Arawan Thai Bistro and Dessert

Great experience. The décor is nice and contemporary with comfortable seating. We ordered Thai calamari, seabass, pad Thai and seafood tom yum soup. Everything was delicious. The dishes have nice presentation as well. They have a great dessert menu but we were too full to order anything. Service was also very good, tentative and friendly. Will come back for more!

Excellent Thai food, beautifully presented. Chef Gail was very welcoming and friendly. Crème brûlée was also delicious.

Amazing amazing thai food! Each dish we ordered was clearly prepared with much love and care. The chow mein noodles were fantastic and the Tom yum soup was a delight. We loved the experience so much that we’re here again for lunch this time. Highly recommended!

Finally a place that lives up to the hype!
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This restaurant is located in a shady shopping center on Sahara between Maryland and Paradise. Lotus of Siam, Komol, Haifa, and Cornish Pasty Co. are in the same shopping center.
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Went on Saturday 1−23−16 at about 6pm. The outside is straight up scary but inside it’s like being transported to a swanky bistro with dim lighting, lovely modern décor, nicely dressed wait staff, real flowers on the table, strawberry infused water… very peaceful and tranquil. They do have high chairs for the kiddos.
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$ 57.32 got us a thai coffee, thai tea, egg rolls, crispy basil ribeye, pad see ew, and a crème brûlée. Complimentary fried wontons were brought to the table. I could have eaten a whole basket of these… they were wonderfully hot, crispy, salty, and came with a zesty dipping sauce. I loved them.
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$ 12.00 Pad See Ew with chicken– Well seasoned flat noodles with chicken, scrambed egg, and chinese broccoli. This was absolutely delicious. It reminds me of the version at Thai Food to Go.
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$ 19.00 Ribeye crispy basil– Strips of ribeye with perfectly sauteed veggies. I loved the pod of fresh peppercorns (never seen that before) and the lotus chip on top. The dish feels very elegant yet comforting.
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$ 9.00 crème brûlée– hands down the most beautiful thing I’ve ever eaten… I was so sad to destroy it! It was topped with fresh fruit, an edible violet, and a breath-​taking sugar cage. It was perfectly bruleed on top and the consistency was decadent and creamy. It looked like they used real vanilla beans which I don’t think I’ve ever had before but it was quite wonderful… they give a very subtle vanilla flavor.
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Egg rolls were hot, crispy, and filled nicely. My only complaint would be the thai coffee… it was pretty terrible. It tasted like they used irish cream Coffee Mate creamer instead of half & half. I did not enjoy it… it was like drinking Bailey’s. Husband’s thai tea was good, however.
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I think the mark of a good restaurant is wanting to come back… and I can’t wait to go back here.

Found a new Thai place to eat at: completed.
Took my Sugar Toosh out last night for his birthday. We were not disappointed. Well, we’re alcoholics, and they don’t have their liquor license yet.
So — fellow alcoholics, beware.
Also, we both liked this place better than Lotus. I don’t get the obsession with that place. Yes, it’s good. But I’ve heard from a lot of people it’s not the best in town, and I couldn’t agree more.
The only thing is some of the seafood tasted a little too *fishy*. It could just be me.
Here are the things we ordered:
Awaran Pad Thai — super yummy. They add chicken and shrimp which is just what we like. Some people didn’t read that part and got upset about the chicken.
Whatevs.
Crispy Duck — my favorite. I love crispy duck. I love it even more with curry sauce, so that was the only thing I was missing. But they cooked it so well, and it wasn’t gamey or tough. Perfect.
Scallops Green Curry — this was my fishy dish. I don’t usually thing scallops taste that fishy. We order them pretty often. The curry itself was delicious. But the overwhelming smell of the scallops made me not want to eat more. My fiancé loved it, so maybe it was just me.
This is a pretty little joint in that weird plaza on Sahara. I feel like they could do a creepy murder movie in there. But that doesn’t ever stop me.
I love little places that the food tastes super authentic and they’re NOT CHAINS. I hope this place continues in popularity and that they’re able to get their liquor license soon. We’ll be back either way, for sure.

