The Best Thai in America: Lotus of Siam

I'm not done with Las Vegas posts yet.  It's time to dig out some gems that were sitting around while I was on hiatus.

Has my title intrigued you?  I can't say that Lotus of Siam is the best Thai restaurant in North America (because I haven't had Thai food all over North America), but a Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic has made this bold claim.

Don't let the crappy strip mall and humble interior fool you.

We had the best Thai food that we've had in recent memory here.

Lime drink ($2.75), Thai iced tea ($2.50), Thai iced coffee ($2.50).

The lime drink was tart and fresh. The Thai iced tea and coffee were sweet and strong.

Nam kao tod -- crispy rice mixed with minced sour sausage, green onion, fresh chili, ginger, peanuts, and lime juice ($7.95).

We'd never had anything like this before.  It was crispy and salty and meaty and tangy and refreshing and wonderful!  Are you sold?  You should be!

Soft shell crab salad -- deep-fried soft shell crab, fresh chili, lime juice, peanuts, and vegetables on a bed of sliced cabbage ($18.95).

If we see soft shell crab salad on a menu, we get it!  What a great version this was!

Hor mok sea bass -- steamed sea bass cooked in its own juice, egg, sliced cabbage, coconut milk and curry sauce ($28.95).

Super fish!  Who knew that sea bass wrapped in foil could be so special?  Tender, creamy, and perfectly spiced.

Crispy duck drunken noodles -- crispy duck topped with fresh chili and Thai basil served on top of pan-fried flat rice noodles ($21.95).

Yay for duck!  Yay for rice noodles!  Yay for kick!  Yay!  Yay!  Yay!  Best!

Lotus of Siam is well worth leaving the The Strip.  Cabbies know it well.  Go.

Solid Pub Fare: Public House

Sometimes all you want is bar food, and, when that bar food is has some British flair, you have...pub fare!  Public House at The Venetian fulfills all your hangover needs deliciously and with style.

Want to drink some more?  More beer and wine than you can shake a stick at!

Poutine -- French fries, braised oxtail, cheese curd, gravy, fried egg ($12.50).

Best thing we had during the meal.  Golden, fried, meaty, cheesy, eggy heaven.

Pork belly, baguette, apple-fennel slaw, cider aioli, fries ($14).

This reminded me a little of po' boys at Parkway Bakery (even though it was a different meat), and you know that we loved those po' boys.  Loved.  Really awesome sandwich.

Buttermilk fried quail, waffle, bacon-braised Swiss chard, "moose drool" maple glaze ($26).

The quail was delectable.  The Swiss chard was fantastic.  The waffles sucked.  Unfortunate.

Quality meal for a decent price.  Solid and good for groups!  Woohoo!

Bonus pic.

The flowers between The Venetian and The Palazzo are always gorgeous.

And that was our March Madness weekend (of eating).

Holla for Tapas: Jaleo

Long ago, when I was in law school, Jaleo was my absolute favorite restaurant in D.C.  Even on my worst days, those tapas could turn my frown upside-down.

This was way before I adopted gluttony as a hobby (and when my dress size was still a single digit).  It was 2001, and I had no idea who José Andrés was.

All I knew was that there was something magical in those patatas bravas, and I felt so lucky that I could walk to Jaleo from school.

There's no better place to feel lucky than Las Vegas.  We got lucky on Saturday at Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan.

Even Mr. Monkey got a bit nostalgic about our meals of yesteryear.  He was a fan of Jaleo back in the day, too.

Datiles con tocino "como hace todo el mundo" -- fried dates wrapped in bacon ($10).

Still incredible after all these years.  Still our favorite little golden sweet and salty bites.

Sopa de ajo -- garlic soup with black garlic and egg 63 degrees ($10).

People!  This soup is made of garlic!  Slurp it up, y'all!

Empanadillas de brandada de bacalao -- "empanada" of cod brandade with honey ($10).

Like a fancy crab rangoon but with cod in liquid form.  Unexpected and fun!

Espinacas a la catalana -- sauteed spinach, pine nuts, raisins, and apples ($12).

Another Jaleo classic.  Just had to get my fave veggies of old.

Codorniz a la Catalana -- grilled whole quail with apple puree and pine nuts ($15).

Is that quail sexy or what?  Its crossed legs say, "Come hither."

Rossejat -- traditional paella of fried pasta with fresh squid and shrimp ($18).

Comfort in a giant pan.  Maybe even more garlicky than the sopa de ajo.  And that's good.

Canelones tradicionales de cerdo y higado de pato con salsa bechamel -- pork and foie gras canelones with Béchamel sauce ($14).

Creamy heaven, but my only complaint is that it was hard to taste the foie with all the cheese and pork.  Feature the foie!

I heart Jaleo.  Forever and always.

A Lovely Las Vegas Lunch: Estiatorio Milos

Estiatorio Milos at The Cosmopolitan has one of the best lunch deals on The Strip -- three courses for $22.13.  Mr. Monkey and one of his besties took a break from March Madness to indulge me.

The space is luxurious but comfortable, and the complimentary grilled wheat sourdough with olive oil set the delicious tone for the rest of the meal.

Course 1A: Canadian Classic -- Willy Krauch Nova Scotia smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, and St-Viateur bagel from Montreal.

Our friend ordered this and impressed us with his meticulous lox and bagel construction skills.  He seemed happy with his appetizer.

