In 1994, when chef Saipin Chutima took over at Renu Nakorn—located in a strip mall 20 minutes south of downtown L.A.—it was already one of the best-regarded Thai restaurants in Southern California. Responding to its spicy Isaan cooking, Jonathan Gold noted enthusiastically that "a trip to Renu Nakorn can be a little like taking your tongue to the Leather Castle," referring to a notorious s/m bordello. Surprising everyone, Chutima left L.A. for Las Vegas in 1999 to found Lotus of Siam in a plebian commercial space remote from the strip. Writing in Gourmet, Gold called it "the single best Thai restaurant in North America."
Now, Chutima and her husband, Suchay, have opened the first offshoot of their award-winning establishment, but the budget-dining profile has evaporated: Our Lotus is situated not in Elmhurst or Sunset Park, but in a luxurious Greenwich Village space once occupied by Cru. Dinner—including wine from a fiendishly expensive list—can easily top $80 per person. Still, I couldn't wait to find out not only if the food was as good as that of its Vegas precursor, but if the restaurant put our own Sripraphai and Chao Thai to shame. The short answer is: The provender at Lotus NYC can be breathtaking—but don't stop trekking to Queens just yet.
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