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Ruby of Siam
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
170 W Washington St(between La Salle St & Wells St)
Chicago, IL 60602
Neighborhood: The Loop
(312) 609-0000
- Nearest Transit:
-
Washington/wells (Brown Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
Washington-Blue (Blue Line)
Clark/lake (subway) (Blue Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:30 am - 9 pm
Fri 10:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
97 reviews for Ruby of Siam
Review Highlights
"They have a great lunch buffet for about $12."
(in 22 reviews)
"As far as the food, the Tom Yum soup was totally yum."
(in 9 reviews)
"Loved my pineapple fried rice - it had plenty of the fruit..."
(in 18 reviews)
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97 reviews in English
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Review from Tom M.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2012
Top 5 for soup in the city!
Entrees? Still haven't found one I can recommend. Too heavy on the basil leaves. And never spicy enough despite my pleading.
Go here for the soup! -
Review from Kaitlin M.
Chicago, IL
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I must say I never plan on coming back to this place. I stopped by on my home as I was having a huge craving for Thia noodles. There was only one other party in the place that was a table of four so I was quickly sat and brought water. The service was one reason for a star and the Thai motif was the other. They restaurant had calming music playing in the background and an inviting feel too it.
My food however was the major issue. I ordered the mixed vegetable soup to start which came out so hot that I was able to have one sip before my meal showed up... a solid 15 minutes later. The noodle dish I ordered was curly fried rice noodles and vegetables in a gravy sauce. I think they kind of forgot about the noodles and vegetables because they were absolute doused with the gravy. There was so much sauce and it was so awkwardly thick that it grossed me out. I mean I would pick up a bunch of noodles and hold them above the plate to try and let some of the sauce drip off but nothing would budge. Eeeewwww.
Go somewhere else! -
Review from Tim R.
10/29/2011
Ruby of Siam hosted a take-out food station in the lobby of my building a few weeks ago. This review is not representative of dining in their restaurant, so I'll keep it brief:
The rangoon and spring rolls were average. The vegetable noodle dish was tasty, and not too greasy. The beef in the beef and peppers was a little chewy. Everything was generally luke-warm, and I'm sure would have tasted better piping hot. I would try the restaurant if I were passing, but wouldn't go out of my way if the food they served at this event was representative. -
Review from choong l.
Chicago, IL
8/22/2011
I remember visiting once a year ago -- we went as a large lunch group -- then thinking I won't be back. Today, there was another lunch with a bunch of coworkers where I was trailing the group, but agreed to go because in my haste, I thought they were going to a different Thai place in the area -- Siam Rice. Now I'm completely resolved not to return.
My complaint? Everything in the buffet is sickly sweet. The fried rice is sweet, the meat dishes and stir fries are overly sweet. I really just got to buffet because (1) it's the same price as most of the regular dishes ($10.95) and (2) I was craving for some soup with my meal. To my great disappointment, the tom yom soup was absolutely abominable -- instead of a delicate balance between the pungent sourness and a hint of sweetness, Ruby of Siam's offering was a sickly, syrupy, gooey sweet kind. The only dish that was actually decent was the crab rangoon... but hey, it's supposed to be sweet in the first place, and it's tough to mess up deep-fried ball of cheese.
Okay, so I lied -- only the items that are supposed to have a hint of sweetness is sickly sweet. That doesn't really help Ruby of Siam. The tofu was the hardest, rubber-like tofu I've ever had, and the basil beef was extremely salty. Yellow curry? Runny and bland.
Perhaps the items off their menu (instead of buffet) might deserve more merit (thus the two stars, benefiting from optimistic uncertainty), but the convenience/choices offered by the buffet seems to be the big draw here. Unfortunately, nothing on the buffet table really entices me to try their menu. -
Review from Valery S.
Chicago, IL
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Solid Thai food. The lunch buffet is very nice - lots of veg options, with meat dishes actually being an exception. Outstanding crab rangoon - what a great take of this staple - tiny, perfectly crispy bites of tasty cream cheese. Whoever thought of this is a genius.
