Best Thai food in North America, duck fat fries, Luxor, Wicked Spoon Buffet - January 1-2, 2011

Saturday was the first day of the year 2011 and how did we ring it in?  Ate the most expensive take-away food I've ever had and spent the afternoon watching football on TV.  The steaks and side dishes from last night remained delicious, even after nuking them in the microwave.  Babe won 4 out of 6 football bets, so it was a good day.  That evening, we decided to try out Lotus of Siam, supposedly the "best Thai food in North America", as rated by Yelpers.  It was located in a scary strip mall east of the Strip.  The reviews suggested to make reservations for dinner, but I called them at 5pm and they said that I didn't need reservations if I was coming in around opening time.  The restaurant got really full when we left, so definitely make reservations if arriving at peak hours.

Was it really the best Thai food ever?  I've never been to Thailand, so I cannot compare, but the food was pretty good.  The menu was pages and pages long...if I didn't have an idea of what to order based on Yelp reviews, I would have been lost, or needed help from the server.  Babe and I had Thai ice teas to start.  It tasted good, but I could not tell that it was really exceptional.  The dishes came 15 minutes later:  drunken noodles with prawns, green curry with chicken, crispy panang duck.  The green curry was ordered "Thai hot" as Babe likes it that way.  The other dishes were mild so I could eat it and still be able to taste the flavor.

drunken noodles with prawns

crispy panang duck

green curry with chicken, Thai hot!

The drunken dish was very pretty...so pretty that one of the patrons came to our table and asked what it was so they could order it. :)  The prawns were colossal-sized and deep fried so the shells could be eaten.  I normally don't eat the shells, but it was almost unavoidable the way it was prepared, so I went for it.  It wasn't too bad, though I drew the line at eating the prawn tail.  The drunken noodles were delicious, as well as the crispy duck.  I like panang (roasted red) curry and the skin was fried to a pleasant crunch.  There was a lot of meat too.  I decided to try a little bit of the green curry out of curiosity, as I have never had "Thai hot" before.  I put a small dab of the curry on some white rice and had no problem eating it, experiencing a slight tingle.  Then I tried a piece of chicken, no problem there and the heat was bearable.  I then put a slightly larger dollop of sauce on rice and ate it.  No prob...uh oh.  I think I must have eaten a chili seed or oil as suddenly my eyes watered and my mouth went up in flames.  I futilely fanned my mouth with my hand.  My eyes were darting all over the table, searching frantically for relief.  I glanced at the glass of ice water, which was a no-no, as chili oil doesn't mix with water and ends up spreading the heat everywhere.  (something I learned while watching Solitary 2.0)  White rice was available, but it'd wouldn't instantly quaff the heat.  Then I spotted my glass of Thai iced tea, which contained dairy...I only had half a glass left.  I slurped mine down as Babe handed me his glass.  The flames were somewhat abated.  All this time, I was exclaiming to Babe, "Why do you do this to yourself?!?"  "How can you eat this?"  "WHY??!?!"  "I totally can't do Man vs. Food!"  He just laughed at me as he drank spoonfuls of the curry sauce in front of my face.  Before we turned in for the night, we drove over to Aria to get some gelato from J-P and let Babe catch some football at the sports book while I tried my luck at video poker.  No royal flushes tonight.

We checked out of the Signature the next day...to lower the total cost of lodging, we decided to spend Sunday night at the Luxor for $42.  I had never stayed in the pyramid before so I was looking forward to it.  Check-in was at 3pm, so we drove over to Aria looking for food.  We ended up taking the tram to Bellagio in search of yummy fries, but Babe reminded me that we had passed a restaurant during our tour of the Cosmopolitan hotel on New Year's Eve that offered duck fat fries.  The fastest way to get there was to walk out the front of the Bellagio and the Cosmo would be to the right.  The restaurant was on the second floor, called Holstein's, and was a trendy burger joint.  On the way there, we saw a crowd of people in front of a Chinese/Mexican restaurant called China Poblano that seemed closed off to the public.  There were bodyguards surrounding a couple whom we could only see the backs of their heads: the gentleman had short dark hair and the lady had layered long blonde hair.  We didn't know who it was until someone screamed out "Seattle wants him back!" and Babe figured out it was the back of A-Rod's head, and the lady must have been Cameron Diaz.  I don't know if I could handle being famous, having people gawking at you, not being able to eat in peace.  I suppose if I was paid millions of dollars, I could possibly overlook that. ;)  Fortunately, no one recognized us as "rock stars" and we were able to make it to the front entrance of Holstein's without detection.  I didn't want to wait 20 minutes for a table, so we sat at the bar and ordered a pail of duck fat fries and a black and white milkshake.  The fries sounded better than they tasted, but the milkshake was to die for.  The milk tasted so good, full of flavor, and probably full fat!  The chocolate covered mini "crunch" balls sprinkled on top were a nice touch.  The tin was included too! :)  Patrons would walk up to the bar and order milkshakes to go.  I would probably do the same next time I'm around.

