Gordon Ramsay - Steak

Our first dinner in Vegas was at Gordon Ramsay's STEAK. Located in the Paris Hotel, there is a kitschy entrance from the hostess's stand, a tunnel that is supposed to be representative of the Chunnel, taking you from Paris to London. Thankfully, it's only a few feet long, but I felt sympathy for the hostess who had to explain that to us with a straight face. The other thing our hostess explained to us was on the ceiling. Apparently, this is an artist's rendering of Gordon Ramsay's hand movements when he cooks. Who knew? But instead of just having this vision hanging over your head, the have incorporated this wild movement into other parts of their decor as well.

They've reused the same symbol on their menu. I asked the hostess who the artist was, and she drew a blank. Does anyone know??  Once seated, we were presented with an iPad which showcased all their cocktails. Tap a cocktail and you'll presented with the ingredients of each. This definitely adds a cool, hi-tech feel to the evening.

 

With an iPad in hand, we decided to order two cocktails, a South Side on the left with a Sidecar on the right. The South Side is just gin, lemon juice, sugar and some mint. I thought it was fun that they served it to us with the strainer, instead of straining it for us. The Sidecar was a nice potent beverage probably because of the cognac. There is an orange liqueur, something like GM and a touch of lemon juice. Both of the drinks were amazing, just potent enough but flavourful so that you don't feel like you're boozing it up. 

There is a Limited Tasting Menu available for $145/person. However, I am not a fan of desserts and it just seemed like a waste to pay for a 5-course dinner, knowing full well that I wouldn't enoy one of the courses. And then there was the Beet Salad, again not a huge fan. 

Making the decision a bit harder was the temptation of an autographed picture of Gordon Ramsay himself. But in the end, we opted for a picture of the autograph and decided to order a la carte. 

Once we decided forego the Tasting Menu, our waiter brought over the Wheel of Fortune of Meat. This was insane, complete with mirrors to show you the meat from every possible angle. The meats are real, from tenderloin, ribeye, porterhouse and t-bone and so much more! How to choose? Well, we did, stay tuned for our choice! For the complimentary bread, we actually got a selection of four different types. On the right, we had a Lemon Thyme Foccacia bread. Next to them were two bread rolls. One is a Truffle, Mushroom and Pancetta Roll, and on top of it, there is a slightly sweet roll that seemed to have a hint of Chocolate to it. And then the baguette we had was infused with flavours from walnuts. And to the far left, there is a creamy butter, called English Devonshire, with a neatly placed line of Volcanic Sea Salt. But don't fill up on bread, the best is yet to come! Instead of ordering a few appetizers, we decided to go for the Shellfish Platter. Because the Smoked Mussels didn't really fit onto the platter, they brought this out first, along wit the sauces, such as the champagne mignonette, a citrus soy glaze as well as your traditional cocktail sauce.   Then our waiter brought over this...a gigantic octopus. Apparently, our shellfish platter would be placed on this octopus. I can't wait!! So this is the Shellfish Platter. It's about $75 for two people and there are tiger prawns, shelled king crab, fresh Kusshi and Malpaque oysters, and lobster as well. I've had shellfish platters before with the dry ice for effect, but I've never had one where the gigantic blocks of ice IS the plate. This was amazing and more impressive than I expected. There was a lot of food and they make it very easy to eat, shelling everything for you.   So, what did we pick for our entree? At the suggestion of our waiter, we chose the Porterhouse for Two. At 32oz, bone in and for $105, we knew we were going headlong into a food coma. On a porterhouse steak, you get both the striploin as well as a tenderloin. Sort of the best of two worlds, plus a bone to chew on as well!   Man cannot survive on meat alone (well, I tend to disagree), but we opted to get a few sides to complement our meal. This is the Sauteed Mushrooms and I have to say, it was interesting. I liked the mushrooms but was a bit weirded out by the bonito flakes on top. I think the bonito threw me off.   Because we didn't have anything "carby", we decided to go for a Baked Potato, but not just a potato with some butter, hell no! This was loaded with a smoked gouda bechamel (super creamy), some slices of lardon and a sprinkling of chives. This was my plate with both cuts of meat. The mushrooms are hidden and the potato is off to the side. 
I was a full and very satisfied girl! 