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Review from Joshua C.
Chicago, IL
7/19/2011
I love Thai food and couldn't be happier to have several great choices within walking distance from work.
Ruby of Siam is undoubtedly my favorite choice for Thai food in Chicago. They have a great lunch buffet for about $12. However, I generally opt to order off of the menu.
Ask for the Thai Basil Chicken with GROUND chicken. This is the way Thai Basil Chicken should be made. The meat quality is great, and it always comes out piping-hot and perfectly seasoned. Siam Rice (down the street) also has good food, but it generally takes longer to get a table and longer to get your food.
The portion sizes are great. You will never leave hungry!
This is now my go-to lunch spot! -
Review from chris g.
7/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It's not often at all that I get to taste curries that sit on the border of Thai and India... It's like Ruby of Siam's curries make warm love to my throat. I sat here for a good while trying to think of an honest, yet G-rated way to describe the somewhat adult pleasurable reaction their food caused, so forgive me if the effort doesn't meat your approval. :)
I'm a huge fan of two specific Thai dishes--spicy hot green curry catfish and roasted duck in red curry.
What's different about Ruby's take on these dishes is that the curries are more oil-based than coconut milk creamy and it reminds me a lot of my old favorite Indo-Paki restaurant, Bhabi's Kitchen's kourma.
It's a bit disturbing when I go to a place that serves spicy hot food and they assume that I can't take the heat. So it was already a win when I took a bite of these curries and I felt that slow, rolling, wet burn going down my pipe. It was similar to sipping a quality, complex red wine and having your mouth and throat experience the full bouquet, then a long, beautiful finish as it washes down.
The green curry was full of green eggplant pieces, green beans, bamboo slices, jalapeño, baby corn and carrot. The red duck curry had similar veggies, but also with tomato and pineapple chunks. There was plenty of meaty catfish chunks in the green curry and nice, succulent duck pieces in the red. While the bill for these two lunch entrees came to about $30 and it wouldn't replace my favorite Thai restaurants, I'm not so surprised about the price considering their location and the quality of the food. -
Review from Jonathan W.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2011
WAY BETTER than Siam Rice.
The best Thai food in the loop but still not anywhere near as good as what you can get on the North Side. Huge menu of all the favorites with some very interesting stuff including stuffed squid and Kaoman Somtum Kaiyang (steamed rice with coconut milk served with grilled chicken and papaya salad).
I also love the lunch buffet if I'm in a hurry and looking for something spicy. They recently raised their price so it's not a good of a deal as it used to be. The food is solid - not the best and a little scaled-back from a quality standpoint. -
Review from Ms G.
Park Ridge, IL
7/6/2011
My famly and I came across this restaurant after walking all over looking for a place to eat. Since most of us loved Thai food, we thought we'd check it out.
The menu is huge- lots of options, many vegetarian choices and they'll give you brown rice at no extra charge which is always a plus. I went with the traditional pad thai with chicken, which was delicious. A lot of my family got the drunken noodles which they loved, and my 10 year old cousin who had never had Thai food before got fried potstickers and gobbled them up.
The service was excellent- very friendly staff and eager to help you with decide from the many options on the menu. -
Review from Naomi C.
Los Angeles, CA
We were looking around downtown for a place to eat and landed here. My boyfriend and I are big fans of Thai Food so we decided to give it a try. We were not disappointed. We had a pineapple w/chicken dish. It was great. I know they also have buffet but they didn't have it open on that day (Sunday). Not sure if it's because it's the weekend or what. either way, delish.
also, the decor is very nice! -
Review from Maher A.
Chicago, IL
4/27/2011
I was there on an event arranged by my building's management. The buffet was nice. Variable tastes of food including meats and vegetables.
They have lunch buffet and I am definitely going back there. -
Review from Nick M.
Columbus, OH
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was good but average thai. Its close to a 4 for me but not quite there. The kang panang and tom ka were both solid. Taro bubble teas were also good. Mango sticky rice was the best part of the meal. Tried the thai custard. Wasnt the best but to be fair i've never tried it before. Overall a good meal.
