Ruby of Siam and Siam Rice reside on the same square block of Washington and Wells. Which establishment has better wonton soup? Guest lunch-er Emilie Jager and I attempt to pick the winner:
Siam Rice - Emilie claims I'm biased, which we can't entirely rule out; their wonton soup has been my favorite appetizer for years. The garlicy, clear broth is delicate, the napa cabbage is crunchy, and the cilantro is refreshing. Unfortunately, the wontons vary. Some days they're too chewy and won't come apart with a spoon after many tries. That creates a domino effect when the now mangled wonton tops float off and are too slippery to catch. On a good day, they're a great mix of doughy and light, and the salty chicken and shrimp filling is satisfying.
Ruby of Siam - This soup is a full meal, and at $4.79, the only dish in the joint that doesn't seem marked up for downtown. In addition to the chicken wontons there's a big spoonful of ground chicken on top. The broth is on the oily side and has a full, homemade chicken flavor (and as you can see, it not very clear). And it has lots of onion, delicious, delicious onions. I like the generous number of wontons, but there was something 'from the freezer' about them. Biting into it was a workout; they're just too chewy and the dough is too thick.
Siam Rice's soup is light appetizer, and Ruby of Siam's soup could be your whole lunch. They almost can't be compared.
I say Siam Rice wins- Emilie refuses to agree because she doesn't like cabbage.
PS Siam Rice wins the unofficial mango and sticky rice dessert contest.
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