|
Carillon posted:When we were just recently there, we went to Sen of Japan and it was awesome! I'm sure there's better, pricer sushi, but it was fantastic and really fairly priced. Would absolutely recommend. I haven't been to Sen in a long time, but they were great when I went. The chef opened Nobu I think. It's Strip restaurant quality at half the price, absolutely worth a visit for sushi. If you want an omakase that isn't primarily centered on sushi (but will include some sashimi and stuff), do Raku. It's my favorite Japanese place in town - outstanding grilled stuff (on binchotan ofc), great seasonal offerings (get the wagyu liver sashimi if it's available!), and the best tofu you'll ever find. No, really. On the other hand, you could try a quirky and nearly mono-maniacal Japanese spot: Zen Japanese Curry. The chef has IMO perfected Japanese curry, and he serves it simply with a bit of protein or veg and rice. Spice level can go from barely to gently caress you; I recommend 7/10 if you're a big spice lover. They also have great takoyaki and a few other street-foody things, but the curry is absolutely the main star. There are a lot of good ramen spots. Monta is my favorite for tonkotsu, especially with black garlic. They also do some lovely cold noodle dishes which are probably safer if the weather is still in the 100s when you're visiting. Mr. Wiggles can probably weigh in with some more options - he's tried a lot wider selection in Chinatown than I have. (Fun fact: all three restaurants I mentioned above are in the same little strip mall. It's an amazing little area.) If you're looking for primarily Asian fare, definitely consider a stop at Lotus of Siam. They're world famous. They've won James Beard awards. Their specialties are very hard to find anywhere else and the whole experience is pretty extraordinary. Reserve early, they tend to fill up even two weeks in advance during peak times.
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2023 21:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 12:16 |
|
|
Best sushi focused omakase in town is either Kaiseke Sanga or Shigotonin, both in Chinatown. As Bart mentioned, Raku is the best for grilled omakase. Actually IMHO Raku is the best Japanese place in town. For ramen, yes, Monta is good and rightly famous. Lots of great ramen in town though most of it is Korean focused. My very favorite ramen is at Fukumimi at Trop and Eastern - for my money it's the most authentic and tastiest ramen in town. Their noodles can't be beat, and in the summer their cold tomato ramen is heaven. Moving out of Japanese you should try 88 Noodle Papa who, despite their name, have fantastic Hainanese chicken rice. Nearby China Mama just opened their new store, and you won't go wrong there. Chengdu Taste is the place for spicy. But for the last 9 months or more my favorite Chinatown joint has been Big Dan's Xanxi Taste. In the back of a grocery store - best noodles in town hands down. Viet options are somewhat limited, but I've been enjoying lunch at Pho Ga Bac Bac - very good for hot weather. There's 17 million kbbq places in town, and they're all fine. But my favorite is Master Kim's - it's robot based so very convenient for grabbing more meat and gorging yourself.
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2023 17:48
|
|
|
Mr. Wiggles posted:Best sushi focused omakase in town is either Kaiseke Sanga or Shigotonin, both in Chinatown. As Bart mentioned, Raku is the best for grilled omakase. Actually IMHO Raku is the best Japanese place in town. Thank you for this. I'm going to give the Raku omakase a shot this year.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2023 00:11
|
|
|
I'm going to be trapped in the Mandalay/Luxor/Excalibur complex for a trade show in a couple weeks. What is closest to tolerable for dining in that set?
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2023 04:18
|
|
|
Discendo Vox posted:I'm going to be trapped in the Mandalay/Luxor/Excalibur complex for a trade show in a couple weeks. What is closest to tolerable for dining in that set? Ri Ra has a surprisingly decent fish and chips, and they can pour a decent Guinness. Border Grill has a decent staff and the food is fine to pretty good. Eataly in the Park MGM is pretty well-liked by a lot of my local friends who occasionally hit the Strip.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2023 05:46
|
|
|
Just found out about this thread, and now I have a bunch of new places to check off the old list. Thanks for putting this together! Some of these may have been mentioned before, but I just want to add my 3 fave places in Vegas: 1. Buldogis: Korean/Hot Dog fusion restaurant, Try the Euro Fries, or the Hangover Soup. One of my most visited places in town. 2. McMullan's Irish Pub: This place helped me get through college, as they have a 24hr food menu that is almost the full menu. The best item is easily the "Irish Nachos", with chicken. 3.Echo and Rig Steak House: Just incredible all around. Great steak, amazing variety of appetizers/side dishes, and some incredible sauces for everything.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2023 14:37
|
|
|
Thank you guys!