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Review from Michael H.
Seattle, WA
9/16/2011
I know there aren't any good thai places in the loop. But that's not a reason to keep trying and rate a place higher than what it is.
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Review from Amy H.
9/28/2010
For weeks my co-workers were telling me that if I ever wanted to eat thai for lunch I should go to Ruby of Siam. Well, one day I had a craving, and I went to check it out.
I ordered the "Ruby crab legs", which were supposed to be like crab rangoon. Not so much. They were like long cigars of cream cheese wrapped in wonton. Where's the crab in these crab legs?! If I wanted to eat a slab of cream cheese I would have bought one at CVS.
I also ordered the beef num tok. It was more like barf num tok. The meat tasted so incredibly bad that I threw most of it away.
This disgusting feast cost me almost $20. What the hell?!?
No thanks, Ruby of Siam. Never again. -
Review from Patrick B.
Palo Alto, CA
4/14/2011
Excellent food and at a good price. Not too loud and have been able to have many good business lunch meetings there while downtown.
Also, been to the Skokie location where, after asking if we could buy a mug for a friend, they simply gave one to us. Really nice touch. -
Review from Jaz P.
Chicago, IL
10/27/2010
This place knows what they are doing.
Nice ornate richly decorated place. Quiet at 11:30am before lunch rush. We debated the buffet special but we decided on dishes to avoid post-lunch comatose on a school day. We ordered the pad prik king with chicken and the beef pad see ewe. You could say I know the latter one well since it's my staple at thai places all the time. They were both deeeelicious.
The pad prik king came in this wonderful rich reddish-orange sauce, with firm green beans and chicken that was perfect in tenderness. I have noticed that often at thai restaurants that the chicken can be disappointingly overcooked and dry. The pad see ewe was also very close to being the ideal, pan-fried caramelization, fresh greens, and not overly sweet. On the pricey for lunch, each dish was around $10. But soooo worth it. The portions were generous, but the dishes were delicious, we finished everything.
Additional touches to cap off the Thai decor. The rice comes in these big silver aluminum serving bowls with lids. So it's fun to scoop your rice out. The servers wear these patterned, ballooning pants/ skorts.
I NEED to come back for the buffet lunch because I am sure that I will looove it, but I know I won't be able to stop, judging by this trip. Oy. -
Review from sanda k.
Plano, TX
9/6/2011
We loved the food, the calm and stylish decor and the attentive staff.
We tried the ginger chicken, the veg pad thai and pineapple fried rice. All tasted good.
The other cool thing is BYOB and theres a convenient 7-11 nearby. -
Review from Daniel C.
Chicago, IL
10/20/2010
I went to ruby of siam yesterday.
My friend and I went for an early dinner around 4. We lamented that we hadn't been able to try it for lunch because there was a lunch buffet.
I got the massaman curry chicken which is my standby at thai places and it was good. Not remarkable. The portion size was pretty large.
My friend got a chargrilled chicken meal flavored with coconut milk and lime with a papaya salad. She said she enjoyed both.
We were the only patrons in at the time which makes sense because it was before most people would eat lunch and the service we received was decent.
The prices were appropriate and service was good.
I may be back to try the Lunch buffet. -
Review from Steve S.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Uninspired and overpriced. Has literally left a bad taste in my mouth.
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Review from Matt S.
Chicago, IL
8/25/2011
Be warned -- delivery area is not what it appears.
I have heard great things about Ruby of Siam so I placed an order for delivery (to Pilsen). 45 minutes later, I was hungry and eagerly awaiting my food when I got a phone call saying that I was out of the delivery area and that they cancelled my order. So, my one and only experience with the restaurant left me quite literally empty handed... -
Review from Teri Y.
9/9/2010 2 Check-ins Here
This place is super crowded during lunch on weekdays. Come dinner time, it is empty and would make a first timer hesitant to step inside, because let's face it.... empty restaurant=not a good sign=no good food. But Ruby of Siam caters mostly to the working crowd because of its location and having corporate offices nearby. Come dinner time, the working crowd goes home of course. And even on weekends, the working crowd is obviously not there. So, do not be afraid if you walk past it and see it (relatively) empty in the evenings and on weekends. They do have good food.
