I apologize if I missed it but I looked through this thread and did not see this Thai dish listed:

Meang Kum
Fresh Chapoo leaves on top of which sit roasted coconut, sun dried shrimp, diced ginger, shallot, lime, peanuts and Thai hot pepper, served with sauce that one spoons onto the the whole pile of items listed above. One then puts the whole thing in the mouth to eat.

This is an amazing dish, I've only seen it once before on a Thai restaurant menu. I spoke with the restaurant owner who grew up in Bangkok and said this dish has always been one of her favorites since a young age. Anyone else like this dish or have seen it on a US menu?

My staples when in Thailand:

Pad Krapow with squid, shrimp, or mixed seafood (must have at least once every 48 hrs)
Kaeng Pa (jungle curry) with squid, shrimp or seafood
Chicken Fried Rice
Green curry w/chicken
Larb Pla Dook
Som Tom (only from street vendors)
Many other very spicy stir-fried meat/veg dishes w/steamed rice
Many other soups

Pad Thai is good, but just seems so unhealthy compared to other options. I try to sample one new dish every day or two, and am rarely disappointed. I DO NOT like mangoes or sticky rice at all, or anything containing the sweet red gunk known as "chili sauce".

1. Duck Red Curry
2. Shrimp Pad Thai

I had some excellent Duck Red Curry at Brown Sugar in Boston last month, though I was mad the dish didn't come with carrots.

That is an incredible dish, and they followed it up with a Thai beef jerky that almost sent me into ecstasy. I do love LoS, especially because their wine list rocks also.

I also loves the Kai Yaang (game hen) at Pok Pok in Portland, not to mention their to-die-for Vietnamese fish sauce wings.

Thai fishcakes! The proper, hot, squeaky, battery ones. Lovely.

It's always disappointing when somewhere (usually a gastropub or similar) serves 'Thai fishcakes' that turn out to be like normal fishcakes - potato and breadcrumb based. A pox on them!

Luckily, Waitrose in the UK have started doing a not bad version, made with hake. It lacks the squeak you get when it's been freshly fried, but it's not a terrible approximation.

not impressed with LOS
 

With our large thai population we have an abundance of cheap thai places that are both authentic and delicious. They blow LOS out of the water at half the price. I went to LOS twice trying to discover what the big hoopla was all about and could never figure it out.

Anyhow, my fav dish is Panang Curry. And Tom Ka Gai.

The Duck red curry at Spice Market in the Four Seasons Bangkok is my all time favorite rendition the curry. The version at Lotus of Siam is quite good.

I love a very citrus-y som tam as well.

I thought Lotus of Siam was the best thai restaurant in North America until I went to Maenam in Vancouver. I must give Maenam the edge.

When you say authentic, do you mean that they have all or most of the same vegetables as they do in Thailand? Small green Thai eggplant, pea eggplant, morning glory, all the different peppers, fresh holy basil, proper mushrooms, etc, etc? I have yet to find a Thai restaurant in the US that has anywhere near the variety of produce to be even remotely 'authentic'. Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini and so forth is what I normally find here, and doesn't work for me at all.

My fav is Pad Prik Khing, with chicken and green beans. Thailand Restaurant here in SF has a great version.

Two of my favorite Thai dishes as well. Tastiest Panang Curry that I've tried comes from Baan Khanita (Sukhumvit Soi 23) -- they serve it with huge amount of kaffir lime leaves.

Too bad most Thai restaurants in US do not make 'real' Panang Curry -- there is often little distinction between Red and Panang.

Hmm. I make Panang curry at home as well (well try to anyway) following recipes from Thai cookbooks. Now you've got me curious. What are the major differences between what the restaurants are serving as Panang and the real thing? I'm hoping the restaurants I go to are serving the real thing, but I suppose I've no way of knowing as I've never been to Thailand.

Panang Curry is a stir fry meat dish with a thick sauce (almost gravy like), served with kaffir lime leaves. Most US restaurants make Panang the same way as Red Curry (soupy broth), which is not authentic at all.

I actually learned to make Panang in a cooking class in Chiang Mai few years ago, but I've forgotten how! :-)

I also forgot to mention my other favorite Thai dish: KHAO SOI! This curry noodle dish is to die for!!!

Thai Green Curry (with Chicken). My wife makes a great version using fresh Thai basil, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Thai eggplant and pea eggplant.

Larb gai - spicy Thai chicken salad is also awesome

+1 on the pad see ew. Chicken panang is also a favorite, though from the discussion it sounds like I'm partial to the "mass market" version.