Back when Food Network was hyping this place up, it used to be a buffet. Lotus of Siam no longer has a lunch buffet but I decided to try it anyway. My wife and I ordered a papaya salad, tom yum shrimp and duck khao soi.
Tom yum shrimp was decent, the sour and spice hit all the right notes but there was nothing to set it apart from other tom yum soups I have had.
The duck khao soi blew my mind. The soup of coconut curry tasted mellow with a perfect kick of sour and heat. The crispy duck exploded with flavor while providing textural contrast to the smooth soup and soft egg noodles. This dish cost $27 but it was totally worth it.
I would have given Lotus of Siam 5 stars if not for their papaya salad. The best papaya salad I have ever tasted came Chim! in Pasadena, CA. A proper papaya salad should complement sour and spice, smooth and crunchy, sweets and bitters. It should achieve perfect balance in its multiple opposing flavors. The papaya salad at Lotus of Siam goes overboard on the sour and bitter. Do not order their papaya salad!