Everything is wrong with Lotus of Siam NYC

[ybarselah]

fascinating thread. truly.

[Steve_Manzi]

@Brad Kane

Before anyone goes overboard with calling this person out, as it turns out, this thread was linked by Eater.com. That would explain the spike in views and this person may have just migrated from there and may not know this forums customs. For all we know, Somer may be the person’s real name. If it isn’t, then a polite suggestion to register with a real name certainly would be in order.

I think that request has already been politely requested. Let’s hope the person does do it.

[CFu]

@Jorge Henriquez

Man, all we need here is some Puerto Ricans and we got ourselves our own little West Side Story!

LOL

[CFu]

@Rick Gregory

Eh, different things make people signup. Real name is important, but easy ti miss/misinterpret (some might think firstname plus initial is OK).

I guess I’m bemused by all the fuss over a Thai restaurant. I cannot imagine that the food is so much better than many other good Thai places as to be worth this kind of money or fuss. But then I don’t get to Vegas, so I’ve never been.

so. so. true. I’ve been to the one in Vegas and while good, it’s not something I’ll go out of my way for again. Plenty of great Thai places in Los Angeles.

That being said, brad (and group)'s experience seems the norm and Ray/Lyle seemed the outlier.

[Rick_Gregory]

@Charlie Fu

@Rick Gregory

Eh, different things make people signup. Real name is important, but easy ti miss/misinterpret (some might think firstname plus initial is OK).

I guess I’m bemused by all the fuss over a Thai restaurant. I cannot imagine that the food is so much better than many other good Thai places as to be worth this kind of money or fuss. But then I don’t get to Vegas, so I’ve never been.

so. so. true. I’ve been to the one in Vegas and while good, it’s not something I’ll go out of my way for again. Plenty of great Thai places in Los Angeles.

And in Seattle. And while I LOVE good Thai food there’s no way in hell I’m paying those prices. Sorry, but unless there’s something really extraordinary about LOS, I gotta wonder if this is a case of boardthink.

That being said, brad (and group)'s experience seems the norm and Ray/Lyle seemed the outlier.

Sadly. I’ve no opinion since I’ve not been to either, but the experience Brad relates isn’t acceptable.

[David_Walker]

@Rick Gregory

I guess I’m bemused by all the fuss over a Thai restaurant. I cannot imagine that the food is so much better than many other good Thai places as to be worth this kind of money or fuss. But then I don’t get to Vegas, so I’ve never been.

Yup. And I’ve been to the one in Vegas. The emperor has no clothes.

[Frank_Drew]

They should have done their soft opening out of town; Hartford, maybe.

[Paul_Jaouen]

@Rick Gregory

I guess I’m bemused by all the fuss over a Thai restaurant. I cannot imagine that the food is so much better than many other good Thai places as to be worth this kind of money or fuss. But then I don’t get to Vegas, so I’ve never been.

It’s a combination of really great food and a great wine list. The food is good enough to stand on its own but you don’t usually see Thai places with a great list at reasonable prices. The combo makes it the best Thai place I’ve been to. When I first started going it was an under the radar place. Granted now it gets so much positive press that you wonder if you found the Holy Grail. Still when I am in Vegas I eat most of my meals there. The Vegas one is not expensive. Most apps around $7 and entrees around $15.

[Rick_Gregory]

@Paul Jaouen

@Rick Gregory

I guess I’m bemused by all the fuss over a Thai restaurant. I cannot imagine that the food is so much better than many other good Thai places as to be worth this kind of money or fuss. But then I don’t get to Vegas, so I’ve never been.

It’s a combination of really great food and a great wine list. The food is good enough to stand on its own but you don’t usually see Thai places with a great list at reasonable prices. The combo makes it the best Thai place I’ve been to. When I first started going it was an under the radar place. Granted now it gets so much positive press that you wonder if you found the Holy Grail. Still when I am in Vegas I eat most of my meals there. The Vegas one is not expensive. Most apps around $7 and entrees around $15.

I guess. The thing is, I can find really great Thai here for the same price or less. Wine list? Probably not, but I don’t need wine with my Thai and, well, I can either take the food out or, if the presentation and surroundings are awesome, BYOB.

And I guess the price points you cite are why I’m looking at the idea of people dropping $500+ for 6 or so people going, WTF?? I can do an app or two and an entree and I’m full. That’s, MAYBE $25-30 of food.


ANyway, don’t want to derail the thread - it’s just that I’ve heard SO much about this place that I’d expect it to be a top 50 restaurant in the US and… well…

[WvanGorp]

@Paul Jaouen

@Rick Gregory

I guess I’m bemused by all the fuss over a Thai restaurant. I cannot imagine that the food is so much better than many other good Thai places as to be worth this kind of money or fuss. But then I don’t get to Vegas, so I’ve never been.

