Thai BBQ

Thursday, April 10, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Eat: Recommended Restaurants

By James P. Reza

Ah, so...

Las Vegas is overrun with restaurants serving Asian, Asian-inspired, Pan Asian, Pacific Rim, Fusion...more stir-fry than you can shake a chopstick at. There are authentic restaurants, scene eateries, national chains and family-run holes-in-the-wall. This is therefore not a list of the best of anything, but rather a condensed sampling of some of our favorites.

Ah Sin

3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South ; 967-7999

$$-$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy

Following the lead of the famed Buddha Bar in Paris (the city), this new eatery in Paris (the resort) combines an energetic restaurant and sexy lounge (Risqué) into a nightlife draw that already attracts the young and restless. Ah Sin features multiple rooms showcasing delicious Pacific Rim/Asian cuisine (sushi, noodles, Korean barbecue), and an expansive dining patio with great views of the Bellagio fountains.

Food Express

2003 S. Decatur Blvd.; 870-1595

$; Casual/Smart Casual

The authenticity of an ethnic restaurant is said to be measured by the gringo ratio; here it runs about 1-to-10, where busloads of jonesing Asian tourists often descend on this unassuming joint. The daily menu boards are handwritten in Chinese characters, though a printed menu concedes to English. Get past the sometimes-surly attitude to get at the good food, served until 2 a.m. daily.

Hamada of Japan

365 E. Flamingo Rd.; 733-3005

$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy

Dating to an era when Japanese teppan-yaki was a trendy fave, Hamada offers the perfect combination of kitsch and style. There's standard table service here, but the fun (and the parade of beautiful people) can be found at the sushi bar or the teppan room, where food is sliced, diced and sizzled before your eyes.

Komol

953 E. Sahara Ave.; 731-6542

$; Casual

This unassuming hole-in-the-wall ranks among the favorite eateries of the hepcat set. It's unpretentious and inexpensive, and offers substantial vegetarian choices on its Thai-centric menu. Oddly (or perhaps not), Chinese-American comfort food such as egg foo yung is also available, and you are bound to find a friend or two while dining here.

Little Buddha

4321 W. Flamingo Rd.; 942-7778

$$; Smart Casual/Trendy

Elevating the concept of scene restaurant to its apex, the Vegas version of Paris' notorious Buddha Bar is at once a cocktail lounge, sushi bar and restaurant. Groovy electronic lounge music pulses in the foreground (Buddha sells its own soundtrack CDs) while the fashion-capable nosh tasty French-Asian fusion cuisine.

Nobu

4455 Paradise Rd.; 693-5090

$$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy

Among global foodie cognoscenti, sex and sushi are symbiotic, so it makes perfect sense that chef Nobu Matsuhisa would locate Nobu in the Hard Rock Hotel, the Vegas epicenter of the sexy and stylish. The food is a fusion of Asian and South American, the decor implies an updated yet clichéd Japanese village. Hey, is that De Niro?

Noodles

3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 693-8131

$$; Smart Casual

A relatively unknown modernist masterpiece tucked away in the Bellagio, Noodles serves delicious Pan-Asian comfort food until 3 a.m. daily. The room, designed by the internationally renowned Tony Chi, is a perfect backdrop for the parade of jet-setting hipsters who frequent the joint. Sit at the counter and slurp your noodles for a more authentic urban experience.

Promarres Thai Food

6362 W. Sahara Ave.; 221-9644

$; Casual

This tiny, family-run storefront does a great deal of take-out business, though that should not dissuade you from stopping in and grabbing one of the few small tables. Thanks to the folks who run the place, the food is authentic Thai (though they will temper the hot peppers if you ask). We like the Pad Thai noodles, vegetable curry, Thai iced tea and the prices.

Royal Star

3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 414-1888

$$$$; Trendy/Black Tie

Considered by some to offer the city's best Chinese food, the Venetian's Royal Star is a beautiful, Asian-modern room that nicely complements the delicious food. Bubbling tanks offer the freshest seafood in the desert, but even vegetarians will be surprised at the kitchen's creativity. Wanna try it without over-committing your pocketbook? Try the Dim Sum lunch.

Thai BBQ

1424 S. Third St.; 383-1128

$; Casual

This longtime Vegas eatery has made a name for itself by satisfying the take-out urges of many a lunching downtown cube farmer, and is the place where many in town savored their first taste of Thai iced tea and coffee. The namesake barbecue is tasty, the satay very good and the soup a nice alternative. Be careful what and how you order; this food can be hot.