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Off the Strip to Chinatown

There's more to Las Vegas than gaming. Close by the glittery Strip is another attraction that draws top-drawer chefs as well as the local Asian community--Chinatown.

Its center is Spring Mountain Road, which is virtually in the shadow of the tall hotels along Las Vegas Boulevard.

Driving along Spring Mountain is much like driving along Valley Boulevard in Southern California's San Gabriel Valley. Although not as extensive, it has everything the city's growing Asian population might want, from Chinese language books and ginseng to Asian spas, Chinese bakeries, foot reflexology centers, jade shops, a Hong Kong massage place and well-stocked pan-Asian supermarkets.

A 99 Ranch Market anchors Chinatown Plaza, which is like a small version of San Gabriel Square. The Greenland supermarket is in Korea Town Plaza, and Shun Fat Supermarket is in Pacific Asian Plaza.

Restaurants are everywhere, attesting to the Asian love of sharing a meal. Packed into a short distance are Korean, Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese eating places, a Chinese restaurant with live seafood tanks, another that offers Taiwanese cuisine, a place to eat Penang style Malaysian food, a tofu cafe, an Asian grill buffet, Chinese fast food and small places that put out Vietnamese sandwiches, boba tea, even durian smoothies.

I bought delicious nut pastries, a fruit cake slice and cute cookies that mimic panda faces at the Diamond Bakery and wished I had had time for lunch at Pho So 1 (center photo).

The crowd in there, well before noon, indicated that the food must be good. And the Vietnamese crepe, banh xeo, going to one table (at bottom) looked marvelous.

But I was headed to another part of town to eat Indian food at a place my Punjabi taxi driver said was one of the best in Las Vegas. I hadn't expected to find anything Indian there--I'll report on that restaurant later--just as Chinatown was an unexpected discovery. 

12 Top Tastes of Las Vegas

Las Vegas was once known for cheap buffets, bargain shrimp cocktails and yard-long beers. Some of that is still around--a sign on one building promises "all you can eat all day for $29."  But high end food is the game now.

The strip is jammed with celebrity chefs, and they don't come cheap. Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace offers a set menu paired with Krug champagnes for $750.

A tasting menu without wine pairings is $385 at Joel Robuchon in the MGM Grand. Shibuya in the same hotel stocks a $2400 bottle of sake. Bar Masa at Aria Resort has a shabu shabu dinner for $500. And the Pierre Gagnaire's Spirit tasting menu at Twist in the Mandarin Oriental is a relative bargain at $280 with wine pairings.

Such prices are pocket money for high rollers who might stay in a $25,000-a-night villa at Caesars Palace. Take a look at one at the right. It has two theater rooms, two pianos, a huge dining room, billiard room, countless bedrooms and bathrooms, a bar, enormous living room, verandas with spa tub and fire pit and more. Dream on.  

Big spenders demand restaurants as glamorous as they can get and the finest food and wine, no matter the price. Who cares what a wine costs when a black-clad wine angel flies up a tower of bottles like a trapeze artist to get it? You can see that at Aureole at Mandalay Bay (photo at right).  

But there's plenty for the rest of us, from sandwiches and Starbucks to down home food for the masses in places such as BB King's Blues Club in The Mirage.

Buffets are still alive and well, at reasonable prices.  M Resort and Spa charges $25 for its lunch buffet, and that includes wine or beer. 

Aria Resort in the new CityCenter has a good-looking buffet with live cooking stations as well as the first fine dining Thai restaurant on the strip.

That's Lemongrass, whose chef, Krairit Krairavee, came from the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok. Check his sate with peanut sauce and cucumber relish in the photo above.  

Las Vegas restaurants may be fancy--look at the stunning setting of Shawn McClain's Sage in the Aria Resort (right). But for the most part menus are cautious.  Dishes that sound novel and creative may translate on the plate to something familiar and safe.  No sense scaring away those customers whose regular diet is plain home cooking and fast foo0d. 

Steaks are common. And culinary fads are a little behind the time. Ban truffle oil, for example, and the culinary ship might sink. It's everywhere, from onion veloute soup with a dot of truffle oil on top at Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay (right) to truffle butter at the Strip House in Planet Hollywood to naan at Origin India.

Still, there's enough good food to make choosing a dozen top tastes a tough challenge. But here they are anyway, based on a week of intensive eating.   

1. Salmon teriyaki appetizer at Twist. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, which opened in December, treats diners to assorted small tastes before they begin. One of these is a tiny spoonful of salmon teriyaki topped with a thin slice of black radish marinated in yuzu and decorated with yuzu pearls. If you eat bread with this, be sure to spread it with butter, because the butter comes from France, and it's heavenly. 

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire at the Mandarin Oriental, 3752 Las Vegas Blvd. S.,  Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (888) 881-9367.