Take Note:

• Even if you have a reservation, the staff will act quite confused by it all.
• Go through all the cocktails on the iPad, it's a wide selection.
• Unless you love everything on the tasting menu, it's wiser to go a la carte.

All my Vegas eats are listed on this page. They include:

Spago - Spring 2013

Gordon Ramsay STEAK - Spring 2013

Wicked Spoon Buffet - coming soon

Nobu - coming soon, 

Bouchon - Spring 2013

I Love Burgers - coming soon 

Carnevino - coming soon

The newest Cactus Club at Coal Harbour

If you are planning on heading to the newest Cactus Club, give yourself some time to wait for a table. The restaurant is huge, according to their website, "Cactus Club Coal Harbour offers approximately 500 seats for guests, including 200 patio seats and 300 seats inside the restaurant, including private dining space." But even with 500 seats, there is a still a bit of a wait. On a Friday afternoon, our wait was about 20 minutes. 
But they do make the wait pleasant, inviting you to have a seat at the bar while they give you one of those vibrating "coasters" that will go off like a spaceship when your table is ready. I loved the lights hanging over the bar. If it was possible, I'd love to have this in my living room! 
We decided to go for a few tried and true appetizers and ordered three in total. Our waitress thoughtfully staggered their arrival, so we didn't look like pigs and our food didn't get cold. the first one we got was the Chicken Lettuce Wraps. It's a stirfry of local chicken coated in a sweet and spicy glaze. For crunch, there are some peanuts and fried wonton skins. 
There are a duo of sauces, some spicy yogurt and some chili oil. Surprisingly, there was enough heat from the spicy marinade so that the sauces weren't really needed at all. I think I would have like some sriracha instead of the chili oil, something that would actually stick to the chicken. I did like the abundance of well-shaped lettuce though, they do make wrapper easier and cleaner. 

 

Another great standby? Their Chicken Wings of course! My favourite way to enjoy their wings...simply with Salt and Pepper. I do like their hot sauce but prefer it on the side, to ensure the wings maintain their deep-fried crispiness. Oh, and when I order chicken wings, I expect all wings, no drummettes please. I asked the waitress nicely and that's just what I got! No thanks to the celery and blue cheese; after all, the lettuce was enough for a vegetable serving, right? As usual, the wings were crispy, with a juiciness that only comes out from a deep-fryer. 

 

The final appetizer of the day was their Beef Carpaccio. It's thin slices of Canadian tenderloin with a peppercorn crust. There is a bit of dijon aioli and some capers with some watercress. Covering the beef were slices of grana padano. I was surprised at the crudeness of the cheese, I had expected shavings, not slabs. Mind you the taste and textures were bang on, but the cheese slices looked so heavy compared to the lightness of the thin tenderloin.

Take note:

• Go prepared for a short wait, but enjoy a drink at the bar first.
• The view is best on a semi-cloudy day. A sunny day might be too bright to enjoy the view.
• They have a 40-seat private dining area - great for birthday parties and more!

Pizza and Pasta at Spago

Upon our arrival in Vegas, our first meal was lunch and I decided on Spago at Caesar's Palace. I figured we would be in need for comfort food after waking up at 5:30 in Bellingham for our very early flight. I think I was right. I was definitely in the mood for carbs.

I do love the skies at Caesars, making you think that it was a late afternoon, even though it was actually only noon. I guess it makes it easier to indulge in heavier fare when you think it's later in the day. Were it brighter, I would have felt like bacon and eggs or something else. 
One of the items that caught my eye was this, a Corpse Reviver #2 (I guess #1 didn't work?). Thankfully, I didn't have a need for this (yet), but now that I have the menu, there's a mental note in my head for the next time I might need "reviving".