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2023 22:53
|
|
|
Btw I'm at Fuku Burger in Chinatown RIGHT NOW and I can confirm that the naga dog and jazz fries is still a winning combo. AND they have those Modelo aguas frescas now so even better.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 04:43
|
|
|
bartolimu posted:Ri Ra has a surprisingly decent fish and chips, and they can pour a decent Guinness. If Eataly there does the same prime rib sandwich at they do in NYC it's absolutely phenomenal.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 08:44
|
|
|
Jean-Paul Shartre posted:If Eataly there does the same prime rib sandwich at they do in NYC it's absolutely phenomenal. Goons, please assist. I am resolved to try Wagyu for the only time in my life this weekend. Like, real, A5, $150 a pound Japanese Wagyu, not American Wagyu or any of the lesser stuff. Where go?
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 15:21
|
|
|
SwissArmyDruid posted:Goons, please assist. Raku's got it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 16:17
|
|
|
G-Mawwwwwww posted:Raku's got it. Got excited, saw they're closed today, I fly out tomorrow. =(
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 16:33
|
|
|
Raku serves tenderloin slices of it to you on a hot rock with potatoes. Totally owns. But since they're closed today, I heartily recommend Bazaar Meats. This is Jose Andres' restaurant in the Sahara, and while the Sahara is a little ehhhhh, the meat at this place is super good. Strip pricing, but they'll have multiple cuts and preparations of Wagyu, Kobe, etc., including info on what farm the cow came from. They have a whole "Japan" section on their steak menu.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 16:40
|
|
|
Mr. Wiggles posted:Raku serves tenderloin slices of it to you on a hot rock with potatoes. Totally owns. Anyone else heard the rumor that Bazaar Meats is gonna pull out of Sahara?
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 16:42
|
|
|
Yeah I heard that was going to happen after the naming switch back to Sahara, but that was some years ago. As for wagyu/A5:
Bentai fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Jul 30, 2023 |
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 20:16
|
|
to say the least.
)
|
SwissArmyDruid posted:Goons, please assist. If you wanna spend like $200 bucks on like 4 ounces, Jose Andreas Bazaar Meats has the authentic Kobe Beef certified from Japan. I've eaten there and it's good, just press it on the roof of your mouth and it melts away. I had the high end ham too,
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2023 20:36
|
|
|
Got an off question for y'all. What about Bakery? Beyond donuts, any suggestions for good ones?
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2023 03:31
|
|
|
My favorite is Delices Gourmands at Valley View and Sahara - in a crappy strip mall and with the most inexplicably fantastic baguettes, pan d'epi, and viennoiseries. Like stupid good. Second place is Manan bakery on West Flamingo. Lebanese, with all of the delightful sweet treats you'd expect.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2023 04:50
|
|
|
Check out Freed’s
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2023 07:10
|
|
|
Another question, what are some good sports bars on the strip and off strip? I'm going to watch Thursday Night Football at Rockhouse at the Venetian.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2023 01:58
|
|
|
Alright, back to Vegas after my work trip back in June. Thanks for the recs last time. I got Lotus of Siam, Monta and Yukon, all of which were fantastic. This time we’re in town for 3 days, 2 nights starting next Friday. Staying at The Venetian. ogopogo, we’re headed back your way Friday night! Looking specifically for good breakfast spots, and a nice, dressy-ish dinner for Saturday night. Pretty much any cuisine except steakhouse is welcome. Very open to standard app/entree/dessert or tasting menus. Bart’s suggestions of Esther’s Kitchen and Sparrow + Wolf both looking great, but CAN go fancier. Turning 40 and celebrating a promotion at the same time, so price is pretty much no object, but not looking to intentionally set as much money on fire as possible, so no stunt food. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 00:24
|
|
|
Doom Rooster posted:Alright, back to Vegas after my work trip back in June. Thanks for the recs last time. I got Lotus of Siam, Monta and Yukon, all of which were fantastic. I'll keep pounding the table on kaiseki sanga. They do this dish of Otoro where they kiss it with a piece of hot iron and it tastes incredible. Still thinking about it almost a year later. Bazaar meat was also one of the most fun meals I've ever had but mainly because we were so drunk we should not have been served. Good food and I wouldn't qualify it as a steakhouse.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 13:57
|
|
|
Kaiseki Sanga is super good. When Alain Ducasse goes out to eat in Vegas, he goes to Partage. I also go to Partage when I want to do something really nice that's not a steakhouse.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 14:59
|
|
|
You're here on a weekend so I'll strongly recommend the brunch at Red Dwarf. Special breakfast pizzas, great drink options (tiki-inspired cocktails, craft beer, or bottomless mimosas/bloody marys depending on your preference), usually very good live music. Bouchon brunch is still very good as well. Saturday night specifically, Main Street Provisions does prime rib. It's truly excellent prime rib. Yeah I know you said you don't want a steakhouse, and they do bill themselves that way now - but they're a lot more than that. The sweet corn risotto they're doing right now is one of the best I've ever had. Their scallop dish is outstanding. The maitake mushrooms with blue cheese is a must-have. There's plenty to have there that isn't steak. If you do go to Sparrow + Wolf, get the Cord-RYE-ceps cocktail. It's a mushroom cocktail. It's incredible.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 16:29
|
|
|
We’ll see you for pizza Doom Rooster! My wife and I just had dinner at Vetri last night and it was an unreal experience. Food was stellar, cocktails were perfect, and the amaro cart at the end was a fun way to end the night. It’s on the 56th floor of the Palms - Best views of Las Vegas, we watched a rain storm roll through and lightning hitting the valley all over while sipping on drinks. I’ll also second Main St Provisions, they’ve really turned it up a notch with the new(ish) chef in the kitchen. Red Dwarf loving slaps, strongly recommend a visit there. The owner Russ is opening a jazz bar in Downtown Grand like next month, super stoked to see that open up. Have fun whatever you do!!
