish, and so forth.  When in doubt, ask your waiter or waitress to check for you.

The ambiance, menu selections, prices, service and food is simply wonderful at Siam Garden.  The first time that Tiffany and I went in and sat down to order we both had that eerie feeling as though we had been there before.  But, why?  After a few minutes we notice the unique pattern on the walls was identical to that we find at Maitland Breakfast Club.  Come to find out from Sandy at MBC, the location used to be home for Siam Garden before they moved to Winter Park!

For only $37 (bill plus cost of Restaurant.com certificate), tip included, we were able to dine on incredibly tasty vegetarian Spring rolls, two bowls of Tom Yum Soup with tofu, Cashew Nut entree, Pad Thai with tofu entree, and four glass of wine!  I challenge you to find a better deal.

Hi-dee hi-dee Siam-Garden-in-Winter-Park-is-recommended-by-Tiffany-and-Chucky-ho my friend.