So what did we get? I started my Vegas vacation with a glass of Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon and we also tried a Ginger Lime Tea.

First to arrive was our Lamb Pizza. The thin slices of lamb chorizo had just a bit of tomato sauce on it, with a very light touch of goat cheese. Although rapini and sun dried tomatoes are supposed to be there, it was barely noticeable, as you can see from above. The goat cheese was there, but the additional freshly shaved parmesan made it even better (after the picture was taken).
Our other carbo-loading entree was the Pasta a la Bolognaise. Since the pasta was a fairly vague description, we asked the waitress what type of pasta it was. She informed us that it was a garganelli (one of my favourites, see the one I had in Trattoria in Vancouver) and definitely not penne. So we decided to order it. However, this was not garganelli, is it? In fact, it looks like penne, just not cut on a bias. Maybe she got the two confused?? Oh well, the braised beef was abundant, and the tomatoes and cheese were both very fresh. And in case you are thinking this is a very small portion, it's actually half of a whole order, they split it up for us.
I didn't think the food was outstanding, the service was good, and the pasta was good, but everything seemed to lack an "oomph" factor. It seemed they were trying to make food that would appeal to the masses, instead of making something extraordinary. They succeeded, but I would have liked more punchy tastes and things that would make them stand out in my mind. 

Take Note:

• Every table had a pizza, yours should too.
• Ask for chili flakes, shaved parmesan, anything to enhance your entree.
• If you like lime, they have a Key Lime Pie Baked Alaska!

All my Vegas eats are listed on this page. They include:

Spago - Spring 2013

Gordon Ramsay STEAK - Spring 2013

Wicked Spoon Buffet - coming soon

Nobu - coming soon, 

Bouchon - Spring 2013

I Love Burgers - coming soon 

Carnevino - coming soon

Brunch at Thomas Keller's Bouchon

Maybe I don't come to Vegas enough (something I intend to change in the future), but Thomas Keller's Bouchon was one of the hardest restaurants to find during our whole trip! Located in the recesses of the Venetian, we had to hunt this place down. We decided to visit only one buffet this trip and that was the Wicked Spoon. We opted for the sake of our stomachs to choose quality over quantity. To be honest, we needed every arrow to guide us towards our destination. And hurray, we found it! Good thing too because we were hungry!

 

There is a Daily Specials menu featuring some amazing things for our Easter Brunch, the Lobster and Crab Benedict sounds pretty good, doesn't it? I'm not a fan of omelet but I could make an exception for one filled with prosciutto!   No reservations are allowed for brunch or lunch, only for dinner. Friends have warned me about the waits, one has waited up to an hour! Thankfully, we arrived early and the wait was "only" 20 minutes. They did have little Mini Muffins on hand to feed those who need a bit of nourishment for their hangover. They were fluffy, buttery and a cute little bite. The almond sliver topping gave the little bite a nice contrasting texture.  Once seated, our waiter brought us our Warm Bread, along with some fresh butter and jam. The bread was warm and I loved how they serve the little buns while still connected and blanketed in a towel to keep them warm. 

 

Now some people would think coffee is the best accompaniment for brunch, but when in Vegas, a cocktail is the beverage of choice. And for me, it was a French Margarita. This little breath of fresh air consists of Grey Goose, Sauza Hornitos tequila, cranberry & lime juice (for the vitamins), with a bit of fresh sour and served on the rocks, complete with a salted rim. As part of the Breakfast Américaine, we got to start off with a lovely Chocolate Croissant, again served warm. The flakiness of this is unlike anything I have ever seen. The pastry itself is nice and light with a creamy chocolate centre. There is no way to eat this cleanly, the flakiness is messy but oh, so worth it! The next part of the Breakfast Américaine is a plate of two eggs any style (we went for poached) served with bacon, AND country sausage with some toasted brioche. Yes, you don't have to choose between bacon and sausage here, you get both! The eggs are a perfect sunny side up, and sit atop a slice of their brioche toast, with another slice on the side. The toast is a perfect foil for the runny egg yolk. The sausage was a bit fatty but we asked for the bacon to be crispy and it was exactly as ordered. They had an unlisted special for brunch, the Steak and Eggs. Oh yes please! Touted as an 8oz sirloin, I really think this was bigger that. I loved how they grilled the sides instead of just the top and bottom. The brioche was good, and better than the potatoes in my book. I could have had a bit more of heat on the eggs, but I didn't request it, and this was good enough. For $26, this was well worth it.

