Lotus of Siam

If you make good food, they will come.

Lotus of Siam is a simple, non-nonsense Thai restaurant located in a random strip mall on the east side of the Strip in Las Vegas. Hailed by Jonathan Gold of Gourmet Magazine as the "Best Thai Restaurant in the US," this gem of a place is almost always packed with long lines of hungry people (our wait time? 45 minutes).

Lotus of Siam is different than your run-of-the-mill Thai restaurant in a lot of ways. Most notably, they have an immense menu that includes Northern style Thai dishes, something you don't see that often in America. Furthermore, they have the most reasonably priced (and excellent) wine list we have ever seen. Well-known bottles from vineyards like Schrader, Kosta Browne, and Opus One sell for only about 10-15% above retail. In some cases, they are even cheaper than prices you could get on the open market.

We came here after a long day of hiking, so we were famished. Waiting 45 minutes just increased our hunger even more! Thankfully, there are some seats inside, and you can browse the menu while you wait. We decided to get a mix of "normal" and Northern Thai dishes.

Bryan, who's not a huge Thai food fan but loves a good bottle of wine, satisfied himself by ordering a bottle of Kosta Browne pinot noir for prices that (according to his iPhone), were very close to what you would pay retail.

GARLIC PRAWN – $21.95
Deep fried prawn with shell and sautéed with our special garlic sauce, topped with ground black pepper

Because Bryan can't eat coconut milk and doesn't really like sweet Thai dishes, we were a little limited in what we could order. Nevertheless, this meal was a good chance for Bryan to experience Thai food that wasn't just noodles in sweet goopy sauces. Thai cuisine is so much more complex than that!

They let you choose your spice level, and we went with "medium," which I thought was perfect. The server recommended the garlic prawns (pictured above), which came out piping hot and crispy. It was simple, yet executed well and tasted very good.

CRISPY DUCK WITH CHILI MINT LEAVES – $20.95
Crispy duck topped with homemade fresh chili and Thai basil

The crispy duck, also off the regular Thai menu, was excellent. They did a great job on frying the duck in a way that was crispy but not greasy. Of course, I loved the blast of flavor that came from the chili mint leaves and Thai basil.

FRESH CHILI FRIED RICE – $8.95
Stir fried with bell pepper, fresh chili, white onion and your choice of meat

The basil fried rice was unusual in that it came with seafood. This dish was fine, though I didn't think it necessarily stood out over other versions I've had elsewhere.

We also tried a couple of dishes off the northern Thai side of the menu.

NORTHERN LARB – $9.95

This northern style larb (ground pork) differs from the Issan larb (also on the menu) in that it is cooked with Northern Thai spices and no lime juice. Enjoy it with rice, accompanied by the fresh cabbage, cucumbers, and Thai basil.

ISSAN SAUSAGE – $7.95
Grilled sour pork sausage, served with fresh chili, ginger and peanut.

Issan Sausage is a common street dish from Northern Thailand and also not something you typically see in America. The sausages are fermented for days to achieve their characteristic sourness. Gorgeous fragrant ingredients such as kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass complete the flavor profile, making this snack very, very addictive. I would definitely order this again.
STICKY RICE WITH MANGO (Seasonal) – $6.50

You can't go wrong with mango sticky rice, and Lotus of Siam prides itself in making sure the mangos are in pristine condition before they are served. Each mango slice is perfectly ripe, sweet, and without blemish.

General Thoughts
Overall we had a great time at Lotus of Siam. The atmosphere is casual yet comfortable, and the food is delicious. I loved having the opportunity to try a bunch of more unusual dishes. I can't wait to come back again and try more.

Though Bryan still maintains he doesn't love Thai food, he's perfectly happy coming back to Lotus of Siam just to enjoy their vast wine collection at dirt cheap prices.

An Aside about New York
There is also a New York City Lotus of Siam location. However, in January of 2011, the Chutima family (owners of the original Las Vegas location) split with their partner Roy Welland and left New York. The Chutima family indicated that Mr. Welland wanted to take the restaurant to a much more upscale level, while the Chutimas wanted to keep it homey and affordable. This difference in vision seems to have eventually caused the split.

