Every once in a while it’s nice to have a group or family dinner out. When that occurs, there is nothing better than one of the numerous varieties of Asian restaurants, since they are made to order for sharing many dishes. Tonight was such a night. Diho Siam is a small (maybe 18 tables total) Thai‐Chinese restaurant, with four locations in OC. We converged on them, and they were up to the task.

Soup is always a necessity at a Thai restaurant. We ordered the Tom Kha, a hot and sour coconut soup with chicken, brought to the table in a hot pot with the flame just peeking out of the chimney.

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It was rich and thick, and when I added some of the little green peppers off the condiment tray, had just the right amount of zing.


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The appetizer came with the soup. I had ordered Tofu Taud, something that I had never had before but it sounded like it was worth a try. What we got was a plate of tofu triangles, deep fried so they were nice and crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside. The contrast was amazing. They were not battered, but must have used a cornstarch dusting before they were fried to achieve that perfect exterior. The sauce they came with was a sweet and tangy one full of chunks of peanuts. Of all the dishes this day, this is definitely the one I would order all the time. Absolutely delicious!


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Next came a Thai specialty, Som Tum. It’s a salad made with green and orange papaya, lettuce and fresh green beans. Topping it was a spicy lime dressing. Not the best one I’ve ever had, but the green beans were a really nice touch.


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The main dishes started their parade to the table. First was a vegetarian dish, Mixed Vegetable Delight. All sorts of veggies, including my favorite snow peas, as well as tofu were stir‐fried in this dish.


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Chicken with Chilis and Thai Basil added a nice punch to the meal.


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Accompanying that was the Yellow Curry with Chicken. A good if somewhat standard dish, with potatoes and onions.


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More impressive was the Sweet and Sour Thai Style Shrimp. It had the right amount of spiciness and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. The pineapple added a nice touch, and the cucumbers, onion, tomato and bell pepper gave the proper veggie accompaniment to the dish.


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With seven hungry eaters, the dishes kept coming. Pad Thai is one of the definitive Thai dishes, and they had a good version at Diho Siam.


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Diho Siam has a Chinese menu also and you have the option of ordering from that too. One of our group is a big fan of Orange Peel Chicken, so that came also. It was nicely battered and certainly a decent version of the dish.


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We were getting close to the end. The last dish that was placed before us was Thai Chicken with Cashew Nuts. The onions and roasted chilis gave a pleasant heat to this dish. And there was always that condiment tray with four types of chilis to kick it up if you wanted to.


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No one had much room left by dessert time, but Diho Siam has a seasonal dish of Sticky Rice with Fresh Papaya and Cashews that we can’t pass up if it’s available. It was a perfect ending to the feast.

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I still make the occasional pilgrimage to Thai Nakorn in Stanton if I want a no‐holds‐barred authentic and incendiary Thai meal, but it’s certainly nice to have Diho Siam close by when the urge strikes and you want a pleasant, tasty Thai‐style dinner. Having the Chinese menu available also opens up a nice chance to try contrasting dishes of a variety you would not normally get. The waitstaff is always pleasant and the food a delight.

Diho Siam
27001 La Paz Road,
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 597–1550 ‎



 
Well here I go. I've been documenting my travels and adventures in food on other websites, but I thought I'd start putting them all in one place. Come on and join me on my adventures!
I even will throw in some of my cooking for those who like food porn. Maybe not recipes, but lots of good food and basic ideas of how to make it.