Issaya Siamese Club

Rather disappointing…
— Environment ok
–Music selection totally off
–Staff does not introduce the food and seemed hectic kicking out dishes without breaks
–missed some interludes or greetings from the kitchen
Food:
Starters: not bad but nothing jaw dropping
Mains: lobster good, salmon and beef almost no taste with some nice black rice
Dessert: was an absolute disaster (3 tiny dishes counted as 3 courses!)
All in all price vs food quality and prep not at all justified.

Imported from Bangkok by Celebrity CHef Ian Kittichai and set on the 25/​F of Soundwill Plaza, I knew it was gonna have chic décor, spaciousness area and view of HK skyline, even with the expectation, I was still pleasantly surprised. This place is huge as it occupies the whole floor. I came here without a reservation on a Friday night at 8pm and it was not packed. There are several couches and comfy cushioned chairs, a balcony/​outdoor seating area for smokers and even a private glass room enough for 15ish people!
The best thing I found was the Thai iced tea. The Thai iced tea here tastes different from most places you get. It’s a little less sweet and comes with a distinctive flavour, perhaps lemongrass? It was reminiscent of the best Thai iced tea in a clear bag that I got from a tuk tuk at the streets of Bangkok. I’m not a big fan of Thai iced tea, but I would happily order this one! However, if you like the typical Thai iced tea you get, this may not be your cup of tea. (Haha!)
Feeling poor, we decided to forgo the set menus (priced at $ 550 and $ 875 pp) and to go for the a-​la-​carte.
The PAD KANA $ 88 is Gai Lan fried in a light chili and soy sauce. It’s hard to go wrong with this dish. Luckily it was medium-​sized cut, as Chinese restaurants usually leave it practically uncut and a hassle to eat, and other Thai places may cut it to the tiniest pieces. Unluckily, the portions were minuscule. I literally finished it in 5 bites. The profit margins on this dish is can compete head to head with a michelin starred Chinese restaurant.
Main course was HOY SHELL MOO WAN $ 185 which was 3 fatty scallops the circumference of a $ 5 coin on a bed of chopped up pork belly, (think Thai-​style luo rou fan from Taiwanese cuisines) a slice of raw cucumber and spring beans and thinly sliced lemongrass/​onions. For $ 185, the 3 scallops can be considered a steal. However, the pork belly came cold (the scallops were warm). Not sure if this is how it’s supposed to be served, but it seemed a bit weird. The dish was set on shells which rested on decorative rice?! The dressing was near heavenly and I used it all on my separately ordered rice (fair warning though, I’m queen of lemongrass).
MUSSAMUN GAE $ 258 was supposedly their star dish. Don’t get me wrong, the lamb shank fell of the bone and was quite tender. I read that Chef Kittichai leans his dishes towards the sweet side, and this dish clearly highlighted that for me. I’ve never had curry so sweet, it didn’t even taste like curry half-​way into the dish. I found the sweetness slightly overwhelming, but then I’m really not a fan of sweet-​savoury. Thanks for the 3 potatoes and ball of onion! Fortunately the shank was mighty meaty and was enough to fill us. Be sure to order white rice with this or your taste buds will go ballistic.
The dishes are expensive, especially considering it’s Thai food, but for the décor and atmosphere, it’s justly so. I would only really rate my experience with the food a 3.5 but the décor, service and Thai Iced Tea makes up for it.
***
Tip: Order rice with Lamb Curry, sit at balcony for nice view in a cool day or book private glass room for birthdays/​gatherings!
Favourites: Thai Iced Tea, comfy seating
Meh: Small portions of veggies, lamb shank too sweet
Last Words: Great for group dinners or a date!