Literally just before I sat down to write this review, I watched a YouTube video about how we got to the current state of dining. Two of the key points are regarding cost and quality. I am delighted to share that Similan nails both in a way that surprised even this cynical old grouch. I'd visited many months ago, ordering the Crab Rangoons and Pad See Ew with Chicken. The experience fell onto the back burner until it was covered with cobwebs, thus I made it a point to return. Upon ordering the same, the server informed me of the lunch special, where I could get the same as part of a lunch special, with a soup or salad, all for $12-something. The only caveat is it comes with two rangoons instead of six. No problem, I love rangoons, but I don't love the guilt of munching down six of these things! The crab rangoons with the lunch special were half-moon shaped (don't know if they changed the recipe from spearheads, or if it's different for the lunch special only). These were fresh and hot, with a tasty filling. I'd like to note that the filling was a little sweeter and less funky than I've had in most Chinese and Japanese restaurants - not a negative, per se, just a statement of fact. I am very pleased to report the cucumber salad was also scrumptious. This one even beat out a vinegar bomb I had at a place three times the price that shall remain nameless. The sweet and sour sauce was delicate, and used in perfect amount to accent the flavor. IIRC, there were some other veggies as well, with everything working together. What really blew me out of the water was the Pad See Ew. I've been around the block a couple times, and I expected veggies that need power tools, and chicken dryer than the Atacama Desert. Guess what? It was nothing like that! The veggies, even the broccoli and the little corn cobs I don't know the names of, were cooked to a perfect firmness. The chicken was tender too! As for the overall dish, the use of sweet soy was perfect for that sweet and salty combo that makes salted caramel so great! The noodles sopped up this sauce perfectly, themselves being cooked ideally. Final verdict: Similan Thai is fantastic on its own, but for lunch doubly so. It is amazing there is not a line out the door during these hours. read more

This was my go to place for Thai, now I read it's permanently closed. Very sad, the food was excellent. And, the prices were very reasonable. read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant is my favorite Thai restaurant in the world. I have been a regular customer of Similan since they opened. I was also a regular customer of their immediate predecessor, Summer Thai, for many years (Summer was my other favorite Thai restaurant). I love the restaurant's food and drink, the wonderful atmosphere, and the awesome decorations. The owners are wonderful people! The service is excellent, and the menu is excellent! Thank you to Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant for being both a wonderful part of Chicago and a wonderful part of our Edgewater community. I look forward to many more years of excellent dining experiences here. God bless! read more

The BEST Pad See Ew in Chicago. I cannot describe how good the food was. I left the restaurant still daydreaming about it. The restaurant is so cute and cozy, the server was so sweet and friendly. Will definitely be coming back here my next visit!! read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Pad See-Ew - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food was microwaved and it was flavorless and dry. It was not good at all Server didn't care about us at all. I would not recommend this place anyone. We heard the microwave go off, to cook our food, multiple times and it just wasn't good read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - The dry and flavorless microwaved pork buns. Do not go here. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for lunch on a Friday. No wait for a table, service was great. I had the crab Rangoon, seaweed salad, and the chicken pad see ewe. I enjoyed everything about my lunch. The other person in my party had the cucumber salad, chicken egg roll, and the orange chicken. I heard that was very good as well. read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Pad See-Ew - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I would've left a 0 star rating if that was an option. I would only get the soft drinks here because this place is arguably the worst Thai restaurant around. I ordered orange chicken w/ fried rice and immediately noticed a hair in my rice, so I threw it away. I remembered that I saw the cashier making the food with no hairnet so that was pretty alarming. The chicken was bland and mixed with canned vegetables that I would assume are from the Aldi across the street. The "sauce" that was part of the orange chicken was brown and tasted like grilled corn syrup. It was first and last time at this "restaurant" I wouldn't recommend this to ANYONE, please do NOT go here expecting good food, this place is more like a gas station with cool decorations. I should've went to 7/11 instead. read more

MUST HIT SPOT!!! This is my go to Thai spot. The food is incredible always, you see the same faces every time and the service is phenomenal. Only a 10 minute wait for the best food of your life. read more

Amazing food and customer service. Everyone was very accommodating and helpful. Such an underrated spot!

