Broadcast legend dines at iconic off-Strip restaurant

It turns out Oprah Winfrey is a fan of Chef Saipin Chutima’s famous garlic prawns with crispy shells.

We learned as much when Winfrey dropped into Lotus of Siam on Tuesday night at the restaurant’s Flamingo Road location. Winfrey was reportedly seated in the back, private dining room of the James Beard Award-winning, Northern Thai restaurant.

Winfrey was seated with an unidentified member of her production team. It was an early birthday drop-in, as Winfrey turned 72 on Thursday.

During the stop, she posed for a pic with co-owner Penny Chutima. From the Lotus media-relations reps, Winfrey sipped tea and sampled several of Chutima’s signature dishes, the prawns being the most famous. Chutima won the 2011 Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest.

Lotus has been a draw for celeb foodies for years. Among its famed diners: Anthony Bourdain, Pharrell Williams, Chrissy Teigen, Padma Lakshmi and Guy Fieri.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.