It’s a combination of really great food and a great wine list. The food is good enough to stand on its own but you don’t usually see Thai places with a great list at reasonable prices. The combo makes it the best Thai place I’ve been to. When I first started going it was an under the radar place. Granted now it gets so much positive press that you wonder if you found the Holy Grail. Still when I am in Vegas I eat most of my meals there. The Vegas one is not expensive. Most apps around $7 and entrees around $15.

That’s EXACTLY my view too, and what, I think, has been the secret to LOS-Vegas’ success. It is unassuming, unpretentious, relatively inexpensive, with an outstanding wine list at near-retail prices. When you add really good Thai food, the diner leaves thinking “Wow, I discovered something here!”

They’re risking the outpost being the things the Vegas place is not–fancier, more expensive, big time wine list. Once the place comes across as impressed with itself, its in trouble.

Remember Ducasse’s first foray into NYC? He took a beating because he came in so celebrated and impressed with himself, which doesn’t go over too well in NYC. Where’s that restaurant now? Closed; went out of business.

[Jorge_Henriquez]

@WvanGorp

Remember Ducasse’s first foray into NYC? He took a beating because he came in so celebrated and impressed with himself, which doesn’t go over too well in NYC. Where’s that restaurant now? Closed; went out of business.

Good comparison Wilfred. Not to mention that ADNY opened in the midst of the city being flush with disposable income. Who knows LoS outside of winos? Think the “regular” NYer, no matter their economic level, will support a $100/head Thai place? Doubtful.

[Steve_Manzi]

Trying to replicate the success of LOS from Vegas (in that dirty, ugly strip mall location), and translating that success into NYC in a high rent location, to me, is certain death. Especially if they don’t find a way to take care of the highest, most concentrated fans, who are the ones who go to vegas to take in LOS. Especially the wine board cult fans.

Just makes no sense to try this sort of “all or nothing” approach. There is nothing about LOS that translates into high rent district prices, especially if the service and management are not qualified or willing to do what is needed to overcome dishes that won’t wow the high end clients that go after that high end dinner.

[WvanGorp]

@Steve Manzi

Especially if they don’t find a way to take care of the highest, most concentrated fans, who are the ones who go to vegas to take in LOS. Especially the wine board cult fans.

Didn’t save Cru.

[SomerB]

wow, chill out. you guys are really incredible. I was just posting in response to this because I had an equally bad experience and wanted to share. I was not a member before, that’s true - but after googling Lotus of SIam I found the initial post, and since my experience was equally bad, i was simply sharing. My real name is Somer Bussell - I am not from Eater and I am not trying to “derail” any postings. I simply and innocently overlooked the “rule” because I was really just wanting to comment. I am deleting my account, so you guys don’t have to worry about me “breaking the rulES”. I am a wine director in NYC and simply thought my Lotus experience was worth sharing with some fellow wine folk.

[SomerB]

Oh, and thank you Brad for understanding, it was a simple mistake/oversight. Steve Manzi…you really need to get a life. I feel sorry for you that you spent so much time so upset with my very innocent error.

[Rick_Gregory]

@SomerB

wow, chill out. you guys are really incredible. I was just posting in response to this because I had an equally bad experience and wanted to share. I was not a member before, that’s true - but after googling Lotus of SIam I found the initial post, and since my experience was equally bad, i was simply sharing. My real name is Somer Bussell - I am not from Eater and I am not trying to “derail” any postings. I simply and innocently overlooked the “rule” because I was really just wanting to comment. I am deleting my account, so you guys don’t have to worry about me “breaking the rulES”. I am a wine director in NYC and simply thought my Lotus experience was worth sharing with some fellow wine folk.

WHAT? It’s not a vast conspiracy?? Dammit.

Welcome. If you’d like to hang around the convention/rules is to have a full name somewhere. The mods can change your username (you can’t, sadly), or you can stick your real name in your signature (setup in your User Control panel). Some balk at using their name in a forum like this but it does a lot of good things in making people think about what they post and being accountable.

Hope you stick around.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

Somer, no need to delete your account. Please stay and contribute here. More the merrier.

[Mark_Y]

@SomerB

Oh, and thank you Brad for understanding, it was a simple mistake/oversight. Steve Manzi…you really need to get a life. I feel sorry for you that you spent so much time so upset with my very innocent error.

[Ray.Tuppa_sch]

Cru had a great run and I don’t think the wine board people were the ones who supported them during that run.
I went to Cru many many times and rarely did I run into anyone that was a wine bb person.

Times changed, so restaurants like Cru, Veritas, etc needed to change as well.

@WvanGorp

@Steve Manzi

Especially if they don’t find a way to take care of the highest, most concentrated fans, who are the ones who go to vegas to take in LOS. Especially the wine board cult fans.

Didn’t save Cru.

[Linda_Baehr]

Yes, Somer, please stay. Most of us are mostly well behaves. There are some who get a bit overzealous, but we need more ITB people. Check out the wine talk forum.