There’s only a few times in life that you go to a restaurant and say, «finally…someone who gets it!» Arawan Thai Bistro and Dessert not only gets it, but they have taken food quality, presentation, ambiance and service to the next level.
We stopped in during busy CES week for a reprieve from The Strip, and boy were we happy we did as this place blows most of those restaurants out of the water — for a fraction of the price to boot!
Sure there’s no valet (typical in the Vegas restaurant scene), and it may be wise to lockup your car real well — but none of that matters once you step foot through the doors of Arawan. Pastry Chef Gail and her parents have really done an amazing job creating a warm, tranquil dining experience so as to ensure nothing detracts from the amazing lunch, dinner and dessert menu… and I don’t throw around the word amazing lightly.
Signature Thai dishes that will make you sweat with happiness, delicious soups that warm and invigorate the soul, and a vanilla bean Crème Brûlée that I simply cannot describe with words.
On top of everything, my fiancée and I truly felt like we were part of their family while being there, which was certainly a breath of fresh air after being cut off and honked at all week during all the CES hustle and bustle. Our Lunch server (forgot his name), and Dinner server Tanya (who made sure we didn’t forget her name, haha) were so hospitable and literally jumped at every request — even while the restaurant was busy.
Hats off to the folks at Arawan Thai Bistro and Dessert — you made our trip to Vegas. We’ll be back to see you soon!
Unilocalers out there do yourself a favor and try this place out ASAP!

Location: Unilocal took us to Suite A, but Suite E is not hard to find (Even though we were confused by the vast area)
Interior: Warm welcomed atmosphere. Modern decoration. Cozy furniture. There are horigotatsu (Japanese style seating) section too!
Food: My friend recommended Kao Mun Gai (Hainan chicken rice), Guay Jub and Kao Ka Moo… but they ran out all of them! So we tried Chicken Wings (Marinated with Tom Yum sauce), Tom Kha Gai (Coconut soup), Pad Thai and Arawan Duck instead. Normally I do not order Pad Thai because most of Thai restaurants make them so sweet. But for this place, it is a must!
We finished our meal with Roti and homemade thai tea gelato. We were not disappointed. Their food presentations are awesome! ¹⁰⁄₁₀!
Service: Triple A. Attentive. Amazing. Awesome.

I’ve put off this review for awhile anyhow the prices are considerably high compared to other local Thai restaurants BUT this place is all about quality and let me tell you then live up to the quality. We ordered
–Chicken Panang
–Thai fried rice
–Chicken satay
–Lemongrass chicken wings
–mint chicken
–pad Thai
Our favorites were the Pad Thai, the curry, and satay. They were super flavorful and the chicken quality is ¹⁰⁄₁₀ it was so tender. They also use fresh lemongrass, basil. The leftovers were soooo good.
All in all the food was amazing and the atmosphere is super nice this wouldn’t be a place that I would go consistently just because it was expensive but definitely would come by on special occasions.

What an amazing find. The ambiance was very calming and well appointed. The chefs here deserve accolades for the quality of the food as well as the meticulous attention to the plating.
We started with the simple egg papaya salad and moved to a ton yum soup both at medium spicy (just enough for me). Then, we were astounded with the presentation of the short rib curry as well as the squid drunken noodle. Both were stunning. The short rib just melted in your mouth. It wasn’t a meager portion either. And the seafood in the drunken noodle was top notch. The mussels were plump, the squid cut beautifully and generously, the prawns jumbo sized, the scallops succulent, and the fish perfect.
Even the drinks were amazing. The ice cubes in the Thai ice coffee were unusual, but made the drink «sparkle» visually. And, the honey bliss blossoming tea was a vision to watch actually blossoming in the see-​through glass teapot.
If that wasn’t enough, the deserts took my breath away. We ordered a simple mango sticky rice and it came with a delicate silver sugar arch with two colours of sticky rice. I kept eyeing the table next to me because all they ordered was dessert!
I will definitely be back.

Vegas has been blessed with some outstanding Thai cuisine. The Thai food Gods call a shady complex on Sahara & Commercial Center home.
Lotus of Siam boasts their Northern Thai dishes and Komol offers an extensive vegetarian menu. Arawan, the new kid on the block, has the WOW factor that you cannot get at any Thai place I have been to in Vegas!
I was able to dine in during lunch and dinner. By far, I highly recommend this place for dinner! I will mention that for under $ 10 they offer lunch specials that include dessert! I had the pad thai, which needed an oomph of something. I ended up using the spice rack more frequently than I was accustomed to. Presentation was simple and not memorable. The dessert that I had was a mini sized crème brûlée, which was absolutely divine!
I knew I had to come back for dinner some time. On my most recent visit this is what I tried:
1) Pad Thai — Probably the best plated pad thai I have ever laid my eyes on. Wow. Noodles were encapsulated by a lattice style egg nest, topped with two large prawns, and accompanied with lime, peanuts, and bean sprouts on the side. No spice enhancement needed. Flavors were on point and very different from my lunch time experience.
2) Scallops in green curry — A deliciously light, but very filling and rich dish. Scallops were on point and I enjoyed the veggies and all the flavors going on.
3) Mango sticky rice — So simple, but so good! The dessert chef at Arawan deserves recognition for the finesse and talent put into the dessert!
The interior is gorgeous and is perfect for an intimate dinner. Loved the ambience here and the warm, modern décor. The service was very polite and friendly.

