Singha

This place is terrible! The shrimp tasted precooked and just tossed with my noodles and there was no flavor to the dish.
Shockingly bad

Very good, very fast, very affordable for River North. The average menu entrée costs $ 8.50 and arrives at your table in 10 minutes at lunch when it is crowded. The employees are polite people, and they offer to-​go pickup service. The portions are good sized, and they will adjust the spice level to your request. Have brought many first-​time patrons here who all enjoyed it.

CLOSED
Because of the proximity to my office, I ate here many times and always enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it recently closed due to losing it’s lease in the location. This is such a shame.
Fortunately, it seems that Star of Siam has the same owner
Unfortunately, it is a much farther walk, so I probably won’t hit that place up as often.
Singha — I’ll miss you!

I suspect this place belongs to the same owner as Star of Siam and Dao Thai because the menu here is exactly the same as the other two places. Not a bad thing since I like Star of Siam (haven’t tried Dao Thai though).
Singha is always less crowded during dinner than Star of Siam because of it’s location. Singha is closer to the financial district and Star of Siam has more foot traffic at any day of the week being closer to the shopping/​tourist area.
Absolutely love the Lad Nar. The wide rice noodles that come with it is smooth and fresh. And it comes with Chinese broccoli (which is a leafy vegetable compared to the American broccoli). The Nam Tok (beef salad) is also lovely with the right amount of lime juice and chilli spice. One time when I had the tom yam soup, there were lots of sliced red onions in it. It never used to be loaded with onions during the other times I had it. Maybe the kitchen had loads of red onions that they were trying to use up that night?
And, just like other Thai restaurants, they will refill your glass of water every 5 mins without giving it a chance to be half full.

Great little gem of a thai restaurant. Service was great even on a Saturday evening and genuinely felt warm and inviting! Now that’s amazing!
It’s not the best that I’ve ever had but for the price and service. You can’t beat it.

I would definitely recommend Singha. The prices are low, the food is good, and I’ve had no problems with the service.
More details:
I’ve come here three times so far, and never had something I didn’t like (though I’m probably going to avoid the pad thai, judging by other reviews). The service has always been fine, and our waterglasses are filled before they’re even empty. The prices are low, which is a pleasant surprise in the city. The seating can be awkward at times, but there are normal tables and chairs if you prefer.

Not a fan. Food was bland. I ordered Pad Prik with tofu, and some of the tofu was cold, making me think they throw things together real fast. That being said, everything was fast so if you are a busy lunch person that will work out. Prices were fairly cheap for the loop, so if you don’t have much time or money this may be your place, but I’d rather find somewhere else.

The décor and atmosphere are lovely and cute (even though it’s awkward climbing in and out of the ditch-​like seats). Also, prices are very reasonable.
…That’s it for the pros. I was here on a business lunch (and so was everyone else at the time, from the looks of it). And boy am I glad I didn’t pay, because this was the second-​worst attempt at pad thai I have ever tasted! Just a small clump of orangey noodles with NOTHING else. Maybe some traces of egg? Maybe? It looked like nothing and tasted like it looked. I am not a picky eater, and I couldn’t even finish it. My companions’ food looked just as bland, but of course we were all too embarrassed to say anything.
For comparison’s sake, the *worst* attempt at pad thai I’ve experienced was an assembly-​line concoction in my college dining hall. Take that as you will.

Best crab rangoon Husband and I have ever had, no contest.
Really enjoyed the atmosphere of Singha; there were people in all levels of dressy AND casual, so we didn’t feel out of place in t-​shirts and walking shoes.
Bonus: the entire menu, with prices, is online. So we knew before going that our meal would be less than $ 30 after tip.
We were given water immediately upon seating, and refills throughout the meal — a huge plus since last night at Lou Malnati’s our water glasses were pretty much ignored.
We don’t usually order appetizers, but we were pretty hungry and Husband hasn’t had crab rangoon in forever, so we did that. We were SO not disappointed. SIX pieces for around $ 5, and they weren’t that sad, little-​bit-​o-​dry-​filling-​inside-​an-​overly-​crispy-​wrapper rangoon that you so often get. The filling was smooth, creamy, and completely FILLED the wrapper. It was served with a sweet/​hot dipping sauce that complemented the appetizer perfectly.
Have I rambled about the crab rangoon enough? Seriously, go just for that.
And then have some Thai food. Husband had the lard nar, which was a nice fresh green color with sauce reminiscent of that which comes on beef with broccoli — except, with shrimp. Very nice. I, true to form, ordered pad see eiw. Larger beef: bok choy ratio than I’ve ever had in pad see eiw, which was actually a bit disappointing — I love me some bok choy. But the fresh noodles were delicious, and the beef perfectly seasoned and cooked, so I can’t complain too much.
We also ordered one SMALL white rice to share, and it was plenty for the two of us. It’s jasmine instead of plain white, which is a nice touch.
Portion sizes? I took most of my entrée home and am picking at it now.
Knocked a star off for the slow service at the end of our meal. Took a while to get our take-​home box and check, but other than that, a great experience.