According to Chutima's daughter in an email to the New York Times,

“My parents wanted to share with our guests what my mother had learned from her grandmother since she was a little child; unfortunately, our partner here in New York seems to have a different vision, a vision far different from what Lotus of Siam Las Vegas had. Our reputation is at stake; as a result, we are terminating this relationship in order to protect our morals and values; also, to protect the image of my parents, who have worked their hardest for the past 25 years.”

So, if you've been to the Lotus of Siam in New York this past year, keep in mind that the Chutimas are no longer involved in that restaurant.

You'll have to come to Las Vegas for that.


This is part 5 of a larger Series The Vegas Anniversary. Other posts in this series:
Sushi Samba
Bouchon Bistro (lunch)
Aureole
Lee's Sandwiches


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

Sushi Samba

Most of us in America have probably never heard of the marriage of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. Interestingly, it appeared around the early 20th century when scores of Japanese immigrants arrived in Peru and Brazil to cultivate coffee plantations.

Soon afterwards, cities like Lima in Peru and São Paulo in Brazil exploded with a new cuisine, the integration of Japanese-style dishes with the bold flavors of the South.  Called "nikkei cuisine," you see it all over Peru, where thousands of these types of restaurants thrive. Even celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who spent the early years of his career in Peru, creates fusion dishes with heavy influences from South America.

Sushi Samba in Las Vegas is inspired by this fascinating "fusion" cuisine, and has put its own twist on the idea.

Though dubious at first, a quick look at the menu on the wall convinced us that we wanted to try this.

As would be expected for a place on the Strip in las Vegas, the vibe at Sushi Samba is clearly very trendy. Though it was the middle of the day on a hot dessert summer day, the restaurant was dark and cool with colorful lights dotting the environment.  
Crispy Taquitos
served with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime Yellowtail Seviche shiso, avocado, roasted corn miso


We started with some tacquitos, which were excellent. They were filled with yellowtail, shiso, and miso in the Japanese tradition, but they also had vibrant South American flavors, including aji panca, a Peruvian red chili pepper.
 
Green Envy
tuna, salmon, asparagus, wasabi pea crust, aji amarillo-key lime mayo $13 

Though a bit pricey, the maki rolls were overall pretty good. The Green Envy is mostly Japanese in ingredients and form, but adds amarillo-key lime mayo as the South American twist.  
Neo Tokyo
bigeye tuna, tempura flake, aji panca 15.00 

Similarly the Neo Tokyo is a Japanese-style roll infused with the kick of aji panca, the Peruvian chili pepper mentioned above.
 
Yamato
tuna, foie gras, osetra caviar, gold leaf 19.00 

The most decadant (and by far most expensive) roll we tried was this crazy tuna roll that had fois gras, osetra caviar, and gold flecks! I'm not a huge fois gras fan, so I can't comment objectively on it. Bryan thought it was great, but my guess is that it was the ingredients that spoke for themselves here. I'm not sure what aspect of this roll is exactly Peruvian . . .


General First Impressions
Overall, we had a fun time exploring Sushi Samba's interpretation of "Nikkei Cuisine." The vibe of the place makes it seem like the perfect location for a late night drink or snack. At lunch, it felt a bit weird to be in such a dark and trendy environment (especially when I knew the sun was shining so brightly outside!)

Nevertheless, the food was fun to try and pretty tasty. I would definitely get the taquitos again, and maybe some of the rolls (though I probably wouldn't spring for the crazy fois gras one again). I'm not sure if it's a destination restaurant per se, but if you are living close by and want something fun, a little different, and reasonably good, Sushi Samba is a perfectly fine choice.


This is part 4 of a larger Series The Vegas Anniversary. Other posts in this series:
Bouchon Bistro (lunch)
Aureole
Lee's Sandwiches

Sushi Samba
Palazzo
3327 Las Vegas Blvd
S Las Vegas, NV 89109

Lee's Sandwiches

I've complained more than once that dining prices in Las Vegas are crazy exorbitant.

I should clarify when I say such bold statements.

Dining prices on the STRIP are insane. Starbucks cappuccinos can run up to $7, while a typical entree at a normal restaurant can still run close to $30. However, the rest of Las Vegas is actually perfectly fine. In fact, I'm a bit jealous of these Las Vegas residents. They have many of the benefits of California in terms of food (In & Out, Ranch 99, Sam Woo's, Ten Ren Tea Station anyone?) without the astronomical real estate prices that follows.

One one the newest California transplants is Lee's Sandwiches, which opened March 2011.

Bryan grew up on Lee's Sandwiches since his church was right next to Little Saigon in Los Angeles. He's always told me that Vietnamese sandwiches on the East Coast don't come anywhere close to the ones out west. He speaks fondly of places out West like Lee's, who bake their bread in-house and serve a mean sandwich for under $3.

After our crazy wedding anniversary photo shoot (and before another hike through more mountains in Las Vegas), we stopped at Lee's Sandwiches to re-fuel.


The banh mi has an interesting cultural history. The French first introduced the basic French bread loaf to the Vietnamese in the early 20th century during the French colonization of Vietnam. Back then, a simple Parisian-style sandwich consisted of a French baguette, butter, and ham. These sandwiches (called "banh mi Tay") were meant for the French locals living in the area, and were associated with expensive European delis.

French rule ended in 1954.  Soon, the Vietnamese began adding their own local ingredients to the simple sandwich, such as pickled vegetables, cilantro, and other Southeast Asian herbs. A "poor man's" version of the sandwich began showing up in local food tricycles (precursor to the modern food truck!) and the like. It became so popular, it eventually overtook the traditional French version (which also petered out because the French were gone from Vietnam by this point in time).

The banh mi was first introduced to the US after the Vietnam war, when refugees from Vietnam set up shops in the US.

Although today the word "banh mi" is today associated with the Vietnamese sandwich in America, the term actually technically only means "bread", and a sandwich having meat would have a descriptor after it (e.g. banh mi thit = bread with meat).

Having fresh bread is crucial for a good banh mi. Lee's is obsessive about the quality of their bread, baking fresh loaves continuous throughout the day. Behind the glass of the automated baguette factory, loaves of bread rotate in this huge oven. 
Going beyond just being a sandwich place, this Lee's in Las Vegas is complete with all sorts of other Asian goodies. For example, they have this automated machine that squirts out batter to make these little cakes called Deli Manjoo, which they serve in boxes of 20 or 24.
The sandwiches are solid here, and we ordered a variety. Prices are pretty cheap and the ingredients are fresh, so it's a great way to grab a quick, healthy snack before heading out on the road.   
They also have other Asian favorites, such as many varieties of boba tea (e.g., soy milk, honeydew, even durian!), taro desserts, Vietnamese spring rolls, and fried sesame balls. If you're not a huge fan of Asian food, you can order more traditional "European Sandwiches," such as a turkey club with bacon on croissant or a turkey cheese baguette. They also have ice cream.

Lee's Sandwiches is located not far from the Strip in Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road. The parking lot can get a bit crowded at times, as this is just a very popular place to visit. Bring $10, an adventurous spirit, and an empty stomach. You'll have lots of fun sampling the various things they have (and it will be a nice break for the wallet after being on the Strip!).


This is part 3 of a larger Series The Vegas Anniversary. Other posts in this series:
Bouchon Bistro (lunch)
Aureole
Lee's Sandwiches

Lee's Sandwiches
3989 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Aureole

 The first time I stumbled upon Aureole at Mandalay Bay I couldn't help but gasp.

Inside, a dramatic, 4-story glass wine tower looms above diners at the restaurant. The tower holds close to 10,000 bottles of wine. If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of one of the black-suited "wine angels" gliding up the tower on cables to retrieve wine bottles.

The Michelin guide has awarded Aureole one star.

We happened to be in Las Vegas during Restaurant Week, so we decided to book this restaurant with my friend Emily (the fantastic photographer behind all my "trash the wedding dress" photos) and her husband Frank.

Would Restaurant Week be any different in Las Vegas compared to Boston?

The space at Aureole is absolutely stunning and most definitely one of the most interesting ones I've seen in Las Vegas. Sure, Vegas has its share of unique dining environments, whether it be eating among real Picasso paintings or sitting in front of the world's largest chocolate fountain. However, nothing comes even close to the breathtaking high ceilings and the dramatic glass wine tower at Aureole. 
It doesn't stop there. Each table is given an electronic tablet that contains detailed information about all of those wines. I guess if they tried to put it in paper format it would be so heavy and unwieldy you'd have no way of managing it.

It's pretty cool. You can sort by various parameters and then digitally mark the ones you are considering. The sommelier then comes and helps you choose a wine based on how you have narrowed things down. Here is Bryan, trying to research wines on his iPhone app while holding the menu and reading the tablet. As an iPad user, he found the pen-based interface slightly clunky, but still useful.

Aureole has two types of menus. You can either order from the a la carte menu (appetizer + entree), or try their signature Parallel Tasting, which consists of 8 courses that come out two at a time.  Like many high end restaurants, Aureole has a rule that all members of the table have to order the same type of tasting menu. Thankfully, because it was Restaurant Week, they agreed to be a bit more lax on the rules. A 3-course Restaurant Week menu would not be so different from the 4-course Parallel Tasting, so it was OK. They had multiple options for Restaurant Week, including a $30 menu and a $50 menu.

My friends Frank and Emily both got the $50 Restaurant Week menu. Bryan tried the Parallel Tasting (highly recommended by the waiter) which cost $85, and I ordered some random items off of the regular a la carte menu (total price: $37).

JEN's LIGHT MENU
I chose this option because I was still feeling really full from my crazy 16-course anniversary dinner (post coming soon!) so I asked for a lighter option. I ended up picking a few raw fish appetizers, which worked perfectly for me. I was so happy with their flexibility in accommodating my request!

Crudo of Hiramasa 18
Avocado and Tomato Marmalade, Spicy Ponzu

I started out with a simple crudo which was light yet refreshingly good. The sashimi-like hiramasa was very fresh and paired with a winning combination of avocados and tomatoes.

Peruvian Ceviche 19
California Bass, Bay Scallops, Chochlo, Aji' Amarillo

I was actually quite surprised at the size of this next "appetizer," which I ordered as my entree. The long glass plate was filled with vinegar-marinated scallops and white fish. I loved the Peruvian bent, especially the large Peruvian corn kernels strewn throughout the dish. Overall, it was a nice, light meal and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a tad expensive, but after all, this is Vegas, so you sort of have to expect that.

RESTAURANT WEEK
Restaurant Week in Las Vegas is a little different than Restaurant Week in most other cities. First of all, it costs more. Dinner can be a range of prices, usually $30 or $50 for a three course meal (compare with around $30 in Boston), while lunch is either $20 or $30. Secondly, $3 to $5 of each meal goes to charity (Three Square Food Bank), which I thought was pretty cool.

Many top rated restaurants and household names (Jean Georges, Bobby Flay, Michael Mina, Nobu, Bar Masa, just to name a few) get involved. Last year even Joel Robuchon was on the list! (though not this year). So what does a Michelin-starred Restaurant Week menu look like?
Smoked Salmon and Warm Potato Salad
Poached Egg, Watercress Espuma

The first course was simple but quite tasty. The poached egg added a nice twist to the flavorful whole-grain mustard potato salad. I didn't try the salmon, but Emily and Frank both seemed to like it.

Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast 
Confit Duck and Foie Gras Ravioli , Caramelized Endive Orange Reduction Jus

Both Frank and Emily decided to go for the roasted duck breast, which was cooked absolutely perfectly. I tried a bite of it (even though I don't really like duck), and agreed that it worked beautifully with the orange reduction sauce.

Dessert was a choice between chocolate and creme caramel. They got one of each. Personally, I liked the chocolate one more, which was strong, intense, yet tempered by the salt.

Dark Chocolate Caramel Tart
Salted Macadamia Ice Cream; Milk Chocolate Sauce
Limoncello Crème Caramel
Marinated Strawberries; Lemon-Lime Macaroon

PARALLEL TASTING 
The Parallel Tasting is Aureole's unique way of presenting you with 8 courses. As the name suggests, the courses are brought out in pairs, meant to be enjoyed in parallel. In fact, they have these special double plates with one course on each side.

Bryan asked the waiter what he recommended, and of course he thought that the parallel tasting was the best way to really enjoy the best that the chef had to offer. I briefly considered it, but after the waiter told me that the portions were large and I would be close to exploding when we finished (I'm not sure if those were his exact words, but he indicated that it was plenty of food), I decided on the lighter option detailed above.

COURSE 1 (Cold)

The first course was a duo of chilled seafood. Part of me thought it was ironic that we were paying a premium to enjoy fresh seafood from the North Atlantic and Maine, probably flown here overnight from the East Coast. Both of these main dishes were strongly influenced by fruit flavors. Pineapple + coconut were the dominant themes that tied the two dishes together - a pina colada broth for the fluke and a roasted pineapple coconut dressing for the lobster. Though I appreciated the interesting idea, I only thought the flavors were OK.

North Atlantic Fluke Carpaccio

pina colada froth, candied macadamia nuts

Maine Lobster and Green Papaya Salad
roasted pineapple, spicy coconut dressing

COURSE 2 (seafood!)
Carrots served as the common theme in the next two courses. 
Coriander Crusted Tuna Loin
carrot-sesame sponge cake, orange vinaigrette 

Barely-seared tuna cubes, topped with carrot shavings, cover a slice of carrot-sesame sponge cake. Again, fruit plays a significant role as orange vinaigrette is the dominant sauce.
Pan Roasted Diver Scallop
braised short ribs, carrot emulsion, black trumpet mushroom 

The diver scallops are much richer and full of umami, having been seared and served with sauteed trumpet mushrooms and braised short ribs. This dish was quite good - the sweet scallops were succulent and paired beautifully with the deep, rich flavors of the other components.

COURSE 3 (meat!)
By the time we get to the third (or shall we say fifth and sixth!) course, we have left the fruit theme completely. Lamb takes center stage here, with a soft lamb confit on one side and a crusted lamb loin on the other. I'm not a huge fan of lamb, so I can't comment too much on these, but Bryan (who loves lamb), seemed to enjoy them both.
Elsberg Ranch Lamb Shoulder Confit
creamy fennel and tomato fondue, olive and basil lamb jus

Roasted Pistachio Crusted Lamb Loin

vegetable tian, sauteed pearl potatoes, natural lamb jus

COURSE 4 (dessert!)

It's totally true - this tasting could easily serve two people. I can see why they make it a rule that everyone has to enjoy the tasting. Otherwise, I'd be really tempted just to order one thing and share the tasting. it is truly a ridiculous amount of food.

Peach was the central theme in the last duo of desserts. 

Lavendar Peach Ice Cream with sesame brittle and Summer Peach Fragipane Tart with lemon sabayon. Both were fine - nothing particularly mind-blowing but solidly executed.

Of course, they gave us a lovely assortment of mini-desserts (les mignardises) with which to finish the meal.

Thoughts?
I had a fun time at Aureole. Like I mentioned before, the space is absolutely stunning and the service is decent.  I thought the Restaurant Week menu was executed quite well. The food was quite good and they gave options at various price points, which I thought was really nice.

Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of the Parallel Tasting (from the bites I got from Bryan's tasting). Not only were the portions way to big for me (and would be for many people I know), I didn't love any of the courses. A little too much fruit for my tastes, and as you know, I'm not a huge fan of lamb.

I will agree that it's a great value when you consider just how much food you are getting (especially compared with the $50 Restaurant Week 3-course). However, it doesn't work well for someone with limited stomach capacity (who feels guilty about leaving food on the plate yet hates feeling stuffed).

I will say I've had other friends really enjoy the Parallel Tasting, so keep in mind this is just my personal opinion. I'm just really glad we came during Restaurant Week so we could all sample so many different aspects of the menu. It sure makes for a much more diverse, informational, and interesting post.


This is part 2 of a larger Series The Vegas Anniversary. Other posts in this series:
Bouchon Bistro (lunch)
Aureole
Lee's Sandwiches

Aureole
Mandalay Bay
3950 Las Vegas Blvd
S Las Vegas, NV 89119

Bouchon Bistro (lunch)

Bryan goes to Vegas several times a year. I guess when you're in the tech industry, Vegas is a popular location for conferences. Whenever he goes, he always stays at the Venetian. Why?

"I come down the elevator and Bouchon is right there. Every morning, I get a pastry and cappuccino for breakfast."

And this is a guy who usually never eats breakfeast!

Alas, this post is not about those pastries, as much as we all love them. I've written about them plenty on this site. You can go here, here, or even here (geez, it really seems like I've visited every single Bouchon Bakery in the world  . . . )

Nor is it about the lovely dinner that the bistro offers (which I already talked about earlier this year here).

Instead, we visited Bouchon twice this trip in the middle of the day - once for lunch and once for brunch. Clearly, the convenience of having the bistro right down the hall (yes, it was even closer than the bakery was to our hotel room), was yet another reason to stay at the Venetian.
QUICK LUNCH

Our first visit was a quick lunch the day I arrived in Las Vegas. Prices were surprisingly reasonable considering we were on the Strip. For example, the beautiful oven-roasted turkey sandwich shown below was only $12. It came with a pickle and house-made potato chips, which were delicious.
Not bad at all for a simple but delicious sandwich made with Bouchon bakery challah (yum!) and fresh oven roasted turkey.

I had already eaten on the airplane, so I just enjoyed a simple plate of butter cookies along with a cappuccino. These cookies keep really well, so I took half of them home and snacked on them in the hotel whenever I got a bit hungry.

BRUNCH

Bouchon French Toast 
Bread pudding style with warm layers of brioche, custard & apples. Served with maple syrup $12.00 

We next stopped by for brunch our last day in the city. Because we were staying in the Venetian (on the 10th floor no less - same floor as Bouchon!), it was way too convenient to just walk down the hall for some scrumptious brunch.

I love bread pudding, so I went with the Bouchon French Toast (which, the server warned me again, was more like bread pudding than traditional French toast). Unfortunately, I was really not a huge fan of this "French toast." Yes, it was like bread pudding, but the ratio of apples to bread was about 1:1, which, in my mind, made the whole thing way too sweet. It tasted more like dessert than breakfast. I think (sadly) I left about half of it on the plate. Those of you with a sweet tooth may still love this. I just couldn't eat much of it at all.

Chicken & Waffles 
Roasted chicken, bacon and chive waffle, Tahitian vanilla bean butter, sauce chasseur $25.00

I was curious how the king of fried chicken (I still have yet to try Thomas Keller's famous Ad Hoc fried chicken!) would make this well-known Southern dish. Imagine our surprise when we found out that the Bouchon chicken and waffles are actually made with roasted chicken!

To his credit, the chicken was perfectly cooked.  It was succulent, juicy, yet flavorful and slightly crispy on the outside. The savory waffles were fantastic - buttery, airy, with the perfect, crispy edges. The meal was delicious, though we both agreed it wasn't the best chicken and waffles we'd ever had. At the end of the day, it was good, but we both agreed the dish inherently tastes better with fried chicken!

Overall, Bouchon is a perfectly fine place to enjoy lunch or brunch. Most of their offerings are solid and made with excellent ingredients. I wouldn't say every single dish will blow you away, but most are pretty good if you happen to be close by (ahem, like down the hall) and don't feel like walking too far in the heat!

This is part 1 of a larger Series The Vegas Anniversary. Other posts in this series:
Bouchon Bistro (lunch)
Aureole
Lee's Sandwiches

Bouchon Bistro
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109