All my Vegas eats are listed on this page. They include:

Spago - Spring 2013

Gordon Ramsay STEAK - Spring 2013

Wicked Spoon Buffet - coming soon

Nobu - coming soon, 

Bouchon - Spring 2013

I Love Burgers - coming soon 

Carnevino - coming soon

Pre-Show Dinner at Arm's Reach Bistro

Another North Vancouver venture? Sure why not? We had gotten tickets to Sherlock and Watson Save the Empire at the Deep Cove Shaw Theatre so dinner in North Van seemed like a no-brainer. So the hunt was on, and we decided to check out Arms Reach Bistro, which is just a few steps away from the theatre.  

 

Kicking off the night, we started off with a cocktail each. I went for the French 75 in the forefront. The drink is a simple blend of gin, lemon, prosecco and sugar. Simple but when made right, it packs a punch, must be the bubbles. The other beverage is Pisco Sour, topped with a good amount of foamy egg white, surprisingly tart.  
The bread is warm! But be careful you don't fill up on this, it's very tempting. A child at the table next to us had about 3 pieces slathered with butter, prompting the parents to take it away. The child proceeded to eat the butter on its own.
We decided to order two mains to share, worried that a heavy meal might put us to sleep during the play. We opted for one healthy option, and a more decadent one. This is the lighter of the two, and is a simple Roasted Lingcod, on a bed of corn risotto which had chunks of wine cured chorizo & lobster meat. The risotto was not as heavy as you would think and paired well with the roasted fish. I liked the crust on the fish and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of lobster in the dish. 
This is heavenly and pure decadense. I've always been a sucker for baked pastas, and this one does not disappoint. Upon checking in on foursquare, the most popular tip was to try this Oven-baked Spaghetti. The pasta is nicely al dente, and the tomato and meat sauce are heated through with a general portion of bocconcini. I found the dish a bit too oily, there is some pooling of oil on the bottom of the pan, but this is unavoidable with you're melting cheesy goodness. The baking process also gets the noodles on the edges of the pan slightly crispy!

Take Note:

• Wide variety of items including Butter Chicken
• Great views
• Make reservations or be prepared for long waits

Munching at Mogu

It's been a while since I had a food truck lunch, so on a fairly bright day last month, we ventured over to Mogu just a few blocks away. There wasn't a lineup, which was a bit surprising for me. But I think the food truck frenzy is slowing down a touch.  For $11, you can get a Sandwich Combo, with a Mini Chicken Karaage and your choice of three types of sandwiches, pork, chicken or kobacha (squash) and a drink as well.

   

This is the Sweet & Spicy Chicken Karaage. There are three pieces in the cup and it's definitely freshly fried. I think the combo only comes with two pieces now. It was super moist and juicy on the inside with a very satisfying crunch on the exterior. My only complaint would be that utensil that accompanies the chicken. It's just a small skewer, and doesn't really stab securely onto the chicken. I would hate to drop this on the ground, but then again, that's a minor complaint. 

 

With the karaage devoured, we started on the Pork Miso Katsu sandwich. The pork cutlet is breaded and deep fried. The sauce is miso based, and slighlty on the sweet side. The The coleslaw had a nice  punch, with hints of wasabi in the dressing. The cutlet was large, juicy and satisfying, I also liked that fact the grilled the bun too. Next  time you're looking for a burger, skip the fast food chains and give Mogu a try. 

