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Lotus of Siam, long revered as the “best Thai restaurant in America” by influential food critics, will shutter its outpost at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas after roughly four years.
And Sin City insiders say there’s a drama raging behind the scenes of the shock closure — publicly touted as a mutual agreement between landlord and tenant in a statement issued by Station Casinos, which operates the popular Summerlin resort.
“This isn’t a naturally occurring breakup,” local watcher Scott Reuben wrote at Vital Vegas — touting the fact that most restaurant leases last five to ten years as a dead giveaway.
Lotus of Siam debuted in the late 1990s at a humble storefront in the city’s historic Commercial Center, near the Las Vegas Strip. That original site and a second location on E. Flamingo, near the airport, remain.
The Red Rock spot debuted in 2022 – opened by Bua Food Group, which at the time consisted of Penny Chutima, daughter of chef and co-founder Saipin Chutima, along with a partner, Lou Abin.
The project was plagued by food and service issues from the start, the Las Vegas Journal-Review reported — problems that resulted in a bitter, intra-family court battle that remains ongoing.
Court documents detail Champagne-soaked parties with DJs and risque dancing, along with baffling, off-brand menu additions — all of which the family felt hurt the brand of the original restaurants.
Finally, Red Rock appears to have had enough — not only is Lotus of Siam out, but also two other restaurants on property also operated by Bua.
”Red Rock Casino and the entities that operate Lotus of Siam, Naxos Taverna and the Red Rock Oyster Bar outlets have agreed that their tenancies will end effective Oct. 29,” Station said in its statement, earlier this week.
The company said it would now be operating the Oyster Bar itself — much like at Palace Station, where the counter-only joint is legendary for its seafood pan roasts and long waits in line — and would announce plans for the other spaces in the coming weeks.
When contacted by the California Post, Station declined to elaborate further on the matter of the closures — referring back to its original announcement.
In other abrupt closure news in Las Vegas, beloved, Beverly Hills-based Mulberry Street Pizza will be pulling out of Resorts World after just five years — while teasing a possible revival elsewhere in town.
“Las Vegas…we’re not cashing out! See you soon,” owner Richie Palmer said in an announcement.