To open a Thai restaurant in the same parking lot in what many consider to be the best Thai restaurant in the US (L o S) — you better be good. Arawan is great!
Gourmet Thai food is a fitting description. Not at all typical Thai take-​out or dine in. Beautifully presented and full of flavor. The beef short rib in yellow curry is delicious. The fried lemongrass catfish is crazy good (and big). Deserts are sensibly sized and great. Can’t wait to come back.

Hands down, the best Thai food I have ever had.
Located in the commercial center with two other very well regarded Thai restaurants, I wasn’t sure how well this place was going to do. It definitely deserves a spot among the best.
The ambiance is classy without being uptight. The wicker chairs are a pleasure to sit in. The service was prompt. Everything was clean.
The Short Rib Yellow Curry is where it’s at. This will not disappoint. The rib has plenty of tender meat that melts in your mouth. The roasted vegetables pair wonderfully with the curry. Spoon that curry on everything. I went with medium spice for the curry and got the perfect blend of taste and heat.
The Arawan Pad Thai is presented like a work of art. Beautiful criss-​cross pattern and it’s loaded with prawns. The prices are a bit higher than other Thai restaurants but it’s definitely worth it.
The atmosphere, the presentation, the food. This place has it and at a reasonable price.

This place has been on my radar for a while. It did not disappoint!
Very beautiful on the inside. I was very impressed to see it because commercial center is old and it is probably easy for businesses to kind of leave their space «as is» when moving in. The chairs were comfy and I liked the pillows for back support (I sound like my mom right now).
The water had a little strawberry slice which is a nice little touch. I love pad Thai so much, so I already knew that my first time here, I was going to get their Arawan pad Thai.
Oh man, their presentation was beautiful. They did some artwork with that. I enjoyed the dish, although I asked for medium and it did not have any sort of spice profile whatsoever. I would have asked the young lady for something to make it spicier, but some people were loudly arguing their bill and change for 15 minutes so I did not get the chance. They were very polite in their interaction with the loud guests.
My fiancé got the short rib curry. I took
a bit of that tender baby and it was delicious. I know he was pretty satisfied so I look forward to many lunch and dinner dates here with my sweetie to work through their menu!

Experience: I’ve heard good things about this place, and when my friend said she was in the mood for Thai, I brought her here to try it out. It was noon on a Friday.
Facility: This place is pretty nice. It has a very upscale feel with beautiful tables and chairs and elegant décor. I loved they had a different fresh flower on every table. This would be a great date night restaurant.
Service: The service was very good here. Fairly attentive and when we asked for a big portion to go of what was left on our plates, they came out to find out if there was a problem with the food so they could «improve» anything. I like that. :)
Food: They serve a slice of strawberry in the very elegant water glass, which I thought classed it up.
We ordered the lunch deals, which is a choice of a main dish, rice on the side, soup, and a dessert for $ 9.99.
The soup was an egg drop soup ³⁄₅ with some fried noodles to drop in. Something was a tad sweet, which I threw it off for me. I think it was the noodles.
My main dish was the Chicken Pad See Ew ⁴⁄₅. It had a good flavor, but it was a tad mushy. The spice level I asked for the spiciest, and it was more like a med spice.
For dessert, they bring a slice of blueberry cheesecake ⁴⁄₅. I was too full, but took one bite to taste and it was very good.
Overall: I liked this place. Great atmosphere!!! The food was good, but I’d like to come back for dinner and try something else. For the record, I like this better than the Thai neighbors in commercial center … K and LOS. ;)

