Eating Las Vegas - Thai Food

Lotus Siam 

935 E Sahara Ave. Suite A5
Las Vegas, Nevada 89104
702-735-3033
https://lotusofsiamlv.com/

Food: 4.5 Stars
Service: 4 Stars
Location: 3 Stars

The Lotus Siam is a well renowned Northern Thai cuisine restaurant in Las Vegas that is located off the strip, but close enough that it is easy to access.  It has been recognized by many media outlets like the Food Network, Saveur, Gourmet, and the travel channel.  I learned about it from a good friend who visits the restaurant frequently when he comes to the Vegas area.  He had recently retired so I wanted to take him to a place that he really enjoys.  My friend warned me that this restaurant was located in a strip mall and not to judge it by the outward appearance.  Once you walk in you will be amazed at how large the restaurant it and you are greeted by the wine cellar which has over 300 different bottles of wine for you to choose from.  The seating is pretty standard for a Thai food eatery and it is not trying to put on the Vegas glitz, but you are coming here for the food.

It is highly recommended that you make reservations here as it is often very busy, in fact, it is a good idea to make your reservations early.  I called the day before and the first available reservation was 8:00 PM during COVID.  

I was fortunate that our table of four knew each other well enough that we decided to eat family style.  I personally think that this is the only way to really enjoy many Asian restaurants because you get to try so many of the different dishes.  We started with the chicken stay appetizer which was a classic preparation of the dish.  Thinly sliced chicken, skewered and cooked on the grill, served with peanut sauce. We also got the Papaya salad as an appetizer.  The flavor profile for the salad was fresh, crisp and awakened our pallet with the fish sauce that is common with Thai cooking

We then got four different entrees.  The most unique and my favorite for the meal was the Garlic Shimp.  These shrimp have a light coating of rice flour and are deep-fried before being pared with and light but flavorful garlic sauce.  The rice flour makes them very crispy.  The new treat for me with this dish was that the shrimp skins were also deep-fried and served with the shrimp.  It was like eating a Thai version of a crackling or a delicious chip.  I was amazing at how great these were and that they were so easy to eat.  I made sure I got a couple of the skins because they were unique.

The next dish that we got is a classic garlic basil pork.  The pork was nice and tender cooked with red and green bell peppers and a delicious sauce.  This dish is aromatic and packs a lot of flavors with the fresh basil.  I thought it could have used just a little more basil, but the sauce was great with some rice.

I cannot go out to Thai without getting a noodle dish, and the dish that I turn to first is Pad Ke Mao, oftentimes referred to as Drucken Noodles.  Now here is a hint.  If you like this noodle dish you will first freak out because it is not on the menu as a noodle dish.  All you have to do is ask the staff and you will find that they will be glad to make it since it accompanies another one of their dishes.  Just be sure to ask.

Seen here with pork you can get it with your choice of protein.  The noodles were cooked amazingly and the flavors were just what I like.

Another menu item that helps me judge the quality of a Thai restaurant is green curry.  I order this at almost every Thai restaurant I go to.  This was a very nice version of my favorite curry with peppers, onions, bamboo, and eggplant. Green curry is great over rice and is full of flavors that dance on your tongue and make you want more.

When we left it was dark and we were treated to a great view of the Stratosphere tower a few blocks away.