Las Vegas: Lotus of Siam

In the world of food forums and food blogging, you know something or somewhere has pretty much "made it" when it becomes a generally accepted abbreviation. Case in point; Din Tai Fung, is now called....."DTF", and they are well known for their "XLB"...Xiao Long Bao, a double whammy in this case. Back in 2005, Dylan, the mind behind the magic of Eat, Drink, & Be Merry, did a joint post on Niu Rou Mian, which we simply started calling "NRM". Now I'm not going to make any Al Gore-ish claims to have invented anything (it was all Dylan, he-he-he), but I see "NRM" abbreviations everywhere. And so we get to "LOS"........ an abbreviation you'llsee everywhere this restaurant is mentioned.LOS = Lotus of Siam is a "GAA" (generally accepted abbreviation). In many ways for me, Lotus of Siam represents the best of what Chowhound was. In fact, I've bookmarked the very first time I read about LOS, in this post from 2000, by Dave Feldman. Over the years, LOS became an interesting case study for me. I believe it was with LOS that I first really noticed "the contrarian", you know them...he in the name of "honesty and truthfulness" who goes to a restaurant that folks love, who orders to the exact weakness of a restaurant, who desires to "balance the scales" and cut through the hype. He who in the end creates his own negative hyperbole, by exaggerating every possible negative thing they can think of about a restaurant. Of course, it didn't help that Jonathan Gold declared Lotus of Siam the "single best Thai restaurant in North America." That's some major real estate........even after our first visit in 2001, where I really enjoyed the food, but still wasn't really sure about the "the best" title. In fact, if you'd like to go back in time, you can check out this post from CH in 2001.

Over the years, I'd been to LOS 4 times. You can find a photo from a visit in 2002 in this post. And I've got to say, even though we encounter 1 sort of clunker of a dish during every visit. LOS is still the, or among the, best Thai Restaurants I've ever been to. But this visit was different, I hadn't been to LOS in five years, the Missus six. During that period of time, we've gone through a heck of a lot of Thai Food...here...and in Thailand. And time has a way of working on you (thank goodness for the food blog), even with such revered bloggers such as Elmo to keep you up to date. But still you tend to wonder........was LOS still that good?  Upon our arrival, LOS still looked as it did the first time we visited.......looking just like another restaurant awash in the sea of strip malls in a sort of seedy part of Sahara Avenue.

 

There were two major changes on our arrival, the crowd of people waiting to get in, and all of the awards, clippings, and magazine covers that now cover almost the entire wall at the entrance of the restaurant. Still, the rest of the restaurant seemed the same...from the stained acoustic tiles on the ceiling, to the tacky lattice work.

We found the familiar surroundings comforting...we even laughed as we ticked off and identified the different tables we've had over the years.

Since I had forgotten our ice chest, the strategy for the evening was to minimize left-overs.....bummer. We also decided to order from three different regions.

We started with the Crispy Duck with Chili Mint Leaves ($19.95):

 

Crisp duck, mildy sweet, with just the hint of five-spice. Topped with fried Thai Basil leaves, just like Bangkok.

 

This was a good dish....good crisp skin, not greasy in the least bit. As with many of this type of Thai dishes, the flavors were very familiar.

We also ordered the Issan Sausage ($9.95):

 

I did mentioned that with every meal there was a "clunker" right? Well this was it. We loved many of the sausages we ate in Thailand, and none of them tasted like this. I love the sour-fermented flavor of Thai Sausages....but these tasted rancid....it was also dry. Not good eats.....

We had considered getting a nice Northern Larb, but in the end decided on the Koi Soi (Spicy Raw Beef Salad - $13.95). LOS was the first place I ever had Koi Soi, and I remember enjoying it, so I was curious to see if my opinion would still hold true. Let me just say that it was even better than I remembered:

 

First off, the meat used was tenderloin....fresh and tender, and sliced into small cubes like tartar, the beef was of excellent quality. Second, the roasted rice powder, was just that, a very fine powder, that still added texture, but without the the intrusive tooth cracking that the occasional large piece of coarsely ground rice powder would add. Third was balance, the salty-sour-spicy balance was perfect, as were the fine chiffonade of kaffir lime leaf, cilantro, and other herbs, creating a harmonious dish. Ummm, harmonious, in a spicy sort of way.......

 

I love the Koi Soi at Sab E Lee, but this was in another league...much more refined, much more balanced. It was by far, my favorite dish of the short trip.

Having really enjoyed the various "dips" in Chiang Mai, we went for the Nam Prik Hed (Spicy Mushroom Dip - $9.95):

   

The earthy tones of the mushrooms, combined with the sharp flavors of the herbs, and the even sharper heat, along with blanched veggies made this a wonderful dish. It was also the spiciest.....just as spicy as the Nam Prik we had in Chiang Mai. We were instantly transported to a restaurant called Huen Phen in Chiang Mai. The flavors were right on.....as was the heat!

 

The long beans were especially good, young and sweet.

We had 1 order of sticky rice for our Koi Soi and Nam Prik, which was cooked to perfection. And I mean perfect. And 1 order of steamed rice for the crispy duck.

In this rare case, I'd say that our meal had exceeded our expectations....it was better than I recalled. We drew a few stares from the tables around us. Most of those folks ordered stuff like Wor Won Ton Mein, Tempura(???), Tom Yum, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (contrarians perhaps?). Best Thai Restaurant in North America? I don't think I'll ever be able to answer that. Great Thai food that's worth the trip to Vegas? You bet.....

