🥭 Madtown Eats | Thai Food Review — Monsoon Siam

I’ve been to both Monsoon Siam and Thai Basil three or four times each, so I’m ready to share a detailed comparison! Overall, I’d say Thai Basil is more bold and intense in flavor (which I personally love 😍), and it tastes closer to the Thai food I’ve had back in China (like Mini Coconut style). Monsoon Siam, on the other hand, has a slightly milder and lighter touch. They also offer some unique dishes that Thai Basil doesn’t have! — 🌟 Must-Try at Monsoon Siam: 🔸 Grilled Fish with Lime Sauce Their grilled fish is absolutely iconic—and a whole fish for just $20? Pretty good value for the US! 🐟✨ If you can’t find it on the menu, just point to the “Fried Fish” sign on the wall. 🔹 Duck in Coconut Curry The curry isn’t overly rich—it’s creamy with a gentle coconut flavor. Highly recommend! 🔸 Chicken in Coconut Curry Okay, the star here was actually the side of roti bread… SO fragrant and delicious I could cry! 😭🍛 The curry itself is also lovely and coconutty. 🔹 Mango Sticky Rice If only we could combine Thai Basil’s fresh mango with Monsoon Siam’s fragrant sticky rice… that’d be perfect! Here, the rice is great but the mango is just okay. 🔸 Beef Curry/Soup (not 100% sure which 😅) It was really tasty! I didn’t eat much since my friend ordered it, but worth trying. 🔹 Tom Yum Soup Huge portion! If you add noodles, it can easily feed two. 🍲🦐 The flavor is lighter than what you might be used to— aromatic and seafood-forward, but not as intensely sour-spicy as the Chinese-style version. (P.S. Thai Basil’s tom yum is stronger—I prefer that one!) — Also heard their Pad Thai is great, and the pineapple fried rice (served in a real pineapple!) looks amazing—haven’t tried it yet though! — 💰 Price: Around $25–30 per person 📍 Monsoon Siam #100RestaurantsChallenge #MadtownEats #UWMadison #UniversityOfWisconsin #MadisonFood #StudyInUSA #ThaiFoodLover #FoodReview 🍍🔥