Lotus of Siam Reopens Its Flamingo Road Location on December 11

Northern Thai stalwart Lotus of Siam reopens its location at 620 E. Flamingo Road on Friday, December 11. The restaurant went through renovations after a water leak in the roof during the coronavirus pandemic after the state closed all restaurants for dine-in service in March.

Owner and chef Saipin Chutima won a Best Chef: Southwest in 2011 for her northern Thai fare. Since 2012, Lotus of Siam has been a long-time member of the Eater 38 as well. The restaurant returns with a new signature menu that pares down the choices from its massive collection of dishes that include Thai-style stews and coconut-less curries, all served with heat from 1 to 10. Diners should start with nam-prik-ong, a red chili dip that’s not too spicy, then try a roasted duck curry, garlic prawns, or thum-ka-noon with its mix of pork, jackfruit, tomato, and spices.

The signature menu features three prix fixe menus that highlight dishes the restaurant is known for, family favorites often requested, and a typical Northern Thai meal. Both locations will offer the menus.

The bar also has a new cocktail menu, and the collection of 300 wines that includes a deep dive into sweet Gewürztraminers and Rieslings returns.

The restaurant plans to maintain 25 percent capacity and tables of no more than four diners as directed by the state to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

During the restaurant’s closure, local artist Jerry Misko painted a mural that covered the front windows. The restaurant plans to preserve the mural. “The bird ladies on the end are Kinnari,” Misko writes on Instagram. “In Buddhist mythos the characters are half-human, half-bird creatures which are believed to come from the Himalayas and often watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger.”

The East Flamingo location offers about half the space of the original in the Commercial Center that spans 17,000 square feet. Lotus of Siam opened in the former Roy’s Restaurant space on Flamingo Road in 2017. At the time, Breslin Builders renovated the 7,921-square-foot space with a new wall to close off the open kitchen, plus new paint, flooring, equipment, upgrades to the existing bar and the creation of a new wine room in the private dining area to house the extensive wine collection.

The original location at the Commercial Center reopened in May after going through extensive renovations after the roof collapsed in 2017 during a rainstorm.

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