Love their lad nar and if it's not because I need to coerce myself to try actually different items on their menu, I would probably get the lad nar each time I go there. I also like their thai ice tea with the bubbles (tapioca pearls). -
Review from Caroline A.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2009
Two girlfriends and I decided to lock ourselves indoors, watch chick flicks, eat cake and order Thai food. I have to say that this was the best way to spend the first freezing Saturday night in Chicago.
So the delivery guy took more than an hour to get to my friend's place, but the food was still hot and delicious. We ordered the lemon/basil chicken entree, green curry chicken and a beef/noodle dish. Everything was deliciously perfect. I didn't know how good Thai curry was until just now. It was a bit spicy for me, and I had to eat ice cubes afterward.
This is a great option for Thai food. Next time, we will pick it up! -
Review from Andre W.
10/30/2009 8 Check-ins Here
Always heard great things about this place, but never checked it out.
One of my colleagues started raving about it a few days ago and said, "We have to go". We walked over and it was not too crowded but there were enough people there. $10 all you can eat lunch buffet, nice!!!!
Lots of good stuff in this buffet! Crab ragoon (out of this world), pineapple shrimp fried rice (excellent). vegatable beef (wow), curry chicken (mind blowing), the service (first class)
This place is great, but they are open only Mon-Fri. Ahhh, another great lunch spot added to the repertoireListed in: Lunch in the Loop, Favorite Places, Want some Thai???!!!
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Review from Jade T.
4/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
Irregardless of the fact that ...
1. The prices were much higher than your average Thai restaurant (it's the location, duh).
2. The lunch buffet had a limited selection of dishes.
3. Some buffet dishes were cold.
4. The lunch buffet ran out of food by the end of lunch (they should still replenish it).
5. The service was unbelievably slow.
.... okay, there's not a whole lot of redeeming qualities to Ruby of Siam. Food ordered a la carte ain't bad, possibly even a-okay. Drinks are super, especially the bubble teas. Other than that, it's a below-average Thai restaurant. What a disappointment. Ruby of Siam could've been my go-to restaurant/alternative to the various fast food joints that infest the Loop... -
Review from Sabrina M.
IL
3/15/2010
My favorite new, "go-to" Thai place!
Ruby is close to the office and I try to get here a couple of times a week, particularly for the outstanding lunch buffet. The lunch buffet has become a favorite among Loop Lunchers, and you'll want to get here on the early side for a table.
I have found that the selection is always to my liking and that everything is always extremely fresh and done well. I always go in determined to try "everything" but by my 2nd small plate, I am stuffed!
Not only do they have traditional Thai fare, they also have these excellent fried chicken wings. No matter how set my taste buds are for Thai food when I go in, I can't resist having a wing or two (or four!!) as well...
Staff does a great job dealing with the considerable lunch rush and is always pretty attentive and friendly.
I like this place so much that sometimes I'll stop by at the end of the workday and get takeout dinner too. Prices are about standard for a downtown restaurant. My co-workers and I love this place. So much so, that we always find ourselves needing a little nap as we amble ourselves back to the office after a full buffet lunch!Listed in: Try My Favorite Thai
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Review from An P.
Chicago, IL
8/19/2008
Thank you Yelpers for highlighting this awesome restaurant. A friend and me go in here and the place is packed but they seat us immediately at 12:00pm sharp. People are all coming in and out ordering food to go and we instantly ordered our drinks and ran to the back for buffet.
Chicken wings. Oh those chicken wings are going to have a tough time being beat by any place outside of Hooters and they come with a sweet and sour sauce. There are soups to be had, pad thai the classic staple and various veggie and noodle dishes. I like the fact that there are fortune cookies and almond cookies ready to eat as well.
Bubble tea is available and in half an hour of eating the waitress probably came by about five times to fill drinks, swap out plates, and see if everything was good. My friend and I were impressed with how many people worked there and how clean it was.
