Let’s cover Siam Orchid first. It’s quite lovely, actually, with white linen tablecloths and nice china. We went thinking we’d have a typical inexpensive Asian meal. Inexpensive it is not. We shared two appetizers and an entree and the bill came to $55 (with tip). They had no liquor license yet so all we drank was water. The food (all organic) was okay but not special. The tofu entree was uninteresting, being mostly tofu with little relief in the form of vegetables. The glass walls remain so there is no cosy atmosphere. Service was friendly, albeit simple. Perhaps others will really like the food and the atmosphere and thus be willing to pay the high prices. Not me. Do I wish them well? Yes I do. I think they’re focusing on quality ingredients, and I don’t argue with that (just the preparation of them).

Madame Tam was rather the opposite: fun atmosphere (open to the street and next to the bustling SliderBar Cafe and Pasta?) and a liquor license but downright negative in the food department. As I mentioned when I noted its opening, Madame Tam’s wine list sucks so we had beer, including a nice Alaskan Amber. But the food is a poor imitation of Three Seasons and Tamarine. We tried the green papaya salad and the shaking beef, staples at the other two restaurants. The salad was not only not up to the intriguing flavor of Tamarine but actually tasted unpleasant. The shaking beef, which even Three Seasons does a respectable job at, was little more than some beef chunks stir fried with some onion chunks. The dish was limp in all respects. The vegetarian spring rolls tasted okay, if overly fried and greasy. If I ever go again (and believe me, it won’t be by my choice) I will try a curry. That’s got to be hard to butcher. Maybe they should try to do one cuisine well.