Star of Siam — Restaurant in Chicago

I don’t do many reviews, especially posting a negative one, but this place was jaw dropping (and not in a good way.) It was our first time here and our server was fast at serving us but was rude in some instances. I do not tolerate when my parents feel even a sliver of disrespect, attitude, or talking back. There was a moment where we questioned sanitation of the restaurant due to an event that occurred. The atmosphere was fine but it just didn’t feel 100% to us. The most important part is the fact that our meal costed $100+ when majority of our food was unsatisfactory. I do however recommend the shumai which was delicious but unfortunately it all went downhill from there. The salmon was overcooked and the vegetables seemed like they were from frozen packaging. The beef with broccoli appeared to be dumped onto the plate, the beef was chewy, and the sauce was very watery as well. Last and yes the least, was the Pad Thai. I have never been more disappointed by a dish in my life. As dramatic as that seems this Pad Thai had overcooked noodles that were not soft and savory. The noodles were chopped up and not long and stringy like past Pad Thais i’ve enjoyed, and the proportion of peanuts was very unbalanced as well as everything else. The whole dish as a whole tasted edible but is the bare minimum for a restaurant. The chicken was rubbery and I soon felt uneasy after eating. I was very shocked by the size of the food, it got me thinking it would be delicious at first and that I can have more later, but I was sadly wrong. Shortly after eating the Pad Thai my stomach went in knots and I felt very uneasy. I have never wanted to leave a restaurant as quickly as possible. Please do your research before assuming this place is worth the money and your...

I've been a loyal customer at this Thai restaurant, but my recent visit was marred by a troubling incident. For the first time, I noticed a gratuity charge added to our bill for just two diners. This was surprising and felt unfair, but what unfolded next was even more concerning. When I questioned the charge, the staff's response was rude and dismissive, with a language barrier adding to the frustration.

It became apparent that this gratuity charge was selectively applied, as it was not added to the bills of white customers. This discriminatory practice is deeply concerning. Furthermore, the restaurant used a signage tactic, displaying a notice about a mandatory 15% tip only when confronted by non-white customers, which they quickly removed afterwards. I managed to take a photo of this sign as evidence.

The manager's explanation, citing the inadequacy of tips from customers, did little to justify their approach. Imposing mandatory tips, especially in a discriminatory manner, is not only unethical but also undermines the essence of voluntary gratuity. I insisted on removing the gratuity from our bill and left a tip on my own terms to stand by my principles.

This experience has left a sour taste and raised serious concerns about the restaurant's practices. I am now reevaluating my patronage and hope the management reconsiders its policies and treats all customers fairly and...

• DISCLAIMER - entertaining review *

To all the people looking to enjoy something with their hard earned money.. do yourself a favour and stay away from this place!

The food was average (and I’m being generous) but the service is absolutely outrageous. The waiter simply dropped off the food and filled up our glass of water one time. Simply for this, they decided to apply a 20% tip for themselves without asking us. Their menu made no mention of this for a party our size. When I confronted them and said I’d like to decide the tip myself, I was pressured to tip them however much they originally asked for.

Eventually even though I did give them a tip (albeit less than what they asked), they said that I should order take-out in the future if I don’t want to tip the staff. Started mocking me too when I said I’m sorry they felt that way.

My advice: spend your time and money somewhere you’ll enjoy more. There’s tons of other restaurants that appreciate their customers more than this place.

Update: Called the restaurant about a missing bag. They recognized me as the “man that didn’t give them a tip” and said I should seek mental help for calling them after leaving the restaurant. This was the last place I had my bag and I have pictures to prove it. Yet the restaurant claimed that they didn’t have the bag as soon as they recognized me over the phone. Do with this information...