Course 1B: grilled octopus -- sashimi-quality Mediterranean octopus, charcoal-broiled ($10 supplement).

Charred just enough and infused with a wondrous smokiness.  We all agreed this was the best appetizer.

Course 1C: fresh Maryland lump crab cake with marinated gigantes beans and mustard emulsion ($10 supplement).

Enjoyable but a far cry from the octopus. I wish there had been more than just four bites.

Course 2A: Nova Scotia deep sea lobster pasta with light tomato sauce ($15 supplement).

Our friend and I both ordered this dish, and the presentation really wowed us.  It was huge!  There was no skimping on the lobster; there was a full tail, full claws, and additional bits.  Nicely done.

Course 2B: Colorado USDA Prime lamb chops, French fries, broccoli ($10 supplement).

While the lobster pasta delighted me, I liked this lamb even more.  Man.  I love Greek lamb.  Mr. Monkey actually picked up the bone and gnawed.  You think I'm kidding.

Dessert -- yogurt martini.

We all got this dessert because the other two options weren't as appealing.  The Greek yogurt was a soothing not-so-sweet end.

With all the supplements, the great lunch deal ended up being less of a deal, but lunch at Estiatorio Milos is still more affordable than dinner, so I was quite pleased.

Who Goes to Vegas in the Middle of the Week?

We do.

Hope you had a tasty Fourth of July.

A Meal of a Lifetime: Guy Savoy

I've wanted to eat at Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace for a really long time now. I've gazed longingly many times at the oh-so-expensive, out-of-reach menu on my way to the spa.

Guy Savoy is the only restaurant at Caesars Palace not on the ground floor.

My dream came true on December 25, 2011.

The experience was every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined. From our table, we could see both the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel and the beautifully lit Bellagio fountains.

Our culinary journey began before we even started perusing the menu. Right after we sat down, we were each presented with a delicate metal toothpick with foie gras wedged between perfectly triangular pieces of toast. I ate mine without even thinking about taking a photo. Not long after we ordered, we were offered bite-sized black-peppered Parmesan Belgian waffle nibbles on a tiny silver platter. I ate those without taking a photo, too.

Even so, I remember these amazing little canapes vividly. They set the tone for the rest of the luxurious meal. Seriously, have you ever gotten foie gras before you even ordered?

We were more than ready to enjoy the Menu Elegance.

The bread cart was out of control. It took our server a few minutes to list every type of bread available on the mobile patisserie.


I got a Parmesan roll and slice of caramelized onion ciabatta. I exercised restraint by getting only two types. This bread was nothing short of wondrous. So fresh. So soft. So packed with flavor. Bread! I was swooning over bread!

Amuse Bouche -- parsnip soup, toasted parsnip, scallop sashimi with cauliflower.


Creamy and crunchy on one side. Delicate and exquisite on the other.

Lobster in Steam (Homard en Vapeurs Froides), gelee, grapefruit.

As this first course was placed in front of me, the Bellagio fountains danced outside. These were mini Bellagio fountains on my own plate! Just incredible. A treat for the eyes and for the mouth. Confession: I squealed.

Intermezzo.

Fancy vegetable soup! Simple and totally delicious.

Crispy Sea Bass with Delicate Spices (Bar en Ecailles Grillées aux Epices Douces), vanilla foam, spices, crispy chard, black trumpet mushrooms, truffles.

Some of the best fish I've ever had. The crispy skin -- to die for.

Roasted Turbot Dory in Sage and Tarragon Crust (Saint-Pierre Rôti, Panure de Sauge et Estragon), creamy corn polenta, sugar snap peas.

Mr. Monkey told our server that he wasn't a fan of mushrooms. The kitchen was extremely accommodating and omitted mushrooms for him from every course except for the third course, which the chef substituted entirely with the above turbot dish. The bite I had was extraordinary. I admit I was a tad jealous of my husband.

Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, Toasted Mushroom Brioche, and Black Truffle Butter (Soupe d’Artichaut à la Truffe Noire, Brioche Feuilletée aux Champignons et Truffe Noire).

This was my third course. I don't even like mushrooms that much (but I don't hate them enough to make special kitchen requests). This brioche, however, was one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. No exaggeration. Paired with the soup, I was seriously in heaven. Maybe if all mushrooms tasted like this, I'd be a fan.

Roasted Duck with Guy Savoy Spices (Canard Rôti aux Epices de Guy Savoy et Légumes Farçis), vegetables stuffed with foie and mushrooms.

Is there any question that I went gaga over this? Best duck breast in the world. In the world, people.

Entremet -- egg nog, gingerbread, cranberry.

Miniature holiday cheer! We were so giddy about our meal at this point that we toasted our tiny glasses!

Pear and White Tea, poached pear, white tea foam, pear sorbet, pear chip.


Gorgeous, light, and refreshing. Clean and bright. Love.

Chocolate Fondant, Crunchy Praline and Chicory Cream.

I fell for the chicory cream. I fell hard. Head over heels.

Coffee.

After a couple of hours, Mr. Monkey needed a little pick-me-up.

The biggest effing mignardise cart I've ever seen.

Yeah, we indulged. I'm not sure how we did it. But we did. And we didn't even need to be wheeled out of the restaurant.

You'd think that would be the end, but it wasn't. We exited with a freshly baked breakfast cake each and several housemade candies.

Thank you, Guy Savoy. Merry Christmas indeed.

This meal was comped.