Samila Thai Fusion Cuisine, running out of the Coffee Lab & Roasters kitchen on the weekends, offers tasty Thai bites this winter.
Owner Eric San Juan said he started serving food out of Coffee Lab, located at 910 Noyes St., last month. The menu is available on Fridays from 4-9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., with a 50% happy hour deal from 7-9 p.m.
But this is not the first time the Chicagoland area had the opportunity to taste the flavors of Samila Thai Fusion Cuisine. In Oct. 2024, San Juan and his husband Sing Pukitpipat opened its first location in the River West neighborhood of Chicago.
San Juan started operating his restaurant out of Coffee Lab in January. He said it was an adjustment at first to work in a smaller kitchen without his usual equipment, like a large wok. San Juan said he is excited to experiment at Coffee Lab with his weekly menu and seasonal items, including boba in the summer.
“We have so much more tricks up our sleeves that nobody has seen yet,” San Juan said.
San Juan said he started work as a cosmetologist before becoming a baker for Jennivee’s Bakery, while Pukitpipat said he used to work in another Thai restaurant and has been in kitchens all over Chicago’s food scene.
San Juan and Pukitpipat cited their desire to offer a fusion of Thai dishes and honor their home and family in Thailand as the inspiration for the restaurant’s weekly rotating menu.
“My mom used to have a Thai restaurant in Bangkok, so I want to honor her and her food,” Pukitpipat said. “I’ve adapted her recipes with an American twist, and all the authenticity is still there.”
***
Now, on to the menu. You can’t go wrong with the Panang Curry, a classic Thai dish. The menu lists chicken and shrimp as the two options for protein, but we substituted the meat for tofu. The coconut milk-based curry, packed with aromatic spices like chili, garlic, red onion and basil, came out piping hot and full of flavor. The dish also comes with a side of soft jasmine rice, the perfect accompaniment to the spicy curry.
If you’re unsure about what you’re craving, take the do-it-yourself route and order the make-your-own rice paper rolls. Each order comes with three rolls with your choice of protein, grains, pickle vegetables and a crispy topping. You can also make your rolls into a rice bowl.
We ordered a rice bowl with satay chicken, rice noodles, pickled daikon and carrot, roasted peanuts, fried garlic and crispy wonton. The satay chicken was tender and perfectly salted, while the pickled daikon and carrot added a hint of acidity. The peanuts and wontons brought a satisfying crunch. The bowl also came with a side of peanut sauce, which added a sweet, nutty taste that tied the flavors together.
Make sure to save room for dessert, because Samila Thai Fusion Cuisine offers an array of fruity desserts that are impossible to resist. We tried the ube coconut mousse cake. Ube is a sweet potato-like vegetable with hints of vanilla and almond. This dessert had layers of ube coconut cake and fluffy ube cream, of which we licked every last bit.
Another delectable dessert we tried was the mango coconut tres leches cake. Layered with a light mango cream, the tres leches was dense, moist and absolutely delightful. The mango paired perfectly with the sweetness of tres leches cake, as we savored each and every bite.
A visit to a Thai restaurant isn’t complete without Thai iced tea, so we tried the so-Thai iced tea Samila offers, and we were not disappointed. The drink has just the right balance of sweetness with a crisp tea taste. Each sip was refreshing and cool after the hot spicy flavors of the entrees.
Whether you’re in need of a study break pick-me-up or a taste of home cooking, Samila Thai Fusion Cuisine is sure to satisfy your craving.
Email: kunjalbastola2026@u.northwestern.edu
Email: rachelschlueter2026@u.northwestern.edu
Related Stories:
— Open Tab: Lao Tian Dumpling House brings authentic, bold flavors to Evanston’s Chinese takeout scene
— Open Tab: Backlot Coffee brightens up spring quarter with seasonal drinks, pastries
— Open Tab: DeSalvo’s Pizza puts creative spin on ’za by the slice
