The Food Whisperer: Lining up to try something new, residents welcome Siam Pepper

Harvard’s first Thai restaurant, Siam Pepper, opened on Oct. 27, and since then has been the scene of a steady flow of curious and hungry customers. Locals looking to eat this popular Southeast Asian cuisine now have a neighborhood option.

Located in the Appleworks building on Ayer Road, the small restaurant is furnished with elephant-themed wall hangings and color posters of Thailand, as well as some more eclectic touches, such as a framed portrait of George Washington. The yellow walls are reminiscent of the butternut squash curry, one of the restaurant’s popular dishes. Eight tables offer seating for up to 20 customers, with a few chairs lined up near the register for those waiting for takeout orders.

Sipping and waiting

During last Saturday’s lunch, Vee Napapornpipat, one of the owners, greeted patrons from behind the counter and took their orders. As they waited, customers chatted and sipped small bowls of steaming S.O.S. soup, a ramen noodle soup made with chicken and vegetables. The free samples were gratefully received on the chilly afternoon, with one customer calling the soup “absolutely delicious.” The mood among those waiting was friendly, like that of a group discovering something together. People asked one another what they’d ordered and which dishes they’d already tried. One customer was overheard confiding to another, “I’ve already been here twice.”

Married to one of the two chefs, Vee is one of the restaurant’s three partner-owners. She shares this owner partnership with her husband, Charlie Napapornpipat, who is the former chef of Acton’s Benjarong Restaurant, and her uncle Itipon Pathumwan, the former chef-owner of Thai Chili in Maynard. Together, the chefs have more than 24 years of cooking experience. Vee describes their partnership as “like one family.”

Those many years of cooking experience are evident in the food. The ingredients tasted fresh, not greasy or overcooked. The Thai roll appetizers were served crispy and hot, with a homemade dipping sauce that was more sweet than sour. Marinated sticks of chicken satay came with a smooth peanut sauce that had a rich nutty taste. The warm scallion pancake was served with a sweet brown dipping sauce, though the menu indicated it would be served with green curry. The coconut soup broth had a creamy texture and a slow heat that built pleasantly in the back of the throat, as well as generous chicken slices floating in the broth, so large they were slightly unwieldy.

Seven types of curry

The restaurant makes seven types of curries, including mango, butternut squash, massaman, and panang, as well as the more common yellow, red, and green versions. The butternut squash curry with shrimp contained large slices of fresh vegetables, some much too big for a mouthful, in a creamy coconut milk sauce with a little kick of heat. The shrimp were well cleaned and perfectly cooked. The pad thai tasted like comfort food, the thin rice noodles glistening with a sweet and slightly citrusy sauce, and topped with the traditional ground peanuts, egg, bean sprouts, and slices of sharp-tasting scallion, tangy against the sweetness of the sauce. Pineapple fried rice with vegetables had a curried taste and color. The onion slices, which could have been cooked longer, tasted overpowering, but the crisp broccoli and carrots pleasantly blended with the sweetness of the pineapple and the savory curry.

The chicken krapow contained sliced instead of minced chicken breast, with basil and bell peppers. The garlic chili sauce was hot but not overpowering. Those customers looking for a really spicy dish may want to ask for extra heat in this one. The ginger fish was the only disappointment. The white fish was steamed but also coated in a thin batter, which became unfortunately soggy.

Lunch- and dinner-size servings

Siam Pepper offers lunch and dinner servings of each dish, and customers can choose among tofu or vegetable, chicken or pork, beef or shrimp, scallop, seafood, or duck. Lunch prices run from $8.95 to $12.95, and dinner prices range from $9.95 to $16.95. The restaurant does not use MSG in its cooking and states it can accommodate gluten-free requests if asked. Customers can request how spicy they’d like each dish. A few diners thought the sauces were quite sweet and needed a bit more heat to balance them out. Vee reports that curries are especially popular in Harvard, as are noodle dishes, particularly the drunken noodles. The restaurant regularly posts recommended dishes and specials on its Facebook page.

The restaurant’s opening has not been without bumps. Originally planned for September, the opening was delayed until the end of October for the proper installation of a grease trap. The owners have applied for a beer and wine license, which was approved at a recent meeting of the Board of Selectmen but hasn’t yet been received. Siam Pepper expects to have the license in hand sometime in the next month and will start serving beer and wine then.

A hectic opening

With so many customers eager to try the new restaurant’s fare, Siam Pepper had a hectic opening week, with the busiest hours starting about 5 p.m. and continuing until past 7 p.m. Customers who called during these peak times experienced waits of 80 minutes or more for their takeout orders, though those dining in had to exercise less patience. Some customers who faced long waits in the first few days of business were offered free food and drinks. When a dish was left out of a takeout order, the family’s inconvenience was compensated by complimentary fresh rolls.

Some of the restaurant signage indicates last-minute changes. The menus and poster on the door have been hand-lettered to show the restaurant is open for Sunday dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. The front door shows the restaurant opens a half hour earlier than the hours published on Facebook and the menu. The restaurant actually opens at 11:30 a.m., a detail that could affect anyone looking to stop in on a lunch break.

Located at 325 Ayer Road, the restaurant offers both lunch and dinner six days a week, as well evening hours on Sundays. If you call for takeout, be sure you leave plenty of time for your order.