Quick White Spot Revisit

One of the comforting things about chain restaurants is their predictability. And White Spot is a perfect example of that. But they do try to keep things fresh by adding seasonal items, such as different types of burgers and various pastas. This time, they were featuring Fish and Chips. We wanted to try a few more things, and realized that we were actually in time for their Happy Hour menu. Yes, White Spot has happy hour! From 3-6 daily, select appetizers are only $6.
This is the Shanghai Chicken Nachos. It's a little odd and carelessly pulled together, with the toppings scattered quite unevenly over the wonton crisps, some had hardly anything on top. But we rejigged it amongst ourselves and the roasted chicken with the soy cilantro marinade was actually quite good. There could have been more cheese and a bit less hoisin sauce but overall, this was a pleasant bite.
Another old standby is the Nat’s Crispy Dry Ribs. We found these a bit too dry; they seemed either overdone or worse, refried. Simply tossed in Salt and Pepper, these were fair, and worth the $6 but I was disappointed by them.

 

As I mentioned earlier, they were featuring their Fish and Chips, so we decided to try them. They normally use cod for this entree, but the deal was $16.99 for two pieces of Halibut and bottomless fries. Since there were three of us, we added a few extra dollars for a third piece of fish. Well, I have to say, this was stellar. Crispy and light batter with a super flaky and juicy fish on the inside. These were cooked to a rich golden colour and weren't oily at all. Definitely worth the visit.

Take Note:

• The staff are very young and they seem short-staffed all the time. No one clearing empty tables.
• Skip the ribs but give their other appies a try.
• Burgers are always solid but the fries can sometimes be really greasy.    

Bites at Bayou on Bay

We decided to head to Las Vegas over the Easter long weekend. As many of you know, flying out of Bellingham and Seattle is much ore affordable than flying out of YVR. Leaving Thursday afternoon, we were stuck looking for a place for dinner. There a quite a few Mexican restaurants near the airport and there is always Bellis Fair, the ones we looked at all had mixed reviews. We actually found a Cajun place called Bayou on Bay and decided to give it a try.
It is supposed to be quite warm in Vegas and I didn't pack anything warm but it was rather cool at night in Bellingham. What better way to warm up than with a Blueberry Tea? An Earl Grey tea with a splash of Grand Marnier and Amaretto, the drink was quite strong but unfortunately it wasn't as piping hot as I wanted (or needed) it to be. But the booziness of the drink warmed my up anyhow.
They had a daily specials board and one thing that piqued our interest was the Gator Dip. Served with almost an entire loaf of bread, this cream-cheese based dip rich and creamy. Baked with a thin layer of mozzarella on top and loaded with quite a few large chunks of gator meat, this was really quite good for $8.
I was really craving Chicken Wings and figured that wings would be pretty hard to mess up. Well, I was proven wrong. First of all, they weren't even wings! What arrived was a plate of shrivelled up drummettes, with leathery looking skin. One bite and it was obvious that these drummettes had been refried, and not just once, maybe a few times. There was no flavour, no juiciness, and what meat there was left was dry, despite a generous dousing of the barbecue sauce. Total fail, and yes, I still crave Chicken Wings and will be on the hunt in Vegas. We had more than half the order left and didn't bother packing it.
The Jambalaya was a huge improvement, probably due to the the awfulness of the previous dish. The rice was steaming hot, and loaded with baby shrimp, chunks of crawfish, bits of chorizo, and some veggies including okra. We added the grilled sausage for $2, but you really don't need to. The dish was more than enough on its own, in fact, there was so much rice we couldn't finish it all. In the end, we just picked out all the seafood.
Service was cordial and efficient but nothing to rave about. She did apologize when I explained why we didn't pack the wings because they were really bad, but she still charged us for them.