(Dined 05/30/13 TH @ 1:00pm): Sorry, no green eggs and ham, Sam I am, just value-priced food...which is better!
Lunch time with a couple good colleagues meant it was time that we left the "work campus" behind for some us time, and both of my co-workers recommended Siam Rice II, a place I've never been to - sweet!
Located in a mini outdoor strip mall in an industrial part of town that paralleled to the train tracks in proximity to where Magic Mountain Pkwy., Bouquet Cyn., and San Fernando Rd. converged in Saugus (collectively, the SCV or "Awesometown"), after I ate here, I realized there was still much exploring I needed to do for hidden nuggets like this that tantalized my tastebuds and didn't weigh down the wallet. Since I was the "virgin" in the bunch, I looked to my colleagues to guide me, so this was what I ordered:
Singha Lager Beer ($2.95) - It should be mandatory that Thai beer must be drunk with Thai food and no other kind of beer, and Singha was such a good choice. An ice-cold bottle coupled with a cold mug all for a steal of a price...I'd come back just for the beer alone! http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ejSFPxH4gMQn28LcG2cYLg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Vegetable Egg Rolls ($4.95) - This three-piece appetizer arrived steaming hot, but once it cooled down, it was perfectly crunchy, all the various finely diced vegetables where protected from any potential cooking oil that could've leaked through, and of course you needed to dip or pour some of the sweet sauce onto it for more flavor. I only wished that they were slightly larger and that there were more than three pieces as then the per piece was closer to $1.65 which seemed a bit high. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=mz7j86idjaxFFsbbOhQx4A&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
L-6 Lunch Special: Garlic Chicken, BBQ Pork, Fried Rice ($5.99) - Now this was a heck of a price for the amount of food you received. You received a generous scoop of fried rice which was nothing special, and equally healthy portions of the garlic chicken and BBQ pork. Both tasted so very moist and the tiny bite-size morsels were easy to chew, but because they were small pieces, you had to shovel your food rather than pick at it. I'd prefer bigger pieces that were easily stabbed with a fork or picked up with chopsticks. Of the two, the BBQ pork was my favorite, and when you spread some of the chili sauce and the sweet sauce from the egg rolls, oh mama, it was da bomb! I loved garlic so I felt there could've been a whole more garlic in the chicken. It was more like essence of garlic. And, maybe add small chunks of garlic, too. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=_Uf8D-YQ9UvLEMI2lWuFDA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Service - There wasn't much of a lunch rush so we were seated immediately, given menus and our drink orders taken on the spot. Once our drinks and water glasses arrived they were ready to take our order, and in less than ten minutes, one saucer and three large plates seemingly appeared onto our table. They were quick to clear away any empty dishes and filled our water glasses (although we were satisfied with our beer). Then, like clockwork the check showed-up on the table. Efficiency was everywhere.
Parking - There was sufficient spots within the lot they shared with several other businesses in this strip mall. Otherwise, I believed you were able to park along the main drag of San Fernando Rd.
Overall, I was grateful to have been taken to Siam Rice II because now I had another non-chain Thai food option close to work. It was apparently hidden away enough so the locals had no idea or didn't care about this place. I found good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (my portion of the bill was around $13.00 before tip), but the food was good, the entrée portion was sizeable and I was really blown away by the service. The atmosphere, décor, and ambience was simple and rather minimal with many tables, chairs and booths all located on a 2nd Level once you climbed a flight of stairs. There appeared to be a makeshift bar downstairs similar to what my uncles would've thrown together in the garage during a party when I was younger (if you're Filipino, you knew what I'm talking about!). The place was well lit with both natural and bulbs. There were a few displays on the walls as well as a couple representative statues. I didn't recall any music or TVs. The attire was totally casual, so I would be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. Although they accepted credit cards, not my card of choice...AMEX! read more