Am in the midst of a trip to Las Vegas, which is less foodcentric than most of my LV visits. Still, a few highlights so far:
Lamaii, the newest offering from Bank Atchawaran, is every bit as wonderful as the Chada restaurants. Part of the fun is seeing Bank and brother Bon together again, working with their significant others, Pimmee and Bia. Everyone was smiling on a very busy Thursday evening. Come for a full dinner or small plates at the bar. It is still in the soft opening phase, and the menu has not been set. We left it to Bank, who was in the kitchen, to choose what we ate (with the only proviso that we got some of their fresh oysters). It is in the same shopping center as Sparrow & Wolf. Frankly, given the choice, I'd choose Lamaii in a heartbeat.
Pamplona is one of the three off-strip Spanish restaurants that are changing the Iberian landscape in LV. Pamplona is the most traditional, and we chose it because the birthday boy's favorite dish is paella. We had the mariscos paella and we were very happy. It's a great choice for big groups. Service is friendly and accommodating.
Lotus of Siam has somehow maintained the food quality despite getting slammed every night. As many of you know, they have every reason to be distracted: the old location is close to reopening and yet another Lotus is on the horizon, yet have kept their focus.
Goodwich still has some of the best sandwiches and salads anywhere in Las Vegas.
Got to run!
Some more quick takes:
The downtown Flock & Fowl was a pleasant surprise. The specialty, Hainan chicken, was much better than a previous visit to the West Sahara location. The soya chicken and laksa are terrific, too. The pea leaves are a perfect side, cutting the richness of the rest of the dishes. The fried chicken dishes we tried, the bao and the wings, seem a little besides the point. Marcus Samuelsson was in the house, taping a segment of his PBS series, focusing on the Hainan chicken. Service was a little hit and miss because of the taping, but the GM, Kevin, took good care of us, and there is a friendly vibe.
Bajamar Seafood and tacos, literally across the street from Via los Arepas on Las Vegas Blvd., is worth a visit. I had three different seafood tacos and my only complaint was that the crema/sauces overwhelmed the seafood. The standout, for me, was the texture of the tacos, which seem like traditional soft corn tortillas, but have a crunchy consistency. The owner insisted they are not deep-fried. Hmmm.
We went to the northwest second location of Viva Los Arepas, and although everything was tasty, the food isn't prepared as carefully as the original location.
I went with one friend to Pizzaeria Monzu, and it seems like the real deal. The regular pizzas, even the "small" ones, are massive, The crust is thicker than most "gourmet" pizzas, and it is unusually addictive: this is perhaps why -- http://www.monzulv.com/about.html We were there at noon on Sunday, and you can mix and match from the brunch or lunch menus. Salads are not just an afterthought -- everything from the greens to the shave parmigiana to the salad dressing were impressive.
Thanks for the update! I’ve been waiting for reports on Lamaii.....seems like their soft opening has been going on forever.
Don't let that stop you from visiting Lamaii. The food is great and although it is subjective, I like the ambiance better at Lamaii and there are always partners on the floor. On the night I went, Pimmie and Bon were working the floor, and both had smiles on their faces the whole night. And the wine list is super-affordable. Lamaii is open until 2 a.m. 7 days a week.
Two more meals to report.
b.B.d's is the burger outlet at the recently renovated Palace Station. A friend and I went on a quiet noon weekday. The restaurant has tempting bar-food appetizers and desserts, but we both got the griddle burger, which was very good. We weren't asked about doneness and both came out medium-well. I'll take a good portion of the blame, as I prefer rare or medium-rare burgers. It was still delicious, although the shoestring fries could have more well done. b.B.d's also offers two other kind of burgers, a massive 12-ounce steakhouse burger, and steamed burgers, an upscale and much larger riff on White Castles. I'd go back when I was hungrier and explore more of the menu.
I've read a lot about Esther's Kitchen, and I finally got a chance to visit, and now I totally understand how and why this Arts District Italian place has become so popular. Every dish was packed with flavor, maybe occasionally too exuberantly, but that's part of the charm. The fried cauliflower ("cauliflower/ anchovy/ chili/ garlic/ capers") is a flavor bomb of the first order. The little gems salad is Esther's take on a Caesar ("little gems/ cacio e pepe/ bradley's caesar/ calabrian/ croutons") that was terrific but not that different from a traditional Caesar). The bucatini amatriciana ("bucatini all'amatraciana/ guanciale/ onion/ chili/ pomodoro") was a traditional preparation, and appropriately spicy. The pizza was perhaps the biggest surprise to me. The crust, although not as complex as Pizzeria Monzu's, was nevertheless substantial and creditable, but the cheese and tomato sauce were as flavorful as any Margherita ("margherita/ chris bianco's tomatoes/ fresh local mozzarella/ basil) I've ever had. At $10, it is an astonishing bargain, and I'm glad we got a margherita -- it certainly didn't need meat or any other ingredients. It is not the entree we would have ordered, but our waiter lobbied for the chicken (mary’s chicken/ kale + calypso beans/ sourdough/ sherry jus") but the chicken and jus were wonderful. We were too stuffed to have dessert. Esther's is informal, lively, and welcoming. Noise can be a problem, but we actually could carry on a conversation, and we appreciated that there was no attempt to rush us, even though there were people waiting. Wine and beer price points are very low. Esther's Kitchen is a treasure.
Next time the porchetta is a must. Could be one of my favorite bites I have had in Vegas the last year. And a close second if not tied...yes the cauliflower. Impossibly crunchy crust (rice flower) and as you mentioned, flavor bomb of intense proportions! Have not had the pleasure of going to Lamaii yet but may try in April. Any words of advice for me Mr Feldman? Audience is me, Keith and my son who has not been to Vegas. We are booked Monday night so need that Sunday night dinner. Considering LoS, Lamaii, Esther's, Mott 32 (although after being at Decoy just the other night may have pushed Mott 32 way down. Nothing better than that duck, anywhere.) Factory Kitchen (staying at Palazzo hence the 2 restaurant recs there) and really, any place. Hope you're well.
Don't have much to add, LVI. My three best meals were at Lotus (twice) and Lamaii, with Esther's Kitchen and Pizzeria Monzu both memorable. I'm not sure how old your son is, but Lotus and Monzu might be more kid-friendly than Lamaii or Esther's, but you can't go wrong with all four (I'd only pick Monzu if everyone's in the mood for pizza).
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