What's Cooking This Friday? Vol 2 — A Thai Night at Le Siam, Naperville

Mrinalini Sen loves cooking and, though cliched, good food. She is totally fascinated by how different spices, veggies, and meat come together to form a great dish. Whether it's Thai, sushi, or sandesh, if it's good it finds a way onto her plate — though her favorite is still mutton biryani. She lives in Naperville with her husband and son. Let's get cooking!

This week's table: Le Siam, Naperville

My husband, AS, was craving Thai. He had a sore throat and wanted something warm and spicy, so we headed to Le Siam in Naperville on a friend's recommendation. The restaurant was spacious, with diners dotted across the tables; we picked a cozy corner and settled our sleepy son into a high chair.

First order, no contest: Tom Kha soup with chicken — hot, sour, coconut-rich, exactly what a sore throat asks for. Later we tried the crazy noodles our friend had raved about, and Massaman curry, which remains one of my favorite Thai dishes anywhere.

The soup was delicious and refreshing for both of us. The crazy noodles — flat rice noodles in a spicy sauce with chicken and vegetables — disappeared faster than the chopsticks could keep up.

Want to try Tom Kha at home?

The restaurant version spoils you, but a weeknight Tom Kha is very doable. Here's the column's own simple take:

Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup), serves 4

• 500 g chicken, thinly sliced
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut in chunks; 4–5 slices galangal; 4–5 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce), 1–2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp sugar
• Handful of fresh coriander, Thai chilies to taste

Simmer the coconut milk with lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves for a few minutes until fragrant. Add chicken and mushrooms; cook until the chicken is done. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar — it should taste sour first, salty second, with the coconut smoothing everything out. Fish out the lemongrass pieces (they're flavor only, not for eating), garnish with coriander, and serve hot.

From the archive: this piece was originally published February 25, 2012, and has been refreshed for clarity.