We headed back to the car, passing by the Bellagio Conservatory.  It was in a state of disassembly.  I had never been there on a day where they were changing up the decorations.  Here is what it looked like when we were there mid-December:

And now it was being taken apart (poor naked polar bear):

Machinery and trucks were being driven in through the walkway from the Spa Tower to the Conservatory.  I had no idea that big trucks could make it through there.

We checked into the Luxor.  Unfortunately, no pyramid rooms were available, so we were upgraded to the Tower Deluxe Room.  If this was a better room, then the pyramid rooms must really be basic.

who uses bedspreads anymore?

For dinner, Babe reminded me that the Cosmopolitan offered a buffet called the Wicked Spoon Buffet.  It hadn't even crossed my mind to try that buffet, even though we had passed it a couple of times while taking a "scenic tour" around the hotel.  He truly knows food is near and dear to my heart. :)  Especially when he looked it up on Yelp and told me that the buffet was tapas-style.  Cute little portions of food plated in tiny saucepans, baskets, and bowls?  Chocolate covered strawberries?  Count me in!  We drove over to the Cosmopolitan.  The parking lot was underground, so it was spooky to drive down several levels (and hoping there wasn't going to be an earthquake).  The garage was separated into a west and east side, and we knew the buffet was on the west end.  It was 5:30pm, so there wasn't anyone in line, yet the buffet was two-thirds full.  $27 per person wasn't too bad.  Wicked Spoon has now become my favorite buffet in Vegas.  Even though the buffet doesn't offer pounds of crab legs or oysters, you will see why.

We didn't want to fill up on juice or alcohol, so we had water and tea.  The bottled water was "Aquahealth" brand.  The tea was very fragrant too.

There were very few "food service" trays where you scooped your own food (like mashed potatoes); most of the time, the food was served in small plates or small portions.  This was great as the presentation looked better and you didn't have to touch too many serving spoons.  Babe and I found that even these smaller portioned servings were too much and we ended up eating most of them "family style", which confused our server, who kept trying to pick up the dishes in the middle of the table, thinking we discarded them since they weren't on our main plates.

salads were all portioned out

reminded me of the bread cart at Joel Robuchon

cute little saucepans of food

the sign said "fries with eyes": fried smelt with dipping sauces, along with gyros and charcuterie

braised short rib, lobster pasta, shrimp cocktail, and bone marrow(!)

shrimp dumpling, xiaolongbao, CA roll, lamb baby back ribs

lots of gelato!

I could eat $27 worth of fresh berries

and huge chocolate covered strawberries, dipped in cookies and candies

mini candy apples

fudge towers and chocolate bark

there were trays of different trifles

gold leaf chocolate chip cookies, fresh berries, gigantic chocolate covered strawberries, and mint chip gelato

There was so much other food, and proteins like prime rib, turkey, leg of lamb, pork, etc...I couldn't take pictures of everything.  There was even a mini "pho" station, with tiny bowls of noodles, and you could spoon broth into it and add fixings!  My tummy got full before I even sampled half of the offerings at the buffet.  I wasn't disappointed at all that there weren't any king/snow crab legs or oysters; in fact, I was glad not to be pressured into eating a lot of crab and oyster to "get my money's worth".  But at $27, I think this buffet offered plenty for the price and highly recommend this buffet.  Just as long as you are aware of the lack of mass quantities of crab.  There was plenty of shrimp available, and king crab was offered, already shelled and tossed in a Cajun butter sauce.  Some Yelpers complained that they couldn't carry pans on their plate because it took up too much room and were heavy.  I admit that it could get heavy, but how much food do you plan to eat at once anyway?  There was another complaint, that some of the food didn't have labels.  I agree here too, and they need to improve on that.  The hotel has only been open since December 15, so I'm sure they're working out the kinks.  One other annoying thing had nothing to do with the food, but that the restroom nearby had only four stalls.  Four stalls?!?  Next to a buffet???

