SIAM SQUARE,

Siam Square's five soups are each offered by the bowl. Silver soup ($2.95) is a clear chicken broth containing three chicken meatballs, transparent rice noodles, and mushrooms. The seafood version of tom kar ($3.25) was even busier with tasty components: straw mushrooms as well as the field variety, and plenty of scallops, shrimp, and squid, all in a chicken broth rendered velvety with coconut milk, earthy with galanga root, and tangy with lime juice. Some of the names of the dishes are pretty cute. We chose the Chicken Volcano ($9.95) because it sounded like it would go well with the pad Thai ($7.95) that everyone wanted. The marinated and mildly hot chicken breast was moist and sweet, herbed intriguingly, and perfectly compatible with the rice noodle dish, which nicely absorbed its vinegary peanut sauce -- usually served on the side -- while it was still hot . . .

Full review.