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In response to recent coverage of the forthcoming closure of Lotus of Siam at Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, the Chutima family has issued its first public statement to clarify the ownership and operation of that location.

The Red Rock restaurant has operated without Penny Chutima or the Chutima family’s participation for approximately two years. The family-operated Lotus of Siam restaurants on Flamingo Road and Sahara Avenue remain open.

Here is the Chutima family’s statement:
 
“The closure of the Red Rock location should not be mischaracterized as a conflict between Penny Chutima and her mother, Chef Saipin Chutima. Penny and Saipin remain committed to protecting the identity, recipes and legacy of Lotus of Siam.

“Red Rock was established through a separate venture involving an outside business partner, and for approximately the past two years, its current operator has run the location without Penny or the Chutima family’s participation.

“Chef Chutima’s pending federal lawsuit challenges this operator’s continued use of the Lotus of Siam trademark, alleging that this use risks harm to the brand, which was the very outcome the family sought to prevent.

“The challenges surrounding that outside business arrangement should not be conflated with the Chutima family or their relationship. Penny Chutima’s thriving Flamingo Road location and recently reopened original location on Sahara Avenue preserve the authentic Lotus of Siam experience the Chutimas have built since 1999.”

Chef Saipin Chutima won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2011, becoming the first Asian-born chef to win a James Beard Award for cooking the cuisine of her homeland.