The two ladies sitting at the table next to us ended up being a source of amusement.  Those pretty mini candy apples pictured above?  Babe and I read on Yelp that they weren't worth eating, because the apples were very "sandy" (like an old Red Delicious).  Babe got one anyway, took a bite, and spit it out since it was true.  One of the ladies flagged down our server and complained to him, "These apples are so bad.  Why are they bad?", and so forth.  Like the server would know.  She insisted that he ask the chef why they were so sandy.  He relented and went into the back of the kitchen; he returned to tell them that the chef said that they were sandy on purpose because the texture worked well with the chocolate.  The lady did not agree and kept giving our poor server an earful about why the apples should be better and how the chef didn't know what he was talking about.  The server just stood there and shrugged as the lady went on and on.  Poor guy.

Besides the few hiccups, the buffet was a pleasure to eat at, and I am looking forward to eating there again on a future trip to Vegas (which should be very very very far into the future).  This was our last night in Vegas...back to work the next day.  Gotta pay for the travel, right?  My next big trip isn't until middle of February...one week in Kauai with the parents!  In between now and then, I'll dig up some Time Machine entries...stay tuned!

Cosmopolitan, Craftsteak, New Year's Eve - December 31, 2010

Late start to the day, and I was famished.  Since Babe and I were going to indulge ourselves at a steakhouse tonight, we decided to head over to Aria to share a crepe at our beloved Jean-Philippe Patisserie.  We headed out the lobby of Tower 3 and walked on Harmon Avenue to the Strip.  It isn't too far of a walk, but the temperature outside was 37 degrees, so needless to say, we walked as fast as we could to get indoors.  I think it was the coldest I've ever experienced in Las Vegas.  Nighttime temperatures were to drop to 28 degrees!

On the way to Aria, we decided to visit the new Cosmopolitan hotel, which just opened December 15th.  The interior was very glitzy, full of crystals, and lots of contemporary artwork.  The Cosmopolitan is owned by Marriott and partnered with Ritz-Carlton, and has its own players card called "Identity".

lots of crystals

pool on the strip, loungers in the water itself

cute loungers beside the pool with view of the strip

I found the other shoe!  (see Shanghai Expo blog entry)

you can buy portable art via these cigarette-like vending machines

There was no easy way to get to Aria from the Cosmopolitan.  Let's just say that Babe and I know every nook and cranny of the Cosmopolitan hotel as well as the walkway down Harmon Avenue, and all the stores in the spiral-like 1st floor of Crystals mall.  A positive way to look at the experience was that it burned many calories to eat this:

this time, mint chip gelato instead of mango

We headed back to the MGM and tried to see lions at the Lion Habitat, but the lions were not around.  There was still an hour before dinner, but I was hungry (what else is new) so we squatted at the food court, had a small McDonalds fries to stem my hunger.  Then it was time for our 6:30 reservation at Craftsteak, a Tom Colicchio restaurant.  He is known for being the head judge on Top Chef.  It had gotten mostly good reviews on Yelp.  I actually booked this reservation before booking at the Signature, so it was a coincidence that the restaurant was in a convenient location. :)  I was hesitant to try another steakhouse after having eaten at Wolfgang Puck's CUT the month before, but this restaurant exceeded my expectations, despite it not offering a gourmet "mac-and-cheese" side dish.  The atmosphere was nice, the service exceptional, the food delicious.  I would definitely eat here again.

I had chosen what I wanted to eat even before entering the restaurant  (lobster bisque and braised short ribs), but after the 3-course menus were explained to us, I changed my mind from ordering a-la-carte to selecting a set menu.  You have to share the set menu with everyone at the table.  Even though it's 3-course (appetizer, entree, dessert), the meal is served family-style, and you get a bunch of appetizers, side dishes and desserts with your entree.  The steaks are the regular size portions too.  After eating an $85 Wagyu ribeye at CUT a-la-carte, the $130-per-person Wagyu set menu seemed to be a good value, so we went with that.

