Aburiya Raku, Las Vegas

On my second night in Las Vegas, I had a great late night dinner at Japanese Robata grill and restaurant, Aburiya Raku, located just west of the city's Chinatown area.
We started with a series of cold dishes before sampling items from the grill. First was a bowl with poached egg, mountain yam, nameko mushrooms, okra, sea urchin & salmon roe. This was a wonderful slimy bowl of briny, eggy, fatty goodness. All the components blended so well together.


We ordered a serving of Raku's housemade tofu. They offered to split the portion into a cold portion which arrived first and a hot portion for later. The cold tofu was reminiscent of fresh mozzarella in texture and in it's clean flavor. At the table, you had the option of toppings for the tofu including: green tea Hokkaido sea salt with shitake & seaweed; yagenbori shichimi, a blend of seven kinds of chile powders, koregusu, an oil with Okinawa chili, Awamori, and island peppers; and a soy sauce deuced with plum. The tofu also came with bonito, onion, & shredded daikon.
I found myself using the green tea salt the most.

That evening, there were some specials. We first got the kampachi, or amberjack, sashimi. It's a mild white fish with a good flavor to it.
We also got a small salad of hotaru ika, or firefly squid, sunomono style.






Out last cold started was the Kobe beef liver sashimi. It was sliced thin with a very thin slice of garlic on top. The texture reminded me of tuna sashimi, and raw, the liver does not have a strong "offal" flavor. It's much cleaner tasting.
We got the second half of our housemade tofu "agedashi" style. It's lightly fried and served in a dashi broth with salmon roe and onions. It was good, but I did prefer the tofu straight up simply because it was so fresh.

We started our grill items with vegetables. First up was roasted tomatoes. They immediately blew me away. With this as a start, I could taste the flavor imparted by their Japanese charcoal smoke throughout the flesh and skin of each tomato. It was remarkable.
The following bacon wrapped asparagus was a little underwhelming to me after the tomato. The bacon hid the smoke flavor I think.




I liked their shishito peppers. It's one of my favorite items to get at izakayas. Eating them is a bit like Russian roulette. Some are very mild, but every so often, you get one that is really spicy.
The directed flamed Japanese eggplant was just alright. The texture of the eggplant was soft and pleasant, but it seems to be very bland, hidden away in the forest of bonito.



Next up were our meat skewers. My tablemates ordered the apple marinated lamb chop and the duck with balsamic soy sauce. The lamb was wonderful. It was soft, juicy, and packed with flavor.
I found the duck not as memorable. The sauce was good, but the meat was alright. I think the flaming dried it out a little.





Raku has two options for Kobe beef from their grill. The first we tried was the Kobe beef skirt steak with a thin piece of garlic. The beef prepared this way was great.
I also had the Kobe filet topped with fresh wasabi. This was less fatty than the skirt, and with the kick of the wasabi, reminded me of pit beef with horseradish.





We ordered one chicken item, the tsukune- ground chicken sausage. It was light, juicy and delicious. I do prefer my tsukune with a little cartilage, but unfortunately, Raku's did not have any. It was still quite good.
I got my cartilage fix with the next course, the pig ear. This was awesome- fatty with a little bite of the cartilage on some pieces.
I also really loved the Kurobata pork cheek. I was in piggy heaven. The pork was so rich, it felt like eating 1 centimeter thick chunks of bacon.
My favorite of the robatayaki was the Kobe beef tendon. I got two large chunks. They were incredible, and each chunk had different flavors. The first piece I had was very smoky, savory and meaty, whereas the second piece was more juicy and sweet. The flavor contrast blew me away.
For dessert, we ordered two "sorbets". They were more like slushies, but both were very good. The first was tangerine which was pleasantly sweet with a little tang. My favorite was the strawberry. Maybe this was because it was topped with condensed milk.