We ordered carryout from here recently and overall would come back again! Every time we pass by Similan it appears empty but we have been wanting to try it! We got edamame, pad Thai, basil fried rice, and orange chicken. The standouts were the pad Thai and basil fried rice! The rice was so flavorful but I will say I would've appreciated more chicken in it. The orange chicken would not be something we went back for. The sauce was not great and the chicken itself was flattened and the breading was very soggy and falling off the chicken. In addition the edamame did not come with any soy sauce so that would've been nice to have. Overall though we really enjoyed parts of parts of our meal and are excited to try it out for sit down service in the future! read more

So far so good! Granted, I only ordered what I thought were veggie egg rolls, (as my daughter informed me - "lumpia, mom"). To my surprise, after my 3.5 block-walk home, doing a couple of things about the house... I opened my bag, then the container... "Six spring rolls" and a small container of sweet sauce. They were still warm and CRUNCHY... but, add to this, full of flavor - NOT bland as some veggie egg rolls tend to be, (hence, my hesitation in even ordering egg rolls... I mean spring rolls... I mean lumpia!). Additionally these were not greasy, (something I rarely partake in...). I thanked my friend from church who recommended Similan and she suggested the noodles... As the weather turns cooler, (YEA!), I will surely return for noodles and/or a rice dish. read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Veggie egg rolls aka lumpia or even spring rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was a cut above in terms of taste and balance of ingredients. Usually I am concerned about high salt and sugar in Thai dishes but the dishes ordered were not only lower in those flavors, the herb profile were nicely pronounced. The duck medallions in one of the dishes were excellent and fresh. Excellent option for Thai cuisine. read more

Real solid food. Had the dinner special and all the appetizers were tasty and fresh. The crab Rangoon was maybe the best I've ever had and was made in house. Wife's yellow curry was tasty also. Prices are way past reasonable. Highly recommended. read more

#chicagothaifood #sushichicago #edgewaterthai #edgewatersushi I love Similan Thai (formerly Summer)This is my fav Edgewater Thai spot tucked away in a cozy storefront on Granville. Nothing has changed, but they now offer high quality sushi too. I love the attention to detail - note my little carrot heart in my brown rice with my beautifully presented and delish Panang curry with tofu. Call them for take out 773-761-8500 but open for in person, too. read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Panang curry with tofu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've always been a big fan of this restaurant (formerly known as Summer Noodles & Rice) and even though the ownership has changed, the quality of the food remains the same, perhaps even better! I love how they now have variety of sushi options and these are some of their new sushi menu items that I tried to out today. They also kept the same (or similar) thai menu since they still have the same cooks as before! I would def come back to dine-in and they're also open for dine-in so go support your local business!! read more

See all

Food was good at one time and now has gone down the drain, hardly any meat included in order, you may or may not get rice.. they have changed the menu and most good things are gone including sushi.. which may or may not be a good thing.. time to look for a new place to get food... read more

Service and ambience is good, but the food was not. The sushi price is cheaper than other places but it doesn't taste good. I would recommend changing the flour/batter or whatever it is. Some food are too salty and some are sweet. Not recommended. read more

Ordered dinner tonight, will not be ordering it from here again. We ordered the combination appetizer and the shrimp is now coconut shrimp. I don't eat coconut. My husband had the Mongolian beef and there were three tiny pieces of beef. My chicken pad Thai had just a few pieces of dried out tough chicken. I know this place changed its name not sure if it changed owners but I would no longer recommend it. read more

Ordered pick up on their website, which forces you to add a tip. Picked up the food, no sprouts, no peanuts, no napkins, no utensils. When we asked for them, we were then asked, rudely, if we wanted anything else. Pad Thai was bland and tasteless. We've eaten here for years, since it was named Summer Noodles...this place has gone downhill. You should not have tip for pick food then have to ask for napkins and utensils and be treated with contempt. read more

This place was soo cute!! They did a lil star in my carrot and it made me smile. The garlic noodles were so so kinda just look like and tasted like ramen noodles. Thank you for the Star. read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Pad See-Ew - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

We really enjoyed our lunch at Similan. It is located south of the Loyola campus at the Granville Red Line stop. We started with Crab Rangoon. The wrap was thinner and crispier than typical Chinese restaurants, and the filling was outstanding. My Orange Chicken was fried in almost a nice crisp tempura coating, and the orange sauce almost tasted "fresh squeezed". We also enjoyed the Tofu Lo Mein and Shrimp Tempura Roll. I did try the iced green tea which turned out to be milk based and very sweet, it was OK but just not a personal preference. Service was excellent. One lady was running the whole front end of the restaurant, very busy and did a great job. This is a great neighborhood option that we will return to. read more

This is a solid American-style Asian fusion restaurant. Everything is pretty creamy and deep fried and lacking in spice, and thus wholly not my style, but it's comforting enough and executed well as a whole. Crab rangoon: almost ranch-dressing-y; crisp and not too heavy-shelled. Couldn't discern any crab. Sweet potato tempura: maybe the best appetizer we got. Light crust and tender potato. Chicken satay: too overcooked, but a good thick peanut buttery sauce Drunken noodle: good char flavor, stuffed with plenty of vegetables and basil, though I wouldn't recommend getting it with tofu as it tasted like old oil If you're ever on the L when it gets held up at the Granville stop (why is it always the Granville stop for me?), might as well get off and fill up! You can practically fall into the restaurant from the platform. read more

