Globetrotting flavors spice up Flamingo Road near Decatur Boulevard
Bangkok Market (1)
This gem of a store, located just outside of Chinatown proper, is full of pleasant surprises. Along with all the dry goods, the refrigerator cases feature dishes like steamed fish curry, grilled barbecue pork, and Thai deserts. Street Foodie likes to grab a hot meal at the cafeteria — like the fried mussel pancake. The fresh, eggy batter marries perfectly with the little mollusks, saturating the dish with flavor. It tastes like crispy ocean. Grab a palm soda to sweeten things up a bit.
4825 W, Flamingo Road, 702-873-0396
Oodle Noodle (2)
This noodle house serves chewy, chubby, homemade udon in styles ranging from traditional to anything but. This joint brings all the Japanese flavors, plus some. For instance, the lasagna udon was a curiosity I couldn’t pass up. Good thing, too. It’s full of the familiar Italian flavors but with a completely different pasta; nice twist. Go more traditional with udon on ice, and get a side of tempura-fried avocado to maximize the richness. Itadakimasu — “let’s eat” — indeed.
4449 W. Flamingo Road, 702-538-9556
Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant (3)
The blessing and curse of Ethiopian food is the bread injera. A sourdough sponge that creates the base of the cuisine, serving as both utensil and filler, can get overwhelming. But at Lucy, this is offset by some of the most powerful flavors known to Street Foodie: meats and vegetables spiced somewhere between Indian food and heaven. Try the mixed veggie plate, a wonderful gift to carnivores and vegans alike; you won’t miss the meat. But if you do, the lamb tibs are a palate-singeing experience you won’t soon forget.
4850 W. Flamingo Road, 702-473-5999
Da Lat Restaurant (4)
Street Foodie doesn’t use double exclamation points often, but: This place is amazing!! Strong, elegant Vietnamese flavors that I was unaccustomed to. I tried the caramel catfish, which comes with a sour fish soup. The dance that’s done here goes well beyond your basic sweet/sour/savory interaction to a place Street Foodie had never completely gone before. You should follow.
4553 W. Flamingo Road, 702-871-5285