5030 Spring Mountain Road # 2
Las Vegas, NV
(702)367-3511 ‎

Soyo Korean Barstaurant, Las Vegas

One late night in Vegas, I went to Soyo Korean Bartaurant on the south side of town. It reminded me of a Japanese izakaya, but the cuisine was Korean and soju was the drink of choice.
When you walk in, the decor is whimsical with shelves of manga along the walls, and several private booths elevated above the main floor of the restaurant.
The menu is a wide array of Korean bar food including soups, noodles, and side dishes. Since I was flying out the next day, we only drank a pitcher of beer, but next time I go, I plan to try their sojus.
Upon arrival, you are immediately served a container of cold barley tea poured out in metal cups. It was a refreshing start. They also brought a variety of bon chon including kimchee, seaweed, and a kind of cole slaw.
We started with the grilled squid and garlic. It came in a ball of aluminum foil which was unwrapped at tableside. The fragrance of the garlic was the first thing you were hit with. The squid was light and flavorful
We also ordered the dduk bok-kee, the rice dumpling and fish cakes with cabbage and carrots. They pulled no punches on the spice and the dumplings were wonderfully soft.
My friend Alex was intrigued about their dish with sweet corn & green onion topped with mozzarella. Served in a cast iron plate, this was surprisingly satisfying.
I knew right away, I had to try their version of Korean fried chicken. Their's was more saucy than my preference, but packed with spicy, soy garlic flavor. Not Bon Chon, but not bad at all.
For our last course, we ordered the gamja jeon, or potato pancake. The Koreans like theirs savory, dipping it in a little soy sauce.
This is a great place for late night snacks and drinks, and I plan to drop by Soyo again when I return to Vegas this summer.

7775 S Rainbow Blvd
Ste 105
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 897-7696

Breakfast at Hash House A Go Go, Las Vegas

One morning in Las Vegas, I went with friends to the Hash House A Go Go, a small regional chain originally from San Diego with a few locations in Vegas. Their food is over the top- massive portions with fun and kooky presentation. I started with a glass of fresh tangerine juice.
I ordered the sage fried chicken with bacon waffles, maple reduction and fried leeks. It was a ridiculous portion- two fried chicken breasts and 4 large waffles with bacon cooked in each one. I was able to finish one breast and 1 1/2 waffles. Of course, then I ate the skin off the other breast.
I hope to go back to try their different hash recipes.

Jose Andrés' é in Las Vegas (Diner #651)

Last week I was in Vegas for a wedding, so I took advantage of the trip to have a ridiculous 3 days of eating around town. Things started a couple hours after I arrived. I headed straight to the new Cosmopolitan Hotel because I scored a seat at é, a dining experience inside Jose Andrés' Jaleo restaurant that is part show and part meal. The concept of the restaurant is a journey through Jose Andrés' past and experiences. When you enter é, the room, decorated by the chef, is surrounded by what looks like card catalog drawers filled with chotchkies from his life including records, dolls, fans, a corset, oranges, an old typewriter, and more.
Seating is arranged for up to 8 people at a counter in a semicircle so everyone can watch the chefs prep each plate. It's an open setup to promote interaction with the chefs, and I felt welcome to ask questions and talk with chefs and my fellow diners.
Course 1: Frozen Sangria, Grilled Strawberries
The chefs used liquid nitrogen to make a sorbet of sangria in front of us. We were instructed to eat the hot grilled strawberries and then take a bit of the frozen sangria. The warm and frozen texture mixed in an interesting way with the sweet and sour flavors. It was a fun whimsical starter.
Course 2: Spanish "Clavel"
The chefs then told us that the next set of plates were "snacks". These were paired with La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry, a dry tasting, light drink.
A clavel is a kind of carnation, and this was beautifully presented on a plate molded from Jose Andrés' hand. I'm not sure it it was fried or baked, but the flower had the consistency of a light potato chip.
Course 3: Caramelized Pork Rinds
Honey glazed housemade pork rinds. 'Nuff said.
Course 4: Beet Jewelry
This was served in a box that looked like a book. The beet is dried out into a ring and sprinkled with gold. I did not look for the gold later.