YUM! Sure beats DelmonicoListed in: Downtown Lunchtime Tomfoolery
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Review from Katie B.
Chicago, IL
11/19/2008
I love buffets. In a sick way. I got way too excited about the idea of a Thai buffet in the loop but Ruby of Siam was not what I had dreamed it would be.
While the fried chicken wontons and tom kha soup were both incredible, all of the entrees were good but lacked something. The fried tofu and green bean plik was the best. Steak was excellent but the veggies and sauce with it were lame. Curry veggie rice was good. The mussaman chicken and Pad Thai left a lot to be desired.
Service was... interesting. There were about ten waitresses that approached us asking if we wanted to order a drink. We didn't and since we were getting the buffet we didn't really need *a* waitress, let alone a dozen. But they were extremely smiley and wearing pink dresses, and that was so awesome. A few of them kept switching our bill before we had even looked at it, but the one we did eventually look at was the right one.
We were a little jelly of the folks around us that had ordered off the menu. Apparently they do change up the buffet daily, but, I would order off the menu if I go back. Then again, I think I'll stick to Siam Rice if I am going to order Thai from a menu. But why-oh-why must I love buffets? ...and it's B.Y.O.B.! But alas...
Goodbye, Ruby of Siam.
Who would hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day,
Still I'm gonna miss you.Listed in: Loopy KB
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Review from Sarah L.
10/23/2008
I met my hubby here the other day for lunch. We wanted to go to the Corner Bakery but it was packed. We walked a little further down Washington and found Ruby of Siam! We both love Thai so we went in. We were seated right away and we placed our order.
I had the pad Thai and he had Thai curry fried rice. I loved my pad Thai and his fried rice was OK. I'm not a huge fan of curry. They also offer a lunch buffet for $8.95 but we just ordered off the menu. I would like to try the buffet but for some reason buffets give me the creeps. I'm a germ-a-phobe especially with food. Check out Ruby if you're in the loop, you will like it!
Their service is great and you can be in and out in about a half hour. Not bad for a sit down restaurant and the prices are just right!Listed in: Lunch in the Loop, Oh my Thai!
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Review from Jill M.
Chicago, IL
12/17/2009
They have bubble tea Yesss!
This is a very charming place thats just around the corner from work. Their pad see ewe was pretty good! I also got the fried wontons and that was a big mistake! They were a little too greasy(but still yummy) and I should have gotten the fresh spring rolls instead. The employees are very friendly and all of them (both the men and the women) look very cute in their uniforms.
After I was done with my meal, I looked like their Buddha statue.
FAT AND HAPPY!
For take-out, it was pretty expensive. So this is going to be my once-in-a-while go to place for Thai while I'm at work. -
Review from Jennifer B.
Chicago, IL
5/26/2010
Ruby of Siam may as well become a formal partner of our company for how often we eat here for work. It's become our favorite downtown lunch option- they even seat us (ten or so people) at the same corner table every time. Service is fast, and although it's not the cheapest Thai place in Chicago (we ARE in the Loop, after all!), the food is good and the portions so large that leftovers are a guarantee.
Pad see ew is the official favorite option- it's rich, fresh, and delicious. The thai iced tea is sweet and flavorful. I've had better pad thai, so save that order for elsewhere. Their salad options are also very tasty and a great, ginger-y lighter option for days you don't want noodles or rice.
No one has ever had the buffet, so I can't comment on that, but we love the food off the menu. -
Review from Rachelle G.
Chicago, IL
6/18/2008
Recently opened in the loop, I finally made my way over.
The space is fairly large, somehow it looks larger than when Bon Bon was here. There are plenty of tables, although they are a bit too close together in my opinion. Employees are donned in traditional garments.
