I hadn't visited the new CityCenter yet, so we went there via Bellagio, since I wanted to have a dessert crepe at Jean-Philippe Patisserie. J-P is located in the spa tower at Bellagio, near the conservatory, so I got to check out the summer decorations.
There was a long line at J-P, but it was worth it. The crepes are light and airy, and they are generous with the toppings. I ordered the chocolate crepe, topped with fudge sauce, brownie bits, chocolate flakes, powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream. You can add a scoop of gelato to your crepe order for $2 extra. Given that the normal price for a scoop of gelato was $4.75, how could I not add on? The last time I ordered, the scoop was pretty small, but this time, it was huge! Mango gelato, yummy. It's hard to resist buying more items since everything looks so tantalizing good in the shop.
We headed over to the CityCenter tram, which was down a corridor in the spa tower. The tram takes you to various stops within CityCenter and ending at the Monte Carlo. We got off at "Crystals", which is the shopping area. Not all of the space has been leased, but the stores that were there were high-end, like Tiffany, Bally, Christian Dior, etc. The Louis Vuitton store was three stories tall! It was a bit intimidating to go in there, as there weren't a ton of people inside, and too many salespeople standing around, eager to sell you something. I didn't see anything I absolutely had to have, which was good since I didn't want to approach my credit card limit. :) Though if I did see my friend Rachel's runway Speedy handbag, I may have been tempted.
We took a stroll outside to admire the glass-sided facades. There are a pair of buildings called Veer Towers that are built on an angle, supposedly to allow many of the residences to have a good view. It was hard to capture this, as our eyes and brain naturally assume it should be standing straight. But really, the building on the right is tilting towards the left.
We visited the Vdara and Mandarin Oriental hotels, but there wasn't very much to see as they were only hotels, no casino attached. Aria is a hotel casino, so there was more to see there, including this water-wall at the entrance of the hotel. The interior is very contemporary. There was another Jean-Philippe here too!
The Cosmopolitan hotel casino was not open yet, slated for middle of December.
It was time to head over to the M Resort, which housed the "Best Buffet in Las Vegas", the Studio B Buffet. This place got high ratings on Yelp as well. Perhaps it was because beer and wine were included with the buffet? That may be a plus for some of you folks, but alcoholic beverages only take up valuable space in my stomach.
It's about a 15-20 minute drive from the Strip, taking I-15 south towards Los Angeles and exiting St. Rose Parkway. A taxi ride would cost a ton, so it's best to have a rental car. If you don't have one, there is a shuttle available from the Fashion Show Mall or the airport.
We arrive at the M around 5:40 and there is already a huge line for the buffet. Security had to bring out extra stanchions to extend the line onto the casino floor. The Yelp reviews talked about waiting in line for hours and I suspected the reason why...the line was pretty much made up of Asians. This was not good. Asians will eat slowly for hours. I know, because I'm Asian. So Babe and I stand there, watching the head of the line not moving. There was a separate line for Comp/VIP people, so I think those people would probably get attention first. We moved about 10 feet in the next 30 minutes, but it was because people decided to pack in closer. Around 6:30, Babe was suggesting that it'd probably be another 2 hours waiting time...perhaps we should go somewhere else, like the Wynn? I was so starved by now, but I was determined to try this buffet. My logical mind was telling me "get out of this line...you have a 9:30 show to catch" but my illogical side was saying "noooo, must eat here, must experience the best buffet in Vegas!" Eventually, logic won and I acquiesced, stepping out of the line and headed back to the car. I was very disappointed. Babe was doing his best to make me feel better, and suggested going to the Rio. I didn't mind eating at their Carnival World Buffet, as that line would probably be a lot quicker than their Village Seafood Buffet. We get there and pass by the seafood buffet, and miraculously, there was no line! I was astonished. So we ended up eating there. (the line got as long as I thought it would be, after we finished dinner) The layout seemed to have changed from the last time I was there 2 years ago, because there was a huge line for "warm" snow crab (Asians prefer warm food) that ended up blocking out a lot of the other hot food stations like the clams and prime rib. :( Funny that there wasn't a line for the lobster tails. Finally, my tummy was satisfied, and we made it back to Encore in time to freshen up and go to the show.
We passed by the XS nightclub to get to the Wynn theater, and the line was so long that it extended all the way down the corridor to the theater, and it was still 1 hour before the club opened! There were lots of Asians waiting in line. Girls were wearing tight dresses that barely covered the bottom of their derriere. I could never wear stuff like that...not that my butt is unflattering, but to expose the bottom of your bum in a nightclub? It definitely offers easy access, especially for those guys who like to dry hump, haha. Anyway, if you're staying at the Encore, go to the concierge ahead of time and ask for tickets, as there was a separate entrance for "hotel guests with tickets". Then you don't have to submit yourself to scrutiny from passers-by like me.
There was a long line to pick up tickets at the box office (definitely heed the advice of picking up the tickets 1 hour before the show, which I neglected), but we were able to make it in right at 9:30pm. Since the theater is in the round, all seats had a good view, but I think our section (A) was the best, as a lot of the acts focused right in front of us. We were seated in row G on the aisle. If you sit too far down, you will get wet. No photography was allowed during the show, but I got a shot at the end.
The stage moves, rotates, and becomes a pool at times. If you've seen "O", this show is similar but the theater is more intimate. The storyline and music isn't as compelling as "O", but still enjoyable. I call it a "lighthearted" version of O. The songs are sung mostly in English versus Cirque du Soleil's made-up words. I especially liked watching the synchronized swimming and the "strong men": men balancing themselves onto each other, lean muscles seemingly moving effortlessly, but you can see the concentration in their eyes. It was a good show. It was even better that it was "free", but I'd buy tickets.
On the way back to the room, the line for XS got even longer, despite the club being open. The line for Surrender snaked into the casino. I wonder if Tryst and Blush (inside the Wynn hotel) also had the same turnout. Several years ago when the Wynn was still pretty brand new, my sister-in-laws and I walked in with the intent of going to the Patio Bar for drinks. A Wynn host stopped us, asking if we were headed to Tryst. I'm sure he probably would have walked us right into the club at no charge if we said yes. Nowadays, there are people waiting in line hours before opening to get in. Times have changed.
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