I had to walk to the bank on lunch, so a friend and I decided to try something new and out of our usual .5(ish) mile radius for lunch. I’m glad we did!
Singha has very friendly servers, very cool seats (it looks like you will be sitting on cushions on the floor, but actually there is an opening under the tables for your legs (yeah– that’s kind of a crappy description). Super comfortable! Based on other reviews here, it looks like not everyone is a fan of that style seating (I saw a business man practially roll his entire body to sit down which was pretty awesome), but traditional tables are available as well. Mr. White Collar Business man can take a boring table next time.
We got egg rolls to start, which were more Chinese style (I way prefer the Thai ones with thin rice paper) but they were still good. She loved the Pad Woon Sen she got and I really liked the tofu Pad See Ew. They totally accommodate vegetarians, which is a huge bonus for me! No fish sauce? No problem! My dish was a tiny bit sweeter than I’m used to, but i think it was all the delicious garlic. Yum!
I would have given this place 5 stars except it took us a really long time to get the check and pay (which sucks when you’re on lunch). Other than the slowness at the end, I was thoroughly impressed and will definitely be back!

I was able to get a dinner reservation at Singha for 15 people after my first choice was unable to accommodate us. Loved that their website says, «For our vegetarian customers, most items can be cooked without meat.» Sold.
The dining room is pretty spacious, so when we arrived & a few of our party weren’t there yet, they had no problem allowing us to be seated at our table while we waited. Smart move on their part because we were able to get the drinks flowing & then kept them coming throughout our meal! The Mai Tai was strong & not too sweet.
I had the Fried Tofu to start with. Not my favorite, but I often find this is the only vegan appetizer offered at many Thai restaurants. (They have Spring Rolls, but I didn’t ask if they could make them without the egg.) The Fried Tofu was very dry & tough to chew. Skip the Cucumber Salad as well. It tasted nothing like what I’m used to. The Pad Khee Mao noodles with tofu was very good– spicy, with lots of basil & generous with the tofu. The Panang Curry, however, was way too thick & peanut buttery. It needed more spices & coconut milk to thin it out.
Half of our entrées came out super fast, too soon actually. No one had time to finish their appetizers. The other half of the entrées came a little while after, which is understandable. They probably have a smaller kitchen. Only one person had a problem with their food. She asked for NO hot peppers & got extra ones! They remade her dish, but it didn’t arrive until the rest of us were nearly finished eating.
We told them when we first arrived that we were splitting the check amongst the four families. Our server seemed a bit annoyed at first, but she was very organized, & all of our tabs were correct. Throughout the meal, the service was prompt, but she seemed very flustered at times.
We had two small children who were asking for cherries to put in their waters like the adults had in their cocktails. When I asked her for them, she said, «If I remember.» She didn’t, & I had to go up to the bar later to get the cherries for them. No big deal, but you get the idea.
I would like to go back with a smaller party & sit at one of the tables with the floor seating. Overall, we had a great time & left with happy tummies. Beautiful location right near the River. Can’t beat their prices for downtown dining!

UPDATE: Sadly, Singha is closing as of August 31^st. First Vong’s and now Singha. Thai food options are really dwindling around these parts. I’m pretty bummed! I love their Pad Si Eew!
Singha’s four star rating is relative to its location. It is a great place for cheap, vegetarian-​friendly, fast, tasty lunch with a nice atmosphere to boot. Plus, I’ve always found the service to be excellent. Is the food excellent? No. There aren’t a lot of reasonably priced asian restaurants in the area that have pretty tasty food and that is the main reason I keep going back.
Warning: it is definitely the type of place where you’ll want to try everything on the menu that looks interesting to you so you can find your favorites because they aren’t all going to be good. For example, I had the Pad Thai and I thought it was really bland and would never get it again. Ditto for the sweet and sour veggies with Tofu. However, those were the only dishes out of 6 that I’ve had so far where I wouldn’t come back for more. I would especially recommend the Pad See Ewe, Crazy noodles and the green curry.