Course 5: Apple "Brazo de Gitano"
My first thought when I say this was Ho-Hos. The "cake" was an apple merigue, and it was filled with a blue cheese espuma, then topped with a walnut praline butter. It was so incredibly light.
Here endeth the "snack" portion of the meal.
Course 6: Crispy Chicken Skin in Escabeche
This dish was a new addition to the menu. It was a piece of fried chicken skin topped with chicken "oysters" and espuma. The head chef of Jaleo was in the room when this was prepped to taste it as well.
Course 7, part 1: Jose Taco
This courses consisted of two tastes highlighted by Caviar de Riofrio. First was a "taco" of caviar, where instead of a tortilla, we were given a slice of the decadently fatty jamón ibérico de bellota.
Course 7, part 2: Artichoke with Caviar
The second part of the course was a fried artichoke topped with the sturgeon caviar. However, inside the artichoke was a wonderful quail egg that burst with yolky goodness when you bit down. This one was the winner between the two.
Course 8: Bocata de "Calamares"
We were told this course hearkened back to the childhood of chef Andrés and the sandwiches he would have at the Spanish shore. The bread was a light fried brioche, and inside was very simple: calamari, aioli, cucumber and scallion. It was such a wonderful course in it's simplicity and purity of flavors.

Course 9: Ajo Blanco
Ajo Blanco is a white "gazpacho", or cold soup, made primarily with bread, garlic, oil, water, vinegar, and almonds. The version at é was deconstructed. Initially, the bowl contained the various ingredients on their own, including granita, gelatinized vinegar, and almonds. We were first instructed to try each of these components on their own.

Afterwards, they poured a marcona almond milk onto the plate, and you mixed the ingredients all together. It was marvelous tasting how each component combined to create an altogether different taste experience.

Course 10: Santa Barbara Spotted Prawns with Roses
I'm a fan of Santa Barbara prawns. They are large and delicious. I'm happy that the chefs let the prawn sing on it's own in this plate. The sauce made with lobster heads was good, but sometimes keeping it simple is a very good thing.
They paired the prawns with Estrella Damm Inedit with this course. It is a beer created with Ferran Adrià to go with food. It was really smooth and light with absolutely no aftertaste.
Course 11: Chickpea Stew with Iberico Ham
This dish showed off some molecular gastronomy in that the chickpeas were spherical chickpeas. When prepared this way, the outcome is very smooth and clean tasting.


Course 12: Catch of the Day - Roasted Turbot with Black Garlic
Our next wine was 2001 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Crianza Blanco, Rioja DOCa.
The next course was a beautifully charcoal roasted turbot, a light flaky fish. It had a piece of black garlic accompanying it. The idea of black garlic came from Korean cuisine. The garlic turns black due to fermentation and pickling and it's flavor has a sweet and sour note.
Course 14: Whole Lobe of Foie Gras Baked in Salt
We were presented with the whole lobe of foie gras before service, but I missed the picture. It was too much fun already.
We were poured a glass of Guimaro Ribera Sacra 2008.
The foie was beautiful. On the plate was a streak of dark chocolate, and they poured orange juice on top. Both added a pleasant sweetness that complemented the wonderful fattiness of the foie.

Course 15: Secreto of Iberico Pork
I would say the next course might have been the most amazing piece of pork I have ever eaten. The pork is from the Iberian black footed pig. The cut is known as a secreto. The "secret" is that when farmers would bring the pigs to the butcher, the butcher would save this secret piece from under the shoulderblade for themselves.
Eating the pork was unbelievable. Imagine wagyu beef meets pork belly. It was heavenly, melting away in your mouth. I savored each bite with relish.

Course 16: Orange Pith Puree, La Sirena
The last wine served was a 1982 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Gran Reserva.
With the end of the mains, we moved onto our cheese course, queso de La Sirena, a soft raw sheep cheese. The plate had a spiral of orange puree, candied pepitos, and a thin toast.






Course 17: Frozen Apricot Coulant
They told the group that the next dish was inspired by Michel Richard of Central in DC. A coulant that was a frozen apricot timbale, torched on top to create a hard shell with a cool apricot syrup inside.












Course 18: Apples & Red Wine, "Frédy Girardet"
The next dessert was vanilla ice cream with red wine poached apples and spherical apples. One of my tablemates was allergic to oranges, so she was served a beautiful crème caramel.






Course 