Twenty-five years after Kit and Joy Kittisoros opened Pin Kaow and brought their own authentic Thai cuisine to the Valley, the family is ready to redefine the cuisine for a new generation.
Blue Orchid Thai Kitchen, which opened on Las Vegas Boulevard near Cactus Avenue last month, isn’t just another family restaurant expansion—it’s a reimagining of Thai dining that marries traditional recipes with modern innovation.
Kevin Kittisoros, managing partner of Pin Kaow Restaurant Group and Kit and Joy’s son, is adding to his family’s legacy on both the business and creative sides. “My parents opened the original Pin Kaow location on Rainbow when I was five years old. I just remember sitting there all day as a kid, being enchanted by everything going on,” Kevin says. “It’s what I know, and I really want to make my parents proud and continue their legacy.”
Blue Orchid Thai Kitchen’s Tiger Cry on a Stick (front) and braised short rib Khao Soi.
Blue Orchid’s interiors signal the restaurant’s fresh approach, with its modern garden aesthetic and Ramakien murals that tell ancient Thai stories. The 100-seat dining room is a mix of semi-private booths, banquettes and bar seating that transitions from casual lunch spot to intimate date-night destination.
The dishes from executive chef Steve Piamchuntar are meant to be shared, so a visit to Blue Orchid is best approached as a social occasion. This philosophy reflects the chef’s Thai family upbringing. “That’s how I was raised,” he says. “Everybody just orders a bunch of food and has fun with it.”
The small plates section lends itself perfectly to this approach. Start with the chicken lettuce wraps ($17), which come in taco-shaped wonton shells, and the Tiger Cry on a Stick ($26), grilled marinated steak with Thai herbs and cucumber salad served with sticky rice. The short rib crunchy steamed bun ($22) offers a creative take on traditional Chinese steamed buns with flash-fried shells.
If you’re noticing that some dishes aren’t strictly Thai, that’s by design. “I’m more of an Asian fusion kind of guy,” says Piamchuntar. “I like to blend cuisines together. Do Japanese, but do Japanese with a little bit of Thai influence. Do Korean with a little bit of Thai influence and vice versa.”
True to its next-gen approach, Blue Orchid’s social media bona fides are on full display. The tableside Tom Yum soup ($34-$42) arrives in a dramatic siphon setup, with aromatic herbs steeping before your eyes as the soup simmers before being poured into a bowl. It’s as much for the Gram as it is for the palate.
The rest of the menu strikes a balance between familiar Thai classics and more adventurous options. Sure, there’s pad Thai ($24-$30), but try the Dry Street Noodles ($22)—egg noodles, char siu pork and sweet soy chili vinegar—for something unexpected. Meanwhile, the beloved Khao Soi, presented with duck confit ($31), becomes a richer and more refined version of itself.
For dessert, you can order the familiar mango and sticky rice reimagined as arancini ($9), but don’t miss Breaking Bread ($14), a massive warm honey brioche loaf with buttered ube syrup, berries, taro chips and vanilla ice cream. It’s a dessert you won’t soon forget.
Blue Orchid represents more than just a new restaurant; it carries with it the expectations of its familial predecessor while embracing what’s next. Kevin Kittisoros has big shoes to fill, but what he hopes for is simply to continue the culinary excellence his parents started. He’s got a solid start.
BLUE ORCHID THAI KITCHEN 10516 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-268-7483, blueorchidthaikitchen.com. Daily, noon-10 p.m.
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