CHESTER seems to be under a Siamese siege. In recent years several superior Thai restaurants have opened in the city but the latest - Siam in City Road - is the daddy of them all and has brought the teppan-yaki style of dining to the city.
The place is huge, occupying two floors of a former warehouse and is located above the venerable and long-established Old Harkers Arms, another venue well worth a visit.
Siam is spacious, the decor smart with plenty of elephants dotted around the place to give it some air of authenticity. A decision has to be made on arrival, though, whether to go Thai or experience the teppan-yaki floorshow.
We went Thai although we did stop to watch the performance later when a bemused group of four people looked on as knives chopped vegetables at the speed of light, meat cleavers were banged in sharp, staccato notes on the surface of the griddle and, at one point, the whole place looked as though it would go up in flames as the griddle was deliberately - and only momentarily - set alight.
That experience doesn't come especially cheap, though, with the five-course banquet costing £29.95 with a la carte main courses from £12.95 ranging to £26.95 for lobster tails.
Moving upstairs, we took time to consult what is a very extensive and well-planned menu.
All the usual Thai delicacies are there with some tempting, perhaps rather more unusual offerings: breaded crab claws, for instance, or Thai fisherman's hot and sour soup, spicy pomfrait, or roasted sea bass with brandy sauces.
Too much choice sent us scurrying to the set meals which take the panic out of ordering, give a good selection - our meal consisted of ten dishes - and are, generally, better value.
At first glance, the wine list quite frightened us with just five selections all averaging around £40 a bottle. Read further and all is revealed: it's the special selection of the restaurant's "Connoisseur Club", available in limited quantities.
The rest of the list reveals a good selection dominated by French and South American offerings. Prices seem reasonable, bottles costing from £11.90 or so to around £30. The house champagne is a well-priced £24.50, though a 1996 Cuvee Dom Perignon would set you back £125. Soft drinks are a little pricey: £3 for a litre of sparkling water feels a little excessive.
