What’s old is new again at Lotus of Siam.
The northern Thai mainstay, one of the most celebrated restaurants in Las Vegas history, is reopening Friday in the same East Sahara Avenue space (now much expanded) where the original Lotus debuted in November 1999. This location closed for a final time in June 2021 because of staffing challenges, following previous closings related to storm damage in 2017 and the pandemic in 2020.
The Chutima family owns and operates the East Sahara location, 953 E. Sahara Ave., Suite A5, in the Commercial Center, as well as the Lotus on East Flamingo Road. A representative for the restaurant provided Neon with details on the return of Lotus to its first home.
On the menu; a new bar
Initially, the restaurant will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and offer a limited dinner menu. The opening menu features signature dishes such as crisp garlic prawns and khao soi crisp-duck curry with egg noodles, along with dishes such as stuffed chicken wings, yum mamuang (shredded mango salad), koi tuna (bluefin tuna tartare), kang hung lay (pork belly curry), kang hoh (stir-fried dry curry) and kang om (herbal curry soup).
The Naam Jai bar at the reopened Lotus draws on Thai ingredients and seasonal fusions to create cocktails that pair with the menu. The bar takes its name from a Thai cultural concept that incorporates generosity and hospitality.
Lotus’ famed wine program returns, too, with a 6,000-bottle cellar with a particular strength in the German rieslings for which the restaurant has long been known. The wines were selected for their ability to complement the layered flavors of Thai food.
“This reopening is a tribute to where we started and how far we’ve come,” chef Saipin Chutima said. “We’ve reawakened the original space with new energy, from the menu to the bar, while staying true to the flavors and traditions that have long defined Lotus of Siam.”
Accolades in abundance
Just a year after its November 1999 opening, Jonathan Gold, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic, called Lotus of Siam the finest Thai restaurant in North America in a review in Gourmet. In 2011, Saipin Chutima was named co-winner of the Best Chef: Southwest category in the annual James Beard Awards. In 2024 and 2025, Lotus was included in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Top 100 Restaurants in the city.
Reservations may be made on OpenTable.com. Visit lotusofsiamlv.com.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at [email protected]. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.