Husband, wife team grow Siam Marina
An interview with Julie Volkmann, communications, events and media coordinator.
Q: Tell us about Siam Marina.
A: The new Siam Marina of Tinley Park arises from the fertile ground tilled by 20+ successful years operating Siam Marina I and II in Calumet City. Long-standing and new customers of Siam Marina in Tinley will be treated to a dining experience that combines the best of its parents and its sister restaurant, Asparagus, opened in 2007 in Merrillville, Indiana.
Conceived, owned and operated by Executive Chef Tammy Pham and CEO Sam Chung, this couple's partnership at home and at work lies at the heart of the Siam Marina's well deserved reputation and its continued success.
Siam Marina's nouvelle cuisine features dishes of Thailand and Vietnam with French influences throughout. All are enhanced for an American palate by Pham's wizardry with sauces and seasonings. The restaurant is renowned for its bountiful boutique martini and cocktail menu, featuring numerous original creations, and for its extensive list of fine wines and imported beers.
Q: What does the name mean?
A: Siam Marina's name is a tip of the hat to the original menu which began by featuring Thai dishes. History buffs will recall that until the latter first half of the 1900s Thailand was referred to as Siam. The menu's extensive seafood offerings made the marina reference a natural choice. Hence, 'Siam Marina.'
Q: What does the venue have to offer when it comes to corporate meetings?
A: Siam has two sophisticated, elegantly appointed private rooms available for lunch parties and/or dinner programs seven days a week. In fair weather the patio is a nice space for hosting an opening cocktail reception. Rental charges for the private rooms are assessed on a case-by-case basis. The management team works with each event host to customize menus at many attractive price points as well as seating arrangements. The Lotus Room accommodates up to 40 people while the Music Room accommodates up to 35. Both rooms are equipped with ceiling-mounted HD projector, large screen and sound. The patio is open whenever weather permits and can accommodate up to 50.
Q: Describe the atmosphere.
A: Upon entering Siam Marina, guests encounter a contemporary, upscale urban vibe that rivals any fine dining establishment in trendy Chicago neighborhoods. Architect Randy Houts redesigned the entire 10-year old interior space to include high ceilings, compelling deep blue and dark gray walls which he leavened and warmed with accent colors of orange, yellow, turquoise & lime green, along with a blend of dark woods used in creating architectural features on the ceilings and elsewhere along with natural blond woods in the furnishings. The bartop in the lounge is alone worth a trip, made from a single, locally grown 100-year old cherry tree that fell because of lightning. The natural light by day, and light fixtures by night instill a welcoming warmth in the rooms. Interior designer Michael Smith created the signature display case, cork wall sculptures and many other finishing touches throughout the spaces.
Q: You have a sister location?
A: Opened in 2007, the creation of Asparagus was a natural extension of this family dining brand. Located on Broadway in Merillville, this structure was the first that the partner couple would own, after having rented the previous two restaurants. In this new house with its new visual brand featuring the creamy yellows and rich greens of Asparagus, the couple would now position themselves as a fine-dining establishments offering many of the same menu items, but augmented this time by a new array of Asian fusion, French inspired dishes, served in an elegant, French colonial inspired décor.
Q: What attracts corporate clients?
A: Corporate clients appreciate the unique menu with its many options and prices points, the smartly elegant yet welcoming environment and the high tech equipment available for their presentations.
Q: Tell us a little about owners Tammy & Sam.
A: Tammy Pham arrived from Vietnam by herself as a young girl in the 80s. She studied electrical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology while working every day to support herself at the Star of Siam restaurant in the River North district of Chicago.
Soon after receiving her engineering degree Tammy discovered she was too confined in the corporate world, though her brief stint there allowed her to meet her future husband, Sam Chung. Her creativity and passion insisted she find a more satisfying outlet and so she quickly earned enough money to purchase her first restaurant. That strip mall location was the original Siam Marina, where she devoted herself to perfecting her menu and formulating her dream of her second, larger venue, which materialized as the 170-seat Siam Marina II in River Oaks Mall. With Sam Chung as her husband and business partner the couple successfully operated this popular restaurant for almost 20 years before the mall's wrecking ball claimed the building in 2013. All along the way, Tammy's cuisine and martini bar received rave reviews on "Check Please" and "Chicago's Best."
Siam Marina Restaurant
Address: 16846 Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477
Phone: (708) 407-8825
Owners: Tammy Pham, Executive Chef and Sam Chung, CEO
Number of employees: 15
When business opened: 1994; opened Tinley Park site November 2014
Web address: siammarina.com