I stopped here before going to the Smith Center to see a show. I was the only one in the restaurant during the entire time I was there, so things were quiet and service was excellent.
After checking the menu – it’s different than the one online – I ordered a small bowl of Tom Yum soup. For the main course, I ordered soft shell crab pad pong karee. I also ordered a Thai iced coffee. When I was asked for the spiciness of both dishes, I was given a scale of mild, medium, or spicy. I asked for medium to spicy and the server said I’ll put medium ++. My receipt shows them both as medium.
Before ordering, I was brought three fried wonton pieces with chile sweet and sour sauce much like noodles in a Chinese restaurant.
The iced coffee and a glass of water and a carafe of water were brought. There was a fresh rose in a glass on the table. When my soup came, it was perfect. The right size for a person dining alone and seasoned spicier than medium but not burn your mouth hot. The broth was excellent. The soup was not overwhelmed with lemongrass as some Thai places do. This was an auspicious start to the evening!
Then the soft shell crab was brought along with a small bowl of rice. The spiciness of the crab was opposite the soup. In fact, there was little flavor to the sauce itself. The flavor of the dish came from the crab and the vegetables in the dish. On a scale of 1 to 5 for spiciness, this dish was 0. This was a big disappointment! I should have ordered the duck as I was planning.
I ordered the sweet sensation banana Thai pancake with Thai iced tea ice cream. The dessert was fine. The pancake was tough and the ice cream had little taste. The presentation was excellent with a small square of chocolate with the Arawan logo on it.
Service was excellent and not simply because I was the only person there. I can see the people giving courteous and friendly service to all customers. The room is nicely done aand so open compared to the restaurant it replaced.
I’m not sure if I will return. There are so many good Thai restaurants that we have to choose from and there’s no reason to accept an entrée lacking as much as this was.

This review is for lunch. Apparently the dinner is even more amazing so I’ll have to return for that.
They have $ 9.95 lunch specials which include a small soup, your choice of entrée from a list, and a dessert. The quality and taste are exceptional. And for that price, you really can’t beat it. There was no wait at all during lunch. Service was excellent as well. This is a more upscale place than next-​door Lotus of Siam.

Elephant of the clouds – the fighting one
Brother of the sun, Arawan!
4.5 Stars… I’m rounding this one up because they take care of niceties better than any Thai Restaurant in Vegas. The best gourmet Thai Food in Las Vegas!
Arawan Thai Bistro and Dessert is in the same center as two of the better Thai Restaurants in Las Vegas (Lotus of Siam & Komol). I wondered if they were good enough to be in the same center as these restaurants or just foolish enough… turns out that they are indeed «good enough» and in many ways better.
Arawan distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack. They are refined and composed in a way that few other Thai Restaurants are while still maintaining integrity for the flavors. Take their Arawan Pad Thai as an example. This is one of the absolute tastiest Pad Thai dishes in town; but at the same time, this dish is taken out of the ordinary with a couple lovely variations. The noodles are encased in a netting of egg and the dish is finished with the placement of two giant grilled prawns on top. You don’t have to take my word for it. Arawan has some of the best pictures of Thai food on Unilocal… even the cellphone pics taken with horrible lighting manage to look alright.
We enjoyed all of the following:
Arawan Pad Thai
Ribeye Crispy Basil
Panang Curry Chicken
Silver Noodle Salad
Squid-​Ink Drunken Noodles
Soft Shell Crab Pad Pong Karee
Chicken Chow Mein
Pad See Ew
Fresh Spring Rolls
Hardcore fans of Pad Kee Mao (A.K.A. Drunken Noodles) may not love the Squid-​Ink Drunken Noodles. This is a very good dish in its own right, but one of the few that fails to shine through with some of the more traditional flavors of its predecessor.
In general spice levels are low. If you’re a fan of spicy food ask them to crank it up… hot here is a medium at many Thai places and you’ll need to ask for Thai Spicy if want more heat than that.
I haven’t had the opportunity to try either of their whole fried fish entrees, but they look amazing – firmly established on my list for future visits. I’d also love to make it in for lunch as their lunch specials look like a great deal, but my schedule does not allow for it.
Desserts! I could have started with this section. If you call yourself «Arawan Thai Bistro and Dessert» then you better come through in the dessert section! Chef Gail does. We enjoyed their desserts so much that we came back just to have desserts and a beautiful flower blossom tea. My favorite is the Mango Paradise. I like mango sticky rice in general, and Arawan succeeds in elevating this classic dish while incorporating an incredible traditional technique of incorporating dried butterfly pea into the rice.
Mango Paradise
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Sweet Sensation
Chocolate Pecan Tart
A couple comparisons:
Arawan rightfully bills themselves as gourmet Thai Food, a category reserved in Vegas for Chada Thai & Wine… maybe Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen and some Asian fusion spots if you want to stretch things. While Chada has the edge in ambiance and a spectacular wine program, Arawan’s dishes are more polished, more collected and plated better than both Chada and Nittaya’s.
Please understand that this is not the same food you would find in a hole in the wall restaurant in Thailand. If you are looking for what some would call authentic (what does that even mean anymore?) Thai food then go next door to Komol… or make the drive to Pan Asia or Thai Food To Go. But if you’re simply looking for incredible food then make your way to Arawan.