It took about 2 minutes to get a table for two at a bit after 12:30. Not bad at all. But, the service was a bit off initially. We were seated but were not given menus nor explained to how everything worked. You would think with being new to the space they would at least give you the rundown. I think the initial guess is that everyone is there for the buffet, which we did end up ordering. Moreso bc we were too lazy to read the large menu and have to pick one thing. The buffet had egg rolls, three types of rice, one veggie, two noodles, two soups, three meats and one curry. Very decent selection. It doesn't compare to ordering fresh items at your fave Thai joint, but definitely a good choice in the loop. I left full. My water was always refilled. Good value for $8.95 considering most loop lunches range in the $7-9 range. -
Review from Liam D.
Washington, DC
11/14/2008
We walked past this place on the way to the highly popular Siam Rice on N. Wells only to find that Siam Rice was closed at 8pm on a Friday (what's the deal with that, Chicago?!) Being from out of town, we looked to Yelp! for the best Thai in the Loop and thought we found it, but they weren't open past 8pm. I'm guessing this is a business district and that's why?
Anyways, we went back to Ruby of Siam and although I was skeptical about the "buffet" advertising on the front door, we decided to give it a go because we were starving. And boy am I glad we did! This place was really great. I had the Papaya Salad with spicy/sour dressing and it was great. Be aware: when you say "i want it spicy" they bring it to you Thai spicy - like, tongue-throbbing spicy. It's awesome.
Next I had some wonton soup which was good but not overly impressive. Then some "Crazy Beef" or some name like that from the appetizer menu, which was also deliciuos - very tender and well flavored charbroiled beef. My Mom and Dad were with me and they shared the Pad Thai and said it was good, as well as the crispy fried tofu and a bowl of egg drop soup.
All in all, I'd way we were very impressed with this - good Thai food is not easy to find, and don't be skeptical of the "buffet" style appearance - this ain't your average China Buffet King, this is delicious Thai, done right. The service was fantastic - very polite and courteous and accomodating. We noticed that at the end of the night the entire staff sat down to share a meal and I wondered if this was a family owned place, and it turns out it is. You can tell, too, because of the pride they take in their food and service. Hell, even their jugs of water have lime slices in them!!!! How's that for Thai-tastic!?
Definitely go here. 3 of us ate plenty for $60, and they gave us a free $5 coupon, which was just that much more impressive - I tipped extra for that. -
Review from Pinaki S.
Chapel Hill, NC
8/9/2008
Couple things about the place that are interesting:
-The outside signs make this place look like a oversized chinese carryout. Need to upgrade signage.
-The inside is the most upscale thai buffet place that I've ever been to. Granted, I've been to three thai buffet places, but this one was awesome. They have plasma/lcds in the walls with tv and scenes of Thailand.
Buffet is pretty weak, however. When the highlight was the fresh watermelon and the chicken wings (amazing with duck sauce), you might want to stick with entrees. -
Review from Chris W.
Chicago, IL
10/6/2008
My review of Ruby of Siam is 4 stars, so it is positive, but my review is sort of focused on this place as a Loop lunch destination - the buffet. The lunch buffet. The food for the lunch buffet will not knock your socks off, it wont compare to some of the other really high quality Thai places, but for what it is, it is a really good deal. They offer 5-6 entree selections, some apps, some salad, some dessert, for about $9. Overall, the food is pretty good - again - nothing to die over - but just solid Thai food. As a lunch destination, I recommend it, because you can definitely get filled up here, you dont have to wait for service, and the staff is pretty friendly. I dont know if I would seek this place out for dinner - I dont even know if thy are open for dinner. It is just a solid loop lunch destination, in a field of many overpriced places.
Only go if you are hungry - if you want a light bite, consider some other place. -
Review from Shradha A.
Chicago, IL
8/20/2008
I lived in Evanston for 3 years, where the original Ruby of Siam is - and this used to be one of our favorite Thai places.
Recently I got a mailer about their downtown locations and I was excited for it! Last week, 3 of us were working late in the office and decided to order food for delivery.
First, it was impossible to explain to them what I wanted. We're vegetarian and had to make sure they understood that.
The food arrived in decent time even though they quoted longer, but the food wasn't very good. The fried rice was dried up - the rice grains had actually gotten hardened up. The green curry was full of chillies. Now being Indian, I know there is a big different between "spicy" and "hot" - while spicy is GOOD, just pure chillies and "hot" is NOT!
