>> JAMES BEARD AWARD-WINNER FOR HER FAMED LAS VEGAS RESTAURANT LOTUS OF SIAM, OWNER AND CHEF SAIPIN CHUTIMA IS OUR GUEST THIS WEEK FOR "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON".

>> SUPPORT FOR "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON" IS PROVIDED BY SENATOR WILLIAM H. HERNSTADT.

>> WELCOME TO "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON".

I'M AMBER RENEE DIXON.

A FIRST-GENERATION IMMIGRANT FROM THAILAND, GOURMET MAGAZINE NAMED HER RESTAURANT LOTUS OF SIAM THE BEST THAI FOOD IN ALL OF THE UNITED STATES.

CHEF SAIPIN CHUTIMA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON", AND PENNY CHUTIMA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WELL.

YOU ARE CHEF'S DAUGHTER, ALSO THE MANAGING PARTNER OF LOTUS OF SIAM AND HELPING US TRANSLATE TODAY.

MY FIRST QUESTION IS, OF ALL THE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES -- WELL, YOU DID MOVE FROM THAILAND TO LOS ANGELES FIRST IN 1987, BUT THEN LAS VEGAS.

WHY LAS VEGAS?

.

.

>> SO SHE SAYS THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US.

SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, SHE PICKED LAS VEGAS WAS BECAUSE OF THE TOURISM.

EVERYBODY IN THE UNITED STATES WILL ONCE IN A WHILE EVER COME TO LAS VEGAS.

SO IT'S ALWAYS A PASSING CITY.

AND IT'S IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE ACTUAL THAI FOOD NOT THE BASIC PAD THAIS OR CHILI BASIL BUT IT'S EVERYTHING THAT THAILAND HAS TO OFFER.

AND SHE SAID IN ORDER TO SHOWCASE THIS, YOU HAVE TO MAKE GOOD FOOD AND MOST OF HER FOOD SHE THINKS OF IT AS A MEDICINE.

>> WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT FOOD IS LIKE MEDICINE?

>> SO WHERE SHE WAS FROM IN CHIANG MAI, IT'S LIKE A SMALL LITTLE TOWN.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET GOOD DOCTORS AT THAT TIME, ESPECIALLY IN HER DECADE.

BUT SO WHAT OTHER WAY BESIDES MEDICINE IS THE THINGS THAT YOU EAT.

AND WE HAVE A LOT OF HERBS IN THAILAND THAT WE USE ARE HOLISTIC MEDICATIONS, WHICH IS NOW VERY WELL KNOWN.

LIKE MORINGA ROOT IS ONE OF THEM FROM THAILAND.

MORINGA HELPS WITH REDUCE OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND STROKES, AND THAI WE HAVE LEAVES THAT HELPS WITH INFLAMMATION.

>> THE STYLE OF THAI FOOD, THE NORTHERN STYLE OF THAI FOOD, DID SHE FACE ANY BACKLASH FROM THAT, PERHAPS CLIENTS NOT OPEN TO TRYING THAT OR SAYING THIS ISN'T THE THAI I'M USED TO?

>> FOR HER, SHE SAYS IT DIDN'T -- LIKE IT WAS PRETTY QUICK.

BUT REALISTICALLY, IT WAS QUITE A BIT.

WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE, I WANT TO SAY LIKE 1999, GOING INTO 2002, PEOPLE WERE JUST SO USED TO PAD THAI.

THEY WERE ONLY USED TO FRIED RICE.

COCONUT SOUP.

THANKFULLY MY MOM AND DAD ARE VERY GIVING.

LIKE ALWAYS ANY NEW PERSON, COME HERE, TRY THIS.

THIS IS OUR NAM KAO TOD OR THIS IS OUR STYLE OF BEEF JERKY OR HERE THIS IS A POUND OF JACKFRUIT.

AND AT THE TIME YOU HANDED SOMEBODY A POUND OF JACKFRUIT, THEY'RE LIKE WHAT IS THIS.

BUT NOW EVERYONE IS SO OPEN TO IT.

BUT I WANTED TO SAY LIKE MAYBE IT TOOK US A GOOD, ALMOST A DECADE, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR GUESTS COME IN, AND EVEN FURTHER OUT GUESTS COME IN AND BE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS GOOD.

LET ME STEP OUT OF MY BOX.

>> WHAT IS THE MUST-TRY DISH AT LOTUS OF SIAM?

>> HER FIRST ONE IS GARLIC PRAWN, FOR SURE.

>> SO MUCH VARIETY.

>> AND THAT TOOK A WHILE FOR PEOPLE TO -- >> AND HOUSE SOY.

>> AND OUR KOI SOI, THAT'S A NORTHEASTERN STAPLE.

AND NAM KAO TOD.

>> GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.

>> SHE SAID BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY HERBS IN THE CRISPY RICE, WHICH IS THE NAM KAO TOD, IT'S GOOD FOR THE BODY.

A LOT OF GINGER IN THERE.

>> HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE HELPING PEOPLE THE PEOPLE THAT EAT YOUR FOOD?

>> SHE SAID IT BRINGS HER A LOT OF JOY JUST BECAUSE IT'S LIKE RAISING YOUR CHILD.

YOU ONLY WANT THE BEST THAT YOU GIVE TO YOUR BABY.

SO THAT'S HOW SHE THINKS OF IT OVER HERE AS WHEN SHE FEEDS HER GUESTS, IT'S LIKE FEEDING HER KIDS.

>> FIRST RESTAURANT OPENED IN 1999 ON EAST SAHARA, THIS IS THE SECOND OF THREE LOCATIONS.

OF ALL THE INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM YOU'VE RECEIVED, DID YOU EVER WANT THAT?

