Siam Queen Thai Bistro began when one of the employees of Lotus Thai Bistro, a Thai restaurant that was a Carlsbad staple for over 17 years, purchased the restaurant from the former owner, who was retiring.

​Siam Queen is named after the unique Thai variant of standard Sweet Basil used in culinary dishes around the world

Thai basil (โหระพา) is a type of basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide distinctive traits. Widely used throughout Southeast Asia, its flavor, described as anise- and licorice-like and slightly spicy, is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil. Thai basil has small, narrow leaves, purple stems, and pink-purple flowers.

​Thai basil itself has multiple cultivars. One cultivar commonly grown in the United States is 'Siam Queen'. Thai basil may sometimes be called anise basil or licorice basil, in reference to its anise- and licorice-like scent and taste, but it is different from the Western strains bearing these same names.

At Siam Queen, we strive to provide authentic Thai cuisine, with a strong emphasis on offering our customers a variety of different flavors from both North and South Thailand.

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