This place was a big disappointment.Listed in: Asian Admiration
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Review from Heidi K.
Chicago, IL
10/6/2009
We order delivery from here often & have had great dishes thus far. The delivery is fast and always friendly.
For appetizers we've had the Ruby Crab Legs (crab rangoon), Lime Chicken, Fried Baby Spring Rolls w/chicken and the Kanom Jeep - they've all been really tasty. The Spring Rolls & Kanom Jeep are our usual picks.
My favorites are the Chicken Pad Thai (my favorite in Chicago) and the Kang Hang Lay - curry w/chicken, ginger, potatoes & peanuts - so delicious. I've also tried the Pad See Iew with chicken - nice smoky flavor, but not quite there.
There are a ton of dishes on the menu that I want to try, and are all very unique, which is a nice change. -
Review from Lisa A.
It's breaking my heart to downgrade my review of Ruby of Siam from 5 to 2. But I just had to.
I'm used to be a regular here ... - until my last visit sometime in May.
My favorite here used to be (sorry for the over-used of 'used to be' - but that's the truth) their tom yum, pad-thai and pad-see-ieu. Not anymore. It's either they changed their chef/cook - or their recipes. Especially the pad-thai.
I reluctant to go back after my last experience ... but, maybe I should give them one last try?Listed in: Asian Fixation
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/16/2009
I'm Asian -with an authentic taste. So ... read my review and believe it! :)
This is by far my fave… Read more »
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Review from Lisa H.
Chicago, IL
5/28/2010
Finally took a trip down to Ruby of Siam today, this is definitely a hot spot for weekday luncheons! It was close to a full house when we walked in at 12:15pm, my colleague & I snatched up a table while the line behind us were ushered to the bar-stools.
As I was checking out the menu, we spotted the $10.99 lunch buffet sign - had to give this a try!
1. Appetizers: Salad + Crab Rangoon
- The crab rangoons were overly fried, and not enough cheese
2. Soup: Tom Yum Soup + another option.
I tried the Tom Yum and it was waaaay too sweet.... without any kick for the spices! I hardly taste the lemongrass either...
3. Carbs: Steamed rice, Tofu fried rice, chicken fried rice, Pad Siew Iew, and Tofu Pad thai.
- The Pad Siew Iew was great! Nice balance of noodles, broccoli, eggs and sweet soy sauce. It wasn't overly greasy as well, which is refreshing compared to other Thai restaurants I've tried
- Tofu Pad Thai didn't have the fragrance I crave from lime or peanuts. Pretty bland overall...
4. Meats + Veggies: 4 different options, the Pad Tua Lan To (Sautéed peapods with ground beef) was waaaaaay too salty! The curry chicken didn't have any coconut milk flavor to it...
5. Desserts: Almond cookie was store-bought, the fresh mandarin oranges were refreshing :)
Overall, I'd say Ruby's buffet offer a great variety of dishes to choose from. Plus, the menu's rotating which is always a + for luncheons around the office!! But the plates really aren't that authentic... The service is spectacular though, all the servers are super friendly & smiley!
Verdict: At $12/person after tax, Siam Rice around the corner offers a much better deal with authentic flavors! -
Review from Suran Y.
Champaign, IL
9/19/2010
Good atmosphere. I loved the authentic feel of the tables and seats.
Their tom yum soup is kinda overrated and the fish wasn't that good, but I feel like it was just bad choice of food because everyone else's looked yummy! -
Review from Anne S.
4/22/2009
I have had the buffet lunch here a few times, and I have always enjoyed it. They put out different dishes on different days, so I enjoyed some days better than others. The buffet is a great deal though. I love most Thai dishes, and the buffet is an easy way for me to get to eat a little of everything. Plus this place is so cute inside.
One drawback is that it can be really crowded during lunch. The tables are fairly close together, and I always feel like I'm going to bump into the people sitting next to me.Listed in: Top Restaurants, Near the Merchandise Mart, Great lunch spots