2. Chimichurri steak at Botero.  Order a steak in Buenos Aires and spicy chimichurri sauce comes on the side.

At Botero in the Wynn Encore, chimichurri coats the steak, as if it were pepper sauce. It's a great idea, and the filet steak was one of the best I had in Las Vegas. Maybe those Argentinians should give this a try.

I liked Botero's ice cream lollipops in their naughty chocolate holder too.

Botero at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (702) 770-5310‎

3. Spinach with truffle cream and Parmesan at the Strip House. If you want to zero in on steak, this is the place. Executive chef John Schenk knows how to handle meat and how to accompany it with sides that almost steal the show. His creamed spinach is as rich as spinach can get, thanks to olive oil, shallots, truffle cream and Parmesan cheese.

The Strip House, Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV, 89109. Tel: (702) 737-5200

4.Gnocchi at Fiamma.  There's an Argentine connection at this restaurant, because executive chef Carlos Buscaglia lived in Quilmes as a child. Steak may be important down there, but so is gnocchi, traditionally served at the end of the month when budgets are thin.

Buscaglia's gnocchi with lobster, cremini mushrooms, roasted leeks, black winter truffle and butter is hardly a budget dish though. Getting into the kitchen for a hands-on lesson in making gnocchi (the base is Yukon gold potatoes) made me pay particular attention to this dish.

Fiamma Trattoria & Bar at MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (702) 891-7600.

5. Galbi at Wazuzu. Living near Koreatown in Los Angeles, I've tasted lots of galbi (Korean barbecued short ribs), but none to rival this version, created by executive chef Jet Tila. The secret is a marinade with an ingredient that contains caramel. Don't ask what that is. Tila won't tell.  The meat is juicy, tender Kobe beef.

Wazuzu at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (702) 248-3463.

6. Foie gras custard brulee at Sage. Although it involves blood orange and toasted cocoa nibs, this is an appetizer, not a dessert, and you have to have a sweet tooth to appreciate it. Creamy and crusty, it cries for a premium dessert wine, like a Sauternes, but you'll have to wait for that until the end of dinner.

Sage at Aria Resort at CityCenter, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (877) 230-2742.

7. Olives' Pan-Seared Sea Scallops.  In this simple but elegant presentation, Jaime Mendoza, executive chef of Olives at the Bellagio, seasons scallops with brown butter and serves them with cauliflower puree, baby carrots, shaved Brussels sprouts and truffle vinaigrette. Mendoza showed how he does it at a demo in the hotel's Tuscany Kitchen.

Olives at The Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (702) 693-7223.

8. Italian wedding soup at Vintner Grill. Meatballs composed of beef and lamb bob in a light broth along with escarole, acini di pepe pasta and a hint of lemon. The effect is fresh and delicate, not meaty and heavy. The Grill's blueberry-Meyer lemon cheesecake with blueberry compote, candied lemon, raspberry garnish and whipped cream is pretty good too.

Vintner Grill, 10100 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 150, Las Vegas, NV 89135. Tel: (702) 214-5590.

9. Deep fried Oreos at Lavo. This outrageous dessert provoked more comments from the group I ate with than the Caesar salad, pasta with marinara sauce and chicken Parmesan. It's paired with a mocha milk shake for the ultimate in a gooey dessert that you shouldn't be eating, but boy, is it good. Lavo is dark and noisy. The din from the nightclub upstairs obliterates conversation and makes it hard to concentrate on the food, but the Oreos triumph over that. 

Lavo Italian Restaurant & Nightclub at The Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (702) 791-1800.

10. Pistachio cake at Restaurant Guy Savoy. This tiny sliver of cake was topped with white chocolate mousse and a red currant. It was exquisite, as you would expect considering its prestigious source. The glass of Krug Grande Cuvee on the side made it even better.

Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace,  3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (877) 346-4642.

11. Paloma at the Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis at Caesars Palace.   Perfect for the hot days to come, this tall, rosy drink was designed for the luxurious Garden of the Gods pools (with swim-up gaming) at the hotel.

It's composed of Don Julio white tequila, red grapefruit juice, agave nectar, lime juice and the Italian aperitif Aperol, which adds a touch of bitter orange. Mixologist Matthew Stober shows it off in the photo.

Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis at Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Tel: (866) 227-5938.

12. Maple sugar waffles at Silk Road. With such a name, I expected the restaurant to turn out dim sum for breakfast. Instead, the kitchen produced the best waffles and bacon I have had on the road.

Often hotel waffles and bacon are soggy, but not here. Berries scattered over the top, cinnamon-sprinkled whipped cream and strands of lemon curd were nice, but these perfect waffles needed nothing more that the syrup on the side. Thick slices of crisp Nueske applewood-smoked bacon were a good match.

Silk Road restaurant in Vdara Hotel & Spa at CityCenter, 2600 W. Harmon Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89109.Tel: (702) 590-2375.