I explained to the server that I wanted to have the lobster bisque, and he said it was no problem, and then also served us a bunch of other appetizers!  I think if I didn't make a request, he would have offered us some shrimp appetizers instead, based on what I heard at the next table (more on that later).  We enjoyed some buffalo mozzarella, roasted red peppers (I normally don't like them, but they were very good!), and a Caesar salad with smoked paprika croutons and mild anchovies.  The lobster bisque was the best I have ever had.  It was a half-portion too.  I can't imagine eating a whole portion as it was rich.  The soup was filled with so much lobster (not tiny pieces, but actual large chunks!) that I asked Babe to check his soup to make sure he had a lot in his too, in case there was some unequal splitting.  We also got a pan of warm bread rolls, which melted in your mouth.

Next came our two entrees, which was Wagyu ribeye and filet mignon.  A plus to family-style is that we could share the meats and it would also be cooked exactly to request as "medium rare" could be easily seen by the chefs.  Our side dishes were mixed mushrooms, brussel sprouts with bacon, and Yukon mashed potatoes.  They were pretty good-sized!

restaurant steak knives

Wagyu rib eye, yum

Wagyu filet mignon, so tender

mixed mushrooms

there must have been a stick of butter in this

bacon makes everything better

I only ate one slice of filet and one slice of ribeye as I was so full from everything else.  Good thing that we had a kitchen back at the Signature, so we could enjoy our meal again for lunch the next day.  The servers were very willing to pack up our food and even included some disposable silverware packets. (probably the most expensive "take-away" food ever)

So many desserts!  I didn't know we'd get this much variety.  Ice cream can't be packed up, so we had no choice but to eat every single bite.  What a terrible predicament! ;)

cinnamon monkey bread with banana ice cream

dark and milk chocolate ice cream

vanilla bean cheesecake a-la-mode

baked apples in caramel sauce

This was an awesome meal.  I was so glad I wasn't going to write a bad review.  Some Yelpers complained about being seated in the main entrance in view of people passing by.  I definitely wouldn't be happy sitting there, but the restaurant is pretty big, and if you make reservations way in advance, you probably won't get those tables.

I mentioned earlier that there were some diners next to us.  They were seated after our order was taken.  By the time we paid for our meal, they had just gotten their entrees!  It took FOREVER for them to decide what to order.  It was a family of four:  Mom, Dad, and two daughters.  The dad asked the server (same as ours) what seemed like hundreds of questions about the set menus:  "So-and-so doesn't like to eat such-and-such, can we substitute that for this?" and so on.  The server was patiently answering every one, though I could hear a bit of frustration.  Babe could see the two daughters rolling their eyes.  When they finally ordered, Babe and I were already enjoying our steaks.  It was funny to see them receive the lobster bisque.  I think that it normally isn't offered on the 3-course menu, but they'll accommodate requests.  A whole serving then gets split up amongst the number of people.  The table of four received little coffee mugs with soup, and not like the fancy soup bowls Babe and I got.  They received their entrees when we got up from the table...I heard them say, "We didn't need all these steaks!"  They'd probably write a bad review on Yelp.

We went back up to the room to put away our food, relax and digest before braving the crowds on the Strip for the New Year's Eve countdown.  It was super cold that night so we were bundled up in sweaters, jackets and scarves.  The sidewalk outside of the MGM was blocked off from the street with waist-high metal enclosures and concrete L-barriers.  We had to hop over a metal enclosure to get into the street.  With Babe's help, I managed to climb over with my 4-inch boots. :)  I would be mad if I stayed at the Excalibur, as it seemed they were really blocked off and people had no way of fighting through the castle entrance to get onto the Strip.  It was kind of amusing to see them crammed in there.

Ten seconds to midnight, lighted signs on the Strip displayed a countdown timer.  At midnight, fireworks exploded off the rooftop of the MGM, Planet Hollywood, Aria, Caesar's, Treasure Island, Venetian, and the Stratosphere, all synchronized.  It lasted for several minutes, culminating into a fierce ending.  I'm glad they had fireworks this year, as two years ago, when I went with my parents, there weren't any due to the Monte Carlo rooftop fire.

Happy new year to my babe...may each new year continue to be even better than the last.  Happy New Year to all!  Thank you for reading my first year as a travel and foodie blogger.  Hope to entertain you even more in 2011, especially when I go on my 8-week sabbatical this spring. :)