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 17:19
|
|
|
Russ has been sharing build-out photos for Fat Cat (which I'll reiterate is a fantastic name for a bar right across from the Mob Museum) and it's looking great. It'll be a simplified food menu there, only cheese/charcuterie plates and the like. The drinks will be amazing, though, and I expect it to be a huge improvement to the music scene down there.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 18:22
|
|
|
Going to Vegas this Sunday! Yay!
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2023 23:11
|
|
|
Went to the Laundry Room, the Speakeasy in the Commonwealth, and it was extremely good. There is a 2 drink minimum, $19 each, and you have to order the bottomless flavored popcorn, $6, but the drinks were delicious and the popcorn was good. They do treat it as a legit speakeasy, a small intimate space behind a wall and small hallway where the hostess explains rules, keep voices low, silence cellphones, etc. The Bartender takes orders and makes your drinks and so be patient. Max space is for 22 people. It cost $117 including tip, $20 Uber from the strip and back to hotel. So total was like $160 thereabouts for 2 people. I'll be visiting it again when I come to Vegas.
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2023 00:15
|
|
|
Fat Cat is so loving cool already, and they’re only a few days into friends and family opening. Russ is having a blast even if he’s dead on his feet, and the cocktail team behind the bar is crushing it. Can’t wait to see some shows there.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2023 04:44
|
|
|
gently caress I gotta get down there this week. He told me to but I couldn't this weekend.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2023 05:50
|
|
|
ogopogo posted:Fat Cat is so loving cool already, and they’re only a few days into friends and family opening. Russ is having a blast even if he’s dead on his feet, and the cocktail team behind the bar is crushing it. Can’t wait to see some shows there. Hell yeah. I was down there for a bit on Saturday. There are a few little tweaks to be done with the cocktail list - e.g., the garnish cookie on my milk punch was at the bottom of the drink becoming cookie mush before I even got the drink - but they're already doing really well. Can't wait for them to get the rest of their glassware and furniture. Apparently this weekend they should get the food program started up, so there'll be charcuterie boards and maybe a few other things. Unfortunately, I'll be busy all weekend - Saturday is CraftHaus's anniversary party, and Sunday the Stamp is hosting the owner of Oud Beersel for a meet-and-greet. (Tickets available for CraftHaus if interested, and the Stamp even is open to everyone!) It takes a lot to get me to head for Fremont, but I feel like Fat Cat is going to drag me there pretty often. It's a great space. Live music there should be awesome.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2023 22:50
|
|
|
Sad but expected news, friends: Valley Cheese and Wine has sold. Their last day under current ownership will be next Friday. That afternoon they'll be having a customer appreciation day, with free mimosas and a cheese and charcuterie spread, though given the state of the cheese counter I'm not sure how much variation there will be. They're being very tight-lipped on who the new owner is. I'm concerned.  And some sad and, at least to me, UNexpected news: Patrick Munster, who took over the helm from Justin Kingsley-Hall at Main Street Provisions, is leaving. A little birdie told me he's moving to the steakhouse at the Fontainebleu - apparently they threw a large amount of money his way and he couldn't really ignore it. It's a shame - Saturday prime rib was killer, and the menu seemed really popular with everyone I talked to. No word on who will take over as the head of MSP. I'm sure Kim had some warning and has some plans. I hope. For Good News, on Sunday the Silver Stamp will be hosting Gert Christaens, owner and blender of Oud Beersel. Drop by to have a chat and get some no doubt really hard to find lambics! And if you need something else to do this week(end), Liquid Diet, the new cocktail bar two blocks from the Stamp, is in soft open from 7pm-1am nightly. Their menu is mostly written on butcher paper taped to the walls and shelves. The menu includes a neat shimmery Ecto Cooler cocktail garnished with a shiso leaf that Drinking Buddy assures me is excellent.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2023 01:35
|
|
|
