Review: Siam Basil in Sea Girt

(Credit: Alex Biese)

Sushi may be all the rage these days, but it's far from the only Asian cuisine making an impact in our area. For proof, look no further than Siam Basil, a Thai restaurant located on Highway 35 in Sea Girt.

An intimate, quiet and even romantic establishment, one would never think that Siam Basil sits smack dab in the middle of a busy stretch of county highway which is full of business traffic. The restaurant's warm mood is established for customers as soon as they walk in the front door and are greeted by a group of friendly and attentive silk-attired waitresses.

Around dinnertime, Siam Basil is definitely a couples' place, and the restaurant boasts around two dozen two-seater tables for pairs looking for a mellow but exotic evening of dining.

As far as starter options go, one could do a lot worse than a serving of mae krob, a dish of crispy noodles served with fried egg and plump shrimp in a sweet tamarind sauce. As a relative newcomer to the world of mae krob, I was surprised to find that, thanks to the crispy texture of the noodles and the sweetness of the sauce, the dish wound up reminding me of caramel-flavored popcorn, of all things.

For the main course, it was time to sample Siam Basil's take on traditional favorite pad Thai. Explained in musical terms, pad Thai is like a great classic rock song that every aspiring band has their own personal interpretation of.

Much how Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" is a guitar-god showcase in the hands of Jimi Hendrix or a jam band-inspired throw-down when performed by the Dave Matthews Band, pad Thai's basic ingredients -- rice noodles, fried egg, peanuts and bean sprouts -- can combine to form any number of different flavors, depending on who's doing the cooking.

Priced at $11.95, the pad Thai at Siam Basil is a good-quality and affordable take on the old favorite. The sauce was flavorful but subtle enough to provide all of the entrée's components -- which included tofu and bean sprouts -- time to shine, meaning that each bite of the dish tasted unique. By the time I finished the sizable portion, I certainly was full, but I definitely didn't feel bored.

It's more than likely that you'll naturally want to follow up your meal with something sweet, despite being too full from the previous courses to take on anything too substantial. That's where the refreshing Thai-style iced tea comes in handy. However, be forewarned: even without the usual additive of milk, the tea can be almost jarringly sweet and strong, and is definitely in the running for having the most aggressive flavor out of anything on the menu.

Ultimately, while Sea Girt's Siam Basil hasn't yet reached the same heights of culinary artistry as nearby Red Bank's Thai cuisine titan, Siam Garden, its cuisine is politely filling and delicately flavorful while being fairly affordable, with dinner costing around $20 per person. So, whether you're a card-carrying lover of Thai eats or a relative newcomer looking to expand your palate, Siam Basil shouldn't leave you wanting more.

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