>> SHE SAID FOR HER, IT WAS NEVER REALLY ABOUT IT.

IT WAS MORE LIKE IN HER MIND SHE HAS ONE FOCUS, TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.

AND IF TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY, YOU DO THINGS FOLLOWING YOUR PATH, AND THAT BROUGHT HER JOY.

SHE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE HER CULTURE, HERSELF AS A MOM, BUT ALSO TO SHOW THIS IS WHAT I DO.

>> HOW HAS THE FAME IMPACTED YOU?

>> SHE SAID IT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT HER THAT MUCH.

SHE'S STILL -- I CALL HER DR. GREENTHUMB BECAUSE SHE STILL PLANTS IN THE BACK.

SHE STILL GOES IN THE KITCHEN.

SHE DOES A LOT OF THE STUFF.

SHE I TELL HER SHE SHOULD RETIRE GO ON VACATION IT'S HARD.

SHE'S BEEN WORKING SINCE SHE WAS A KID.

>> AND I ASKED YOU AHEAD OF THE INTERVIEW HOW OLD YOU WERE.

68 YEARS OLD.

HOW ACTIVE ARE YOU STILL IN THE KITCHEN?

>> VERY ACTIVE.

[LAUGHTER] >> YOU CAN'T TAKE HER AWAY.

>> WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

>> SHE'LL DO THE WALK-THROUGHS IN THE RESTAURANT SEE WHAT'S OUT OF PLACE, WHAT'S NOT.

SHE CHECKS THE WALK-IN.

SHE CHECKS THE SAUCES.

SHE MAKES WHOEVER CLOSED LAST NIGHT DOES A PROPER CLOSE.

AND SO IF NOT, HERE COMES LIKE PHONES, CAMERAS, AND IT'S LIKE, RIGHT, BASICALLY YOUR MOM.

>> YOUR GRANDMOTHERS, THESE ARE YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD THINK OF YOUR SUCCESS?

>> SHE SAID THAT IF THEY WERE HERE THEY WOULD BE PROUD, FOR SURE, THAT ALL THE LECTURES AND STUFF THEY TOLD HER WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG HAS KEPT IN HER MIND AND SHE FOLLOWED THROUGH WITH IT.

BOTH MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS, HER SIDE, WAS FROM A VERY POOR AREA.

SO THEY WERE MERCHANTS.

THEY WERE FARMERS.

SO BEING RAISED BY YOUR GRANDFATHER WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A VERY MEANINGFUL THING BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU LEARN A LOT OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE FROM.

>> IS THERE A LESSON FROM HER GRANDFATHER SHE PARTICULARLY REMEMBERS?

>> PERSEVERANCE.

LIKE THROUGHOUT YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU DO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT DRIVE.

IF YOU START A PROJECT, IF YOU DON'T FINISH IT, THEN THAT'S ON YOU.

BUT FOR HER, IT WAS LIKE I'M GOING TO FINISH IT.

WHATEVER I START, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO FINISH BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HER GRANDPARENTS INSTILLED INTO HER.

AND IT'S LIKE DON'T FOCUS TOO MUCH ON OTHER PEOPLE'S VIBRATIONS COMING INTO YOUR AREA.

IT'S FOCUS ON YOURSELF.

>> AND ACCORDING TO THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, THERE ARE ONLY THREE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE BASE SAUCE RECIPES AT LOTUS OF SIAM.

WHO ARE THEY AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE RECIPES WHEN YOU'RE NO LONGER AROUND?

>> IT'S ACTUALLY FOUR.

MY DAD.

BUT IT'S MY MOM, MYSELF, MY SISTER AND MY DAD.

AND SO I MEAN AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S GOING TO STILL BE WITHIN THE FAMILY.

AND NOW I JUST HAD TWO KIDS.

AND THEY'RE WORKING IN THE KITCHEN NOW.

>> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GRANDKIDS GETTING TO KNOW YOUR RECIPES?

>> SHE'S LIKE, THEY'RE NOT EVEN THREE YET BUT I'M ALREADY TEACHING THEM HOW TO DO IT.

[LAUGHTER] SHE'S LIKE YOU HAVE TO LEARN.

SAME THING AS DAUGHTER.

COOKING.

MAMA, I DON'T LIKE THAT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

OKAY.

OKAY.

>> YOU USED TO CRY?

>> IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, YOU ALWAYS SAW -- I MEAN, BACK THEN WE NEVER HAD WHAT WE HAVE NOW.

THIS IS PROBABLY FIVE YEARS, MAYBE A GOOD SEVEN YEARS, OKAY, BUT PRIOR TO THAT, IT'S LIKE I'M 35 NOW SO MAYBE LIKE 20 -- WHAT I REMEMBER IS 24 YEARS OF SUPER HARDSHIP.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, YEAH, WE HAD A RESTAURANT, BUT MY MOM WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS.

SO WE WOULD TAKE THE BUS FROM ONE PLACE TO THE OTHER, CHARTER -- NOT CHARTER -- BUT TAKE TWO TRAINS AND EXIT OUT.

BUT WE WOULD LEAVE THE HOUSE AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING SO SHE CAN GET THERE AT NINE.

WE OPENED THE RESTAURANT.

I WOULD ALWAYS BE WITH HER.

YOU SEE IT.

BY THE TIME WE WENT HOME IT WAS LIKE MIDNIGHT.

1:00, 2:00.

>> THE PERSEVERANCE.

LOOK AT HOW FAR YOU'VE COME.

>> YES.

>> PENNY CHUTIMA, SAIPIN CHUTIMA THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING "NEVADA WEEK IN PERSON".

TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS LIKE THIS GO TO VEGASPBS.ORG/NEVADAWEEK.