The best Thai food in North America

[hifiguy]

Last week I was attending the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A couple of audiobuddies of long standing invited me to dinner on Tuesday night. We went to the Lotus of Siam, in Vegas. Now this is not some elegant, fancy place. It's in a strip mall in one of the iffier parts of the city.

You walk in and first see the three James Beard awards won by the chef, Ms.
Saipin Chutima. You then see the autographed photos, not just of celebrities, but from other chefs, among them Mary Sue Milliken and Ming Tsai.

Then you eat the food, which defies any possible superlative. I have eaten in fancy, highly rated restaurants, including Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger, but I have never in my life had a better meal than at Lotus of Siam. This is not americanized Thai food, it is the real stuff - Northern Thai recipes that go back generations in Ms. Chutima's family.

If you ever are in Vegas and love Thai food, this is a destination restaurant. Be prepared to wait as the place is always packed, but the wait is more than worth it. Great wine selections, too.

http://www.saipinchutima.com/#/HOME-01-00/

[Angry Dragon]

1. what part of Vegas??

[hifiguy]

2. The address is

953 East Sahara Avenue # A5 Las Vegas, NV 89104-3028
[phone]

I wasn't driving, so all I can say is that it's northeast of the Strip.

[Angry Dragon]

3. thanks

[unionworks]

4. Do they deliver

To Erie Pa?

[hifiguy]

5. If I could get that kind of delivery

I'd send out for cheesesteaks from Tony Luke Jr's in Philly. I don't think the cheesesteaks would be in such great shape after a trip to Minneapolis

[unionworks]

6. agree on the cheesesteaks

My parents were both from Philly. We do have a great Thai resturaunt here in Erie, right downtown in Perry Square.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

7. My introduction to Thai food was via a real toilet of a restaurant

I know I haven't given Thai food a fair chance because I hated that restaurant. It was a favorite of co-workers back in the 80s. They brought some kind of chicken soup in a little cup and half the "chicken" in the soup was TENDONS, and it was all downhill from there.

So one of these days I will poke through the local Yelp reviews and try some good Thai food.

[AlecBGreen]

8. I have never wanted to go to Vegas

until now

[Duer 157099]

9. I'm pretty sure Ming Tsai did something about that place on The Best Thing I Ever Ate

I'm sure it was there. Can't recall which dish, it was maybe some sort of pork mixture that was eaten with raw veggies, like a dip?

I made a mental note.

[Odin2005]

10. A Thai place opened here about a year ago and their food is divine.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. Wow....wish I could take a quick jaunt out to LV!

We've got a good Thai restaurant or two here in Rochester, but THREE Jamed Beard awards???? I'd be impressed at ONE!

:ENVY!!!: