Rate-A-Restaurant, #77 in a series

Restaurant: Lotus of Siam

Location: 953 E. Sahara Ave. (Las Vegas)

Type of restaurant: Thai

We stipulated: With Maria's sister taking care of Blogger Baby, it was our one night on the town in Vegas. We also needed to finally celebrate our anniversary. Good food was a must. Romantic environment would be nice too, as would a menu that wouldn't break the bank. Both Kathy and Eating L.A.'s Pat suggested Lotus of Siam -- and two out of three (the decor, they warned, wouldn't impress) worked for us.

They stipulated: The best Thai food in the country, as proclaimed by Jonathan Gold in Gourmet mag, isn't easy to find. You've gotta scour Sahara Blvd. closely for a non-descript strip mall.


What we ordered: Appetizer: NAM KAO TOD (Minced sour sausage mixed with green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, crispy rice and lime juice; $7.95).


Salad: SPICY SLICED BEEF (Charbroiled steak-sliced, Thai green round eggplant, fresh chili, lemon grass, fresh herbs and spices; $7.95).


Noodle: RAD NA (Stir-fried flat rice noodle topped with ground beef cooked with curry powder, tomato onion and celery; $7.95).


Special: KANG OMM ("Influenced by Lao's cooking this is another unique curry that combines local vegetables, chicken and rice powder in red curry base, also without coconut milk; $7.95).

High point: Kathy recommended nom kao tod -- and she was right. It was like nothing else we've ever tasted. Interestingly crispy in places, with a fantastic spiciness and a slightly salty flavor, we loved it.

Low point: The location itself. We went at night, and the strip mall gets a bit creepy. Park close as you can to the restaurant.

Overall impression: Perhaps a tad overhyped, but excellent Thai food nonetheless. Service was also decent and the portions a good value. I'm thrilled we had a huge dinner, including wine, for under $50. In Vegas.

Chance we will go back: I'd venture that we might make a return appearance next time we hit Vegas, perhaps for lunch.

For a complete archive of our Rate-A-Restaurant reviews, check out our newly revised companion ratearestaurant.blogspot.com website.