Lotus of Siam

When you think of the best restaurant in Vegas, what image do you have?  Probably some high end French restaurant in the one the hotels on the Strip that serves a multi-course meal that spans 3 hours.  But what if I told you that it was a Thai restaurant in a dingy strip mall off the Strip?  You probably wouldn't believe it.  But, according to some people, it is.  Welcome to Lotus of Siam.

Being considered as the best restaurant in Vegas, there are a lot of people that dine here every day.  I came here during the peak dinner hours, where the wait was close to an hour.  It’s rightfully so, if the waiting area is filled with accolades and honorable mentions that the restaurant and chef Saipin Chutima have received over the years.  This includes 3 James Beard Awards and considerations as being the best Thai restaurant in the country and the best restaurant in Las Vegas.  How people were able to determine this, I have no idea.  And inside the dining room, the walls are filled with pictures of celebrities and local personalities who have dined here.

Personally, I interpret these accolades as so: it’s a restaurant worth trying when in the area.  Even though I haven't seen any celebrities, there are people who dress and act like celebrities when dining here.  A little obnoxious, but hey, food comes first in my world.

The menu here is expansive, like many Asian restaurants.  There are standard selections like pad Thai, curries, and noodles.  But what sets this restaurant apart from other Thai places is that it is one of the first to serve food from Northern Thailand.  But my family and I didn’t order any of those dishes that night.  Instead, we went with what our waiter recommended us.  These items, with the expection of the soup and dessert, are from the Chef’s Choice section of the menu. 

Seafood Tofu Soup

This is a very refreshing way to begin the meal, even though I prefer salad.  There is squid, scallops, imitation crab, fish, shrimp, tofu, and lettuce.  It's clean, clear, healthy, and soothing.  It's also perfect for the weather here this time of year.  It's around 50° right now, which is still a bit chilly, but not like the East Coast.

Despite the cool apparatus that the soup is served on, it can be difficult to ladle the soup out.  It would be better if a smaller ladle was used for this hot pot.  But then again, that’s why waiters exist.

Crispy Duck Penang

This is duck breast fried and served in Penang curry.  The curry itself contains coconut milk, dried and fresh Thai chilies, and basil.  It might seem like a spicy curry, but the coconut milk neutralizes the capsicum, the heat source in the chilies.  It's quite mild and creamy.  

Garlic Prawns

This is the dish that blew me away.  This is probably the best fried shrimp I've ever had.  The shrimp shell is removed, only leaving the tail intact.  It's then fried and sautéed with garlic and finished with black pepper.  It may be strange to you, but the shells are the best part.  It's like garlic and pepper chips.   The dish itself is worth every accolade and honor received by this restaurant.

Sea Bass with Drunken Noodles

Now, its time for the fish.  The bass is fried in a similar batter to the shrimp, without the garlic.  At first, I thought, $30 for sea bass? What a ripoff.  Well, after doing some research, it turns out the restaurant uses a specific type of sea bass commonly eaten in Thailand (ปลากะพง).  Commonly called Asian sea bass, it is known as barramundi in Australia.  It goes on top of flat noodles in a sauce made of Thai chilies and basil.   But being in a family that doesn’t eat spicy food, there were very little chilies in this version.  Yes, they can alter the spiciness in the dish to your liking.  It was still good nevertheless.  But, I don't like that.  Sometimes, you gotta have some pain in a moment of pleasure.  Talk about spicing it up...

Fried Banana Roll with Coconut Ice Cream

At first, I was expecting that it would be deep fried banana slices with ice cream. Well, it’s sort of like that, but with a twist.  The banana is wrapped in a spring roll.  So unique and delicious.  Warm caramelized banana in a crusty wrapping…enough said.  The ice cream is great as well.  I like to scoop some of it onto the roll. 

I don’t know if this is the best restaurant in Las Vegas.  All I can say is that it is a damn good one, and a great value especially compared to the splurges in the trendy, high-end hotspots on the Strip.  In reality, there is no such thing as the best restaurant anywhere.  And it certainly holds true for Vegas, where there are a lot of great restaurants.  Just know that sometimes, they can be in the places you may not expect. 

Endnote: If you are in or planning to be in Las Vegas and want to come here and not wait as long as I did, make reservations at least a couple days in advance.  The strip mall has a big parking lot, but it is a very ghetto area.  If you don’t feel comfortable in these sort of places, do what many people do and take a cab from your hotel and have them wait for you.   

Lotus of Siam
953 E Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89104