Siam Talart, Sangenjaya サイアムタラート、三件茶屋

Sangenjaya, a popular, somewhat “alternative” yet also well-to-do town on the Denentoshi Line, is heaving with bars, izakaya and restaurants. That much I know, and little else. Having never really made the effort to explore the neighbourhood, my few visits have generally amounted to little more than a brief look around some of the narrow alleys and twisting streets lined with a plethora of eateries – some enticing, others repulsive.

The renowned Akaoni, a sake specialist izakaya also famed for its fish and no-smoking policy has long been a favourite, and last year a visit to Sanchaki, a reasonable izakaya in the same area, was pleasant enough. This time, the chance for a meal in the town having arisen, I was keen to try somewhere different.

Arriving earlier than the appointed hour, I decided to wander around and see what caught the eye. Many of the familiar sights, as well as a worrying number of closed and boarded establishments, and far more health clubs and coffee shops than there used to be, at least on the major thoroughfares. Hitting the back streets, I came across the familiar, welcoming sight of Siam Talart, a cheerfully appointed Thai restaurant – complete with wooden decking and Singha Beer parasols before it – which although I’d noted on several prior occasions, I’d not yet tried. Search over.

Having picked up my dining partner for the evening, the Osakangirl, we headed back to Siam Talart to find it more or less empty. Vaguely worrying, but it looked pleasant enough and had a simple, inviting charm. The interior, at least to the fore of the space, is a little cluttered, especially around the kitchen and entrance. Stainless steal outdoor café-type tables and chairs don’t exactly exude comfort. To the rear, a cosier low ceilinged area of booths in plush reds suggested a more intimate setting. Accessed by candle-adorned stairs, a 1.5^th floor also had a somewhat more appealing aspect, although remembering to duck each time one tries to enter the bathroom can become tiresome…

Taking a table in front of the tank full of bored looking terrapins, and beneath the portrait of generations of Thai kings, we took our time filling up on draft beer and G&Ts. Notably, at no point did the staff – young, kind of hip and quite amiable – try to hurry us. Even as the place filled up (it did in fact become so full that callers were being turned away at the door), we were left to our own leisurely pace. Top marks for that.

Having worked up an appetite, an examination of the menu also proved to be pleasing. A good selection of the usual Thai fare, with one or two we’d not seen before, described in both Japanese and English, with photographs aiding our comprehension. Noodles, rice, salad, boiled, fried, vegetable, meat, poultry and curry-based dishes in abundance. Clichéd chilli pepper markers indicated the spiciness of each dish.

Enjoying the lively, maybe a little loud, background music, we commenced the meal with nama-harumaki (uncooked spring rolls), served with a salad garnish and the usual sweet and sour dip laced with garlic. The portion was good enough, the spring rolls and salad fresh and the presentation no worse than it ought to have been. Tasted okay too, although I hankered after those shrimp-stuffed delights at Huong Viet. Still, not at all bad.

Fulfilling the usual nod in the direction of healthy eating, a salad seemed in order. The aubergine and pork one sounded nice; and so it was. Colourful, nice mix of textures and a rich taste. No complaints here. The spicy minced chicken with peppers and onions, served with white rice topped with a fried egg, was good, although not big enough and certainly lacking in the spice department. At this point I was really after a punchier taste, and was let down. It has to be said, however, that compared to the cuisine offered at Krung Siam the cooking at Siam Talart neatly avoids the mistake of being too salty and overpowering the subtle flavours of the food with excessive use of spices. Still, with this dish I was hoping for something a little hotter.

Having eaten our fill, it was time to sample a couple of the foreign beers on offer. The Phuket Lager Beer mundane, thin tasting and best ignored, while the Beerlao had a light, flowery taste which after all the usual draft beer went down very well. 

Nice place, fun, lively and relaxed. Good service, which is to say polite but they leave you alone until called for, and reasonable prices. Depending on how much you like to drink the final bill can mount up, but overall good value. The cooking could be a little more adventurous though. It all worked, but somehow failed to be truly exciting.

Tel: 03-3413-8900