ARAWAN THAI BISTRO RESTAURANT (LAS VEGAS)
I’m sharing a few funny stories from Arawan (Thai Restaurant) in Las Vegas. Marieta and I had lunch there yesterday. It’s become my solid “go to” place for consistently good Thai food.
While Lotus of Siam gets all the praise (deservedly so, although the new Red Rock location is a massive disappointment), this underrated gem also merits some love. I now rank Arawan above Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen (which was my previous affordable favorite Thai spot in the city).
1. Last month, BARGE was in town. I was sitting in a poker tournament and Brandon Gerson was two seats away. We started talking about local restaurants, and he asked if I liked anything nearby (this was as the Westgate). Since Arawan is only about a mile away, I mentioned it. I also noted, “somebody on Facebook posted a comment and told me about this place three years ago…..but I forgot who it was.” Brandon started smiling, then broke the news: “Hey, that was me!” Small world. At least Brandon is smart about restaurant choices.
2. Everyone knows my disdain for fancy Strip restaurants — their ridiculous prices, paid parking, and the annoying sense of entitlement of many people who work in expensive casino restaurants. In fact, I’m fucking fed up with it. So, there was a group of us in town that wanted to go out to dinner on a busy Saturday night. Trouble was, this was 4:30 pm on Saturday and we had a party of 8 people. And–we needed a table in an hour. There’s not a decent restaurant anywhere on the Strip that would accommodate this request, and we’d probably be laughed at if we tried to phone in a reservation (or the maitre’d would try to shake us down for a hefty tip). I thought about my conversation with Brandon earlier, immediately phoned Arawan, and they did a Bob Barker (‘”c’mon down!”). When we arrived 55 minutes later, we had a big table, a private room, and immaculate service. With generous appetizers, a main course each, drinks and wine, we paid $70 a head (except Steve Eisenstein–his wine was $450 a bottle). It was a great meal and a steal of a value. See why I love Arawan?
3. So, yesterday I had Drunken Noodles, Pad See Ew, and Garlic and Pepper with rice. I think their Drunken Noodles are among the best in the city. We ordered 3 dishes, at $15 each (comes with soup, eggroll, small salad, and desert)….each having our own dish and sharing one. Fantastic lunch. Dinner is a bit pricier, but it’s worth it.
I like the upscale comfort of Arawan. It’s cozy and quiet. The neighborhood is a little dicey, but if you’re into massage parlors and gay bars, this is one-stop shopping.
Give Arawan a try. It deserves more business and should be on every diner’s “go to” list who loves great Thai food.