She Planted Seeds of Success

A small thing can make an enormous difference, like the proverbial mustard seed, which measures how much faith is needed to  produce a miracle. 

The miracle in another case also centered around seeds, those of the pomegranate. They led to an incident that demonstrated the resourcefulness, the ability to produce the impossible, or at least the unlikely, of food consultant and cookbook author Mable Hoffman, who passed away in February.

Celebrated for her runaway best seller "Crockery Cookery," published by HP Books, Mable styled the photos for my book, "Mexican Cookery," which was also published by HP and took off as another surprise top seller.

The two of us worked with legendary food photographer George deGennaro in his studio on Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles. Mable had thought of everything, even providing a hand model for closeups.

But I thought it would be impossible to photograph my pomegranate margarita, which is shaken with pomegranate seeds to turn it pink. Pomegranates were out of season. What could we do, add food color to achieve the proper color? This would have violated the ethics of food styling. As it turned out,  it wasn't necessary.

Mable produced the seeds. How did she do this?  Simple. She had stored some in her freezer in case they might be needed for food styling. So the photo shows not only the pink margarita, but a little dish of pomegranate seeds.

That incident stands out, but all of her work showed this type of professionalism and concern for detail. Thanks Mable. It was an honor to collaborate with you. But there is one thing I would still like to know. What else was in that freezer?

Be a Kid in a Candy Shop

It's dimly lit and stands in a hallway where people brush past quickly. Few even glance at it.

What is it? It's the candy bar that's part of Sunday brunch at Simon Restaurant and Lounge in Palms Place Hotel and Spa, Las Vegas.

Brunchers probably ignore it, because they're already full of breakfast pizzas, brioche French toast coated with Frosted Flakes, all sorts of variations on eggs Benedict, sushi, peel your own shrimp and much more.

But they're missing an opportunity that's a candy lover's dream, to choose anything you want from shelves of such all American favorites as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Tootsie Rolls, Fire Balls, Lemon Heads, Bit O' Honey candies, taffy, lollipops, Necco wafers and many others.

The candy bar is the brainchild of celebrity chef Kerry Simon, who bought the stock of a candy shop that went out of business.

Simon loves American comfort foods, and one of his specialties is a junk food platter that includes Hostess Cup Cakes, Sno Balls, cookies, caramel corn and cotton candy. That's why a bowl  of cotton candy sits on top of the candy bar, which faces the reception desk at the entrance to the restaurant.

For grownups, it's like being a kid on Halloween with an endless supply of treats. The trick is, you have to eat brunch first, and that's not a bad thing.

Simon Restaurant and Lounge, Palms Place Hotel and Spa, 4381 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Tel: (702) 944-3292.

The Way to Perfect Guacamole

Goat cheese and mango in guacamole? That may sound weird, but it's a great combination, says Roberto Hernandez, executive chef of Dos Caminos in the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

He'll also put in shrimp, lobster or even grapes. But you have to respect his views, because Hernandez really knows his guacamole. "Everyone who comes to the restaurant orders it," he says.

That's because each order is prepared from scratch, which makes it very different from bulk guacamoles that are made in advance. The avocados (Hass) must be at the right stage of ripeness. Rather than mashing them to a puree, Hernandez leaves them slightly chunky.

For a class in guacamole-making at Dos Caminos, he set out avocados and plates of cilantro, chiles, onion, tomatoes and limes. Along with kosher salt, that's everything needed for perfect guacamole.

Hernandez crushes part of the cilantro, chiles and onion with salt to bring out the juices. Then he works in the avocado, the remainder of the fresh seasonings, tomatoes and a squeeze of lime, folding carefully so as not to overmash the avocado.

The only lapse from authenticity is that he substitutes a resin bowl for a rough Mexican molcajete. That's not Hernandez's fault. State law in Nevada does not allow restaurants to use lava rock mortars.

As a student who graduated from the class with a "very good" from Hernandez, I can say that the result is still excellent guacamole, about as good as you can get. And the margarita that I drank as I worked was pretty good too. 

Dos Caminos, The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas NV 89109. Tel: (702) 577-9565.

DOS CAMINOS GUACAMOLE

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced jalapeno or serrano chiles
Kosher salt
1 large ripe avocado
2 tablespoons finely chopped cored and seeded Roma tomato
1/2 lime
Warm tortilla chips

Place half the cilantro, onion, chiles and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a molcajete or other heavy mortar. Mash and work the ingredients until the juices emerge.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and scoop out the flesh. Place in the molcajete and gently mash with a fork until smooth but some chunks remain.

Add the remaining cilantro, onion and chiles and the tomato and fold in lightly. Squeeze in the lime juice and fold. Taste and add more salt if needed. Accompany with warm tortilla chips.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.