Dear friends + great food + amazing dessert = Dinner at Arawan Thai Bistro.
Seven of us gathered here for Sunday dinner and shared several dishes, family style.
Hearing so many good things about Arawan, I was looking forward to the Mango Paradise dessert most of all. But first, dinner:
–Ribeye Crispy Basil
–Arawan Pad Thai
–Squid-​Ink Drunken Noodles
–Panang Curry Chicken
–Soft Shell Crab Pad Pong Karee
–Chicken Chow Mein (yes, this is on the menu)
I didn’t have the Squid-​Ink dish because I don’t eat fish, but I tried every other dish. Standouts were definitely the Pad Thai with the huge prawns as well as the Panang Curry Chicken. I also really enjoyed the Soft Shell Crab dish; it was maybe only the second time I’ve had soft shell crab and the curry flavor was just right.
The desserts were works of art. You can definitely just come here for them if you want to treat yourself.
–Mango Paradise (Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango): I finally got my fix after not getting any last weekend at the monthly Thai food festival. I kinda wished I didn’t have to share.
–Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee: This was a lovely presentation. We called it a spiderweb of sugar which covered the crème brûlée and fruit.
–Sweet Sensation: the Thai Tea ice cream with this dessert was fabuloso. Add the roti with bananas and it is sensational.
Service was excellent and, all in all, a wonderful dining experience that I look forward to repeating soon.
*Reservations are recommended.

I decided to stop here for a bite to eat before heading off to the Green Door which is conveniently located in the same plaza. The interior does not match the surrounding sketchy neighborhood. It’s actually inviting & cozy. This place would make a perfect date night spot with soft elevator music playing in the background. I thought it was super quiet here so don’t bring your loud friends here.
They give you complimentary wonton crisps with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The spice levels are mild, medium, or spicy. We went with the medium. My friends and I ordered the lemongrass chicken wings in Tom Yum and the egg papaya salad for appetizers. The flavors were subtle with the wings. I would have liked the lemongrass and the Tom Yum to stand out more. The papaya salad was alright. I usually don’t order papaya salad though.
I ordered the short rib yellow curry with rice. I really enjoyed my entrée. It was mouthwatering, delicious! The tender pieces of the short rib fell off the bone and the curry was seasoned well. My friend ordered the lemongrass fried catfish. Catfish is one of my least favorite fishes but I liked their version of it. My other friend ordered the squid ink drunken noodles with seafood. I thought it was OK. The portion sizes are just right but truth be told, I could have had another piece of that delectable short rib!
For desserts, we ordered the vanilla bean crème brûlée which came with gold flakes, a sugar dome, strawberries, blueberries, and chocolate & the Sweet Sensation which is sweet Thai banana pancakes with Thai tea ice cream, strawberries, Oreo crumbles, condensed milk, and chocolate. Wow, talk about a fancy presentation! Gotta love desserts that look pretty and tastes delicious!
The service was professional and attentive. They give you a carafe of strawberry mint infused water. They do not have alcohol. I rarely drink with Thai food so I didn’t even notice until my friend had mentioned it. The spice levels are not your typical Thai spicy levels. Our medium spicy was more of a mild spicy so it’s safe to bring your white friends here.
They have a second room with Zashiki style seating (where you take off your shoes and sit on a mat and a low table). I’m guessing this used to be a Japanese restaurant. I’m not sure if they will use it or not. Maybe when it gets more popular, they will.
Oh BTW, I was kidding about heading off to the Green Door. I just mentioned it so locals and you pervs will know how to find this place. :)

Everything was so delicious except for the Pad Thai (lacked sauce) and the Green Curry (watered down and flavorless).
The duck red curry, the Tom Kha gai, crab fried rice, the Tom Yum, the Thai iced tea, and the mango sticky rice all with a beautiful presentation.
Great service to boot, can’t wait to come back when in Vegas.