I’d typically give this sort of restaurant 3 stars, but I’m bumping it up to 4 because of the stellar service provided by the owner! Our organization worked with him in hosting our annual membership dinner and even invited us for a complimentary tasting for our planning committee beforehand! I stopped by a second time to finalize details before the event and was treated to dinner again! Of course, we tipped VERY well and it was well deserved because all the servers are speedy and super friendly!
The food is by no means the best Thai food, but it satisfies and the appetizers are great! I would recommend my favorite: goong hor, but the chicken satay is a good choice as well! Definitely try the Nam Tok as it comes with plenty of beef, but beware that it has a kick to it! So don’t try it if you can’t handle a bit of spiciness. Moving on to entrees… pad thai has always been a favorite of mine, but Singha’s tends to be mediocre at best. My favorite curry is usually panang, but theirs was too thick and full of peanut butter. Steer away from those two selections and you should be good to go!
Oh, and a good compliment to your meal is Singha beer. No, I’m not telling you to try it because it shares the same name as the restaurant. It really is that good!
Décor! How could I forget about it?! I love the bold, rich colors of the Thai culture and how you can be seated on cushions in the middle of the restaurant. It’s definitely a fun atmosphere and you won’t be disappointed!

Stopped in for dinner with a couple friends about a week ago. I had never been before, so I kept it pretty simple and just ordered the Pad Thai with tofu. The portion size was generous, but I wasn’t blown away by my meal. (I would agree with other Unilocalers comments on it being a bit on the sweeter side.) Note: We started with the veggie egg rolls as an appetizer and they were good… I could have made a meal out of those.
The décor and atmosphere were enjoyable (dimly lit, traditional seating, etc.)… even if the music selection they had playing didn’t quote coincide with all of that. The wait staff was very friendly and quick.
I’d go back if I was over that way.

Food: I ordered the beef salad. Tons of beef, I was quite surprised; especially at $ 6.50. The salad was a bit too salty, they put too much soy sauce on it. And it was ladened with lots of cilantro; which I personally like. My friends ordered Pad Thai. Not a fan. Noodles were a bit soggy, not quite al dente. And the flavor seemed a bit too American. Too sweet and not tangy enough to get the tamarind flavor of the sauce.
Service: Top notch, Jimmy John’s fast. I was mid sentence when they came back; they startled the bajonkerz out of me. Great for power lunches. Water was refilled like clockwork. And our check was given to us fast. This place was almost «fast-​food» fast.
Ambience: Spacious; gitchy seating. They have the hole in the ground style of table that they have at some Asian restaurants.
Pros: Cheap, fast, comfortable, great service
Cons: Food is not stellar by any means.

It was just ok. Star of Siam is a lot better.
Ok. I’ll write more. Their crab rangoon is terribly disappointing. It is more like fried dough with a cream cheese filling. This would be ok if you’re one of those people who wears winter pants year round, but no thanks for me.
I ordered the tofu pad thai, because its my favorite. The order was large enough to feed four people. However, I think the noodles were overcooked and I really wish they included bean sprouts in the dish.

Note to self: Do NOT wear a dress if coming here.
You know why? You basically have to gracefully shimmy out of the seats if you do. Or swing your legs over the seats and pray no one is looking. Or crawl out of the seats. That’s what I noticed men doing.
Pad thai and shrimp rolls were my favorites. Followed by Chinese broccoli with tofu, chicken satay and beef salad. We also had some curry, but I was too stuffed to attempt to eat alot of it.
Great service and cozy, warm environment. It’d be a perfect date place or night out with a big group of friends.
Parking is apparently available in the structure next door — and my friends only paid $ 8 on a Saturday night!

This is a great lunch spot! The food is decent, and pretty cheap. I’m most impressed by the service. The service is always great. The food comes out quickly, and there are servers everywhere. So it only takes a few seconds until I can get a spoon or chopsticks. Water is refilled constantly. It’s easy to have an enjoyable meal in your lunch hour here!
Oh, and I really like those tables! I think that’s so cool.

This is right across from where I work and I’ve had lunch here numerous times.
They are also great for take-​out if you’re in a hurry and need to eat at your desk. They pack everything neatly, include all the sauces, a plate, cutlery, napkins, and all the taste! It’s still hot when you open it too!
Recommendations For Vegetarians: Spring Roll for sure! And Pad Thai (request vegetarian with tofu)

Nice solid choice for lunch if you want something a tad healthier than McD’s and don’t want to pay a lot. Standard Thai choices, deliciously prepared and served hot and fast.
Pad Thai was very good. I like the shaved carrots. Could have gone a touch easier on the green onion, but still quite good. Fills up fast for lunch, but service is good. Soups are a good bargain. They are hot, fresh, and huge.