I've been eyeing this restaurant for a while as it's right next to the train station that I go to almost daily. I came here for a quick lunch and had an overall great experience! The inside of the restaurant is set up in a well-organized way that allows for easy access to place to go orders as well as sit at a table to eat in. The menu has a large variety of both Thai dishes and sushi options, as well as basic American style Asian dishes that everyone loves. There is something on the menu for everybody, whether you're a meat lover or a pescatarian like myself. The lady who served me was very sweet and helpful; she let me know about a great lunch deal special: one entree, one side, and miso soup/salad all for $14. I got shrimp pad Thai, vegetable egg rolls, and miso soup (which is not pictured). I was brought the soup and egg rolls as an appetizer before my entree, but everything came out super quickly. The food was delicious and the shrimp in my pad Thai was very flavorful and plentiful. The egg rolls were very crispy & well flavored, as was the sauce. The miso soup was great for a chilly day. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone living or visiting the area! read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Egg Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Terrible food, curry was water. There was celery in the Rangoon. Thai iced tea was ok

This place is a very reasonably priced gem... they recently changed their name from Summer Noodles but the menu still has the same dishes. They have $3.99 maki roll deals which is amazing value and tastes freshly made. Their crispy tofu appetizer is one of my favorites. Overall, one of my go-to places in the neighborhood and I'm so glad they're still open!! read more

Similan Thai & Sushi Restaurant - Scallop roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The lunch specials here are a crazy good deal and there is a surprisingly good amount of seating inside. Right beside the Granville train entrance, four blocks from the lake, a really nice location. read more

I order delivery, you charge me for it, then you act all sanctimonious when I call wondering where it is?! Really- and I wouldn't complain but the food was meh at best. read more

Food is very good and fresh, well presented however I have only 4* because portion size is very small for the prices they have. It's a cute restaurant right off Red Line Granville stop - give a try but be prepared to not see as much food as you expect. read more

I started ordering from Similan after reading some good reviews. I've ordered for take out about 4 or 5 times now and it is spot on every time. Delicious food, delivered hot - not sure how they manage the food transfer so perfectly. They must have been accustomed to take out. Their Sushi is fantastic and in my opinion the lunch specials are definitely worth a try. I plan to finally sit down in the place one day it's really cute inside with a full bar. Easy street parking too on Granville. read more

Great prices and good food! Very college student friendly! I had the pad Thai lunch special which they were able to make gluten free and it was very flavorful! read more

It was undercooked, the shrimp were very small and game. Noodles were undercooked and greasy. Veg egg rolls were meh

Great sushi! Sometimes is hard to find vegetarian sushi options and this place had a ton. I tried 3 different rolls and they were all excited. I highly recommend you stop by and check them out read more

Meh. I liked this place better when they were Summer. I used to get Pad Thai here on occasion and this last time was disappointing. I feel like they're trying to do too much. Whatev. read more

For the second time, rice not included with my order. Portions have gotten progressively smaller. I've eaten in the restaurant quite a few times, but it seems carry outs get the short shrift. All done, won't be going back. read more

I want to welcome Similan to the neighborhood! They went above and beyond for our New Year's Eve spread - everything was hot, fresh, and delicious. Similan Thai and Sushi now occupies the same space as the former Summer Noodle and Rice on Granville, but with the same staff, delicious Thai food, and now sushi! I'm so excited! read more

See all

Wonderful service, artfully presented and delicious food. It doesn't look like much from outside but the food is well worth the trip.

Their Panang curry and gyoza are delicious! Speedy delivery, friendly staff. I can't wait to sample their sushi and some of my other Thai favorites! read more

We ordered from Similan after a menu and discount coupon was left at our door. It is great! The sushi is delicious, and staples--pad thai!--are fantastic. The delivery was swift, too, but the bottom line is great food, and this place has it. I'll definitely be ordering from Similan again. read more

Went for dinner with a friend a few weeks ago here and absolutely loved it. The crab rangoons were nice and crispy and went very well with the sauce. Same with the potstickers. The sushi was fresh and at an amazing price. I'm so glad I found this place because it's so close to my new apartment. Will definitely be returning and expect this place to be my new go to sushi spot read more

My girlfriend and I came into this restaurant after seeing it was four stars with big hopes. We ordered four sushi dishes and didn't receive our food until everyone around us (that came after we placed our order) got their food. When we finally got our order, one of the dishes was wrong. When it came time to paying, we spilt the bill in half and I told my girlfriend that I was putting tip on my card so there was no need to put tip on her card. The waiter came by, saw that my girlfriend didn't put a tip down on her bill, and yelled "OMG NO TIP" loud enough to get the attention of the whole restaurant. I was appalled by this. He clearly saw I was still writing the tip on my bill. Will not be coming back to this place. Never experienced something like that before. read more