Also this weekend is the Greek Food Fest. The Vegas one is the real thing - fantastic food, all the ouzo you can drink, dancing, wild times. After dark is when the party gets wild. Parking is crazy though so take an uber or use one of the shuttle buses.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2023 03:53
|
|
|
Fun event I was just made aware of: October 5th, the Neon Museum is doing a history-related cocktail dinner at Main Street Provisions. Patrick Munster will be cooking (maybe his last event at the helm?), and food historian Sarah Lohman is helping put together the menu, "the cuisine of iconic Las Vegas restaurants gone by with reinterpretations from today." It's not a seated dinner, so as exciting as it would be I doubt we'll be served entire lobsters thermidor. But it should be a fun and interesting event. The $175 price tag is a bit steep for passed apps, but I trust the MSP crew enough to know it'll be at least passably entertaining. And it's a museum fundraiser, which is always nice. Tickets here for the interested. Food history and culture are kinda my academic wheelhouse, so I jumped in immediately. Also coming up soon is Vegas Unstripped, aka the best drat food festival in town. The list of participating chefs is on their website - a partial breakdown: John Arena (Metro Pizza), Gio Mauro (Monzu), and Mike Vakneen (Double Zero Pie) for all your pizza needs (though if Gio does something batshit crazy like the spleen sandwich he did last time, all the better!) Most of James Trees's staff (The Man Himself, Adam Rios of Al Solito Posto, Jackson Stamper of Ada's) The always outstanding Gina Marinelli (La Strega)  Saipin Chutima of Lotus of Siam (I still have dreams about the larb tartare bites the Lotus crew served for the second Unstripped)Also serving: cocktails by Golden Tiki, Jammyland, and Sand Dollar; wines from Garagiste.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 00:19
|
|
|
I wish the history event would drop some hints on what kind of items to expect. It’s lot of dosh for a big question mark.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 01:39
|
|
|
That menu at monzu is wild. I need to check it out. Dude is sicilian, not italian. God if only he had the big arancini. Ok. Weird question: what's the best charcuterie board/cheese board I can get in town?
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 03:57
|
|
|
Bentai posted:I wish the history event would drop some hints on what kind of items to expect. It’s lot of dosh for a big question mark. What little insider info I can get says it will be "three hours, six cocktails, and LOTS of food." Nebulous, yes. But I'm happy enough to roll the dice on it. G-Mawwwwwww posted:That menu at monzu is wild. I need to check it out. Dude is sicilian, not italian. God if only he had the big arancini. quote:Sicily (Italian: Sicilia [siˈtʃiːlja] ⓘ; Sicilian: Sicilia [sɪˈ(t)ʃiːlja] ⓘ) is the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy. Sicily is a part of Italy, and Sicilians are Italian citizens. Most suggestions I've seen that they are not both of those things are rooted in some Very Bad ideas. Gio's food definitely has a Sicilian vibe, but I've never seen a single person trying to claim Vera Napoletana pizza is "Neapolitan, not Italian."
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 05:06
|
|
|
bartolimu posted:What little insider info I can get says it will be "three hours, six cocktails, and LOTS of food." Nebulous, yes. But I'm happy enough to roll the dice on it. Yeah, I phrased that poorly. My apologies. "He's got a sicilian focus, which is cool."
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 13:41
|
|
|
bartolimu posted:Also coming up soon is Vegas Unstripped, aka the best drat food festival in town. I'm going to be in town for this weekend, would you say it's worth checking out on its own? I'm more curious if it's worth doing the work convincing my partner that we should attend!
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2023 00:22
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 12:16 |
|
|
Carillon posted:I'm going to be in town for this weekend, would you say it's worth checking out on its own? I'm more curious if it's worth doing the work convincing my partner that we should attend! Do you like food festivals in general? It's like any other food fest - walk up to a table with people serving food, take food, eat standing or standing at a table, repeat. The restaurants and bars involved are the best off-Strip crews in town (and I'd put them up against Strip restaurants without hesitating). If that sounds like fun to you, it's definitely worth the price to go.
|
|
#
?
Sep 27, 2023 00:29
|
|