Some Notes: Times have changed since we first started going to LOS, make reservations. And do yourself a favor, unless you want to be a "contrarian", don't do the buffet, and give something different a shot. Bill Chutima is a well known wine enthusiast, so you might enjoy the wine list.

Lotus of Siam
953 E. Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702)735-3033

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Comments

[sawyer]

thanks for the correction. i tried looking for that word too: izakaya...but now i know!

that mushroom dip looks really interesting...what kind of herbs/flavors did they use to make it? i'm going to have to start looking for some good thai places now around the area or further out...this is a place that i would def. like to try the next time i go out to vegas

[Christine D.]

*checking out their menu*
I better get serious about trying LOS. I've heard about it so many damn times...might as well go next time I'm in Vegas!

[Masa Assassin]

Great write-up Kirk! I hit LOS everytime in Vegas (I pass on the Mex in Nevada :P). Next time I will order the Koi Soi based on your great description and picture.

My only gripe at LOS is when I ordered my Som Tum they asked me what level, I told them "10 take me to Thailand" and the waiter didn't want to do it. Finally they served me but I think they toned it down. I didn't care for the Issan Sausage either.

Question...When can we start calling Sab E Lee SEL?

[clayfu]

You can call Sab E Lee SEL when it gets to the quality of LOS. =P

[kat]

eww rancid tasting sausage...not good. glad the rest of the meal was delicious.

[Kirk]

Hi Sawyer - As a whole, most types of Northern Thai/Lao(jeows) have garlic and chilies as the backbone for flavor. I sensed a great deal of galangal...though couldn't find any pieces which heightened the heat.

Hi Christine - I hope you get the chance to check them out.....right after that gondola ride! ;o)

Hi MA - Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Do try the Koi Soi....even though we ordered everything "Thai Spicy" it all tasted (except for the Nam Prik) fairly mellow. Clayfu has a point....we can start calling it "SEL" when it starts getting written about on the National level.

Hi clayfu - LOL!

Hi Kat - Yes, everything else made that Issan Sausage fade into the background.

[dave]

i like the XLB abbreviation, if only for the fact that i don't know how to actually pronounce the words!

as for chowhound, what about it do you miss? i have always found it to be a site with a horrible interface, poor search capabilities, and full of those types of people who call themselves 'foodies'. perhaps there was some glory days i missed.

[Kirk]

Hi Dave - At it's best, CH was chock full of information about restaurants. I've had many great leads based on what was written on CH. Beyond all the technical issues, and before it became corporate, with sometimes rather arbitrary moderation, it was a great source of information. in the end, I'm looking for the meat, not the wrapper. LOS is a great example of this....before all of the Restaurant Death Watches, and San Diego Restaurants are terrible posts..... Did you know that Jonathan Gold was a frequent poster on CH? There are wonderful and slick sites with fantastic search capabilities, but very limited content...

[elmomonster]

Lovely post as always. I've never tried those dishes (except for the sausage). God bless my friends, but they seem to want to steer away from the exotics that I would normally order in a heartbeat. I need to go out and try them with someone like you or the Missus!

[ed (from Yuma)]

Great write up. Good to know LOS is still on its game. I need a trip to Vegas.

I do recommend the wines, but I find that I've done better when I let them pick the riesling for me rather than picking it myself. Both times I've asked them for a rec, the food/wine interface was remarkable. The time I chose off the list, not so much . . .

[Kirbie]

Reading this post makes me want to go to Vegas right now just to go to LOS! The crispy duck and Koi Soi look particularly mouth watering...

[Gwyn]

Been wanting to try this place and think now I will. Reviews are always good on this place. I have four other Thai main-stays I go to on the west-side of the Valley but next on the "go-to" list is Lotus of Siam, Komol and maybe Archi's.

[Carol]

Hmm, your review on LOS is going to be the reason for me to drag the Mister on a road trip to Vegas. That Koi Soi looks absolutely wonderful. And the duck, oh the duck!

[Jenn]

Uh - it's always a bad idea to visit your site with an empty tummy. I'm just about to start licking my screen.

[Kirk]

Hi Elmo - Anytime! You need to get those folks out of their comfort zone....they'll love what they find.

Hi Ed - Yep, it's still going strong.

Hi Kirbie - That Koi Soi was a work of art.

Hi Gwyn - You mean Archi's on Flamingo? It's really cheap, though I thought it was kinda Americanized..... Isn't Komol in the same strip mall as LOS?

Hi Carol - Must do a road trip...... lot's of good eats in Vegas!

Hi Jenn - I thought the same thing about your Naan post.... ;o)

[Gwyn]

It looks like Archi's has two other locations now; one on the west side and so close to where I live. Guess I haven't even noticed it-just so many food places here. Komol is in the same strip mall as LOS.

[Wandering Chopsticks]

You know, I think this post is the first time I saw pictures of the exterior and interior. From all the raves, I just thought it was a pretty ritzy restaurant. Funny that it's so ordinary looking. I think that makes the accolades seem even more special.

[Kirk]

Hi Gwyn - The Missus and I noticed that there seemed to be a Thai Restaurant on every block!

Hi WC - Nothing ritzy about LOS, it's definitely a "strip mall" special.

[Pepsi Monster]

Hey Kirk,

Thanks for the great write up of this place. Since the owners of LOS were the original owners of Renu Nakorn. They taught and passed down some of the recipes to the current owners of RN.

I still want to check out LOS to see whether or not it is this "best Thai Restaurant in United States" claim is true. Oh well...one of these days.

[Kirk]

Hi PM - Yes, I know the history. I've been to Renu Nakorn, but not since the renovation. I don't know about you...but being the arbiter of whether a place is the "best xxxx in North America" is way beyond me.