Lotus of Siam in LV: Ode to Excellent Thai Food Way Off the Strip, I'll Riesling Toast to That

I know Lotus of Siam in Vegas gets a lot of hype and you know how I feel about hype. While some were solid, I was disappointed at other dishes this time around. It was the third or fourth time I'd been to this shrine of Thai food in a nondescript strip mall off the Strip. It had significantly expanded its digs to more than double its original size and I was worried the food would be diluted along with this growth.

Here's the good: the fried sea bass stir fried with "drunken" rice noodles. The crunchiness of the sea bass pieces was a great complement to the satisfying carb load of the rice noodles that had a subtle kick to them.

We also loved the soft shelled crab salad that came with toasted cashews, green papaya and also had a nice citrusy kick. It was garnished with some fresh cilantro sprigs and chilies that are best kept away from unless you like fire in your mouth. The crab was conveniently cut up into small pieces and once again, it was a triumph of crunch paired with other crunch like raw vegetables dressed in a light lemony and spicy sauce.

My next favorite thing was the crab fried rice. It was light on the crab but still fluffy and comforting as all fried rice dishes should be. It also came with tomato, onions and egg.

The jack fruit curry with ground pork was far too salty, even for a sodium fiend like me. As they say in Korea, it was a "rice thief," meaning you crave a ton of rice because it's so salty. And it goes well together too. I could only have so much though.

The papaya salad starter was refreshing and good for the summer. It also had toasted peanuts and forgettable tomato slices.

The one big disappointment was the crispy rice salad, or Nam Kao Tod that also had pork sausage cubs, green onions and a healthy dose of spice. It was dry and most definitely nothing to write home about. I would not get this dish again.

The desserts were solid but nothing too special. The mango with sticky rice doused with coconut milk and toasted rice was just ok. The mango wasn't as ripe and sweet as it should be. I liked a version formerly served at Sophy's in Long Beach, a Cambodian joint that sadly no longer serves this superb dessert.

The fried banana in wonton wrappers was good, although at the risk of sounding obnoxious, I like the ones I make with dulce de leche inside better. Adding dulce de leche to anything just makes it so much better.

While decent value for LV, some dishes weren't cheap for a Thai restaurant (The sea bass noodles dish was $30, for instance) but I will return for more when I go to LV next. Great Riesling wine list. Loved the one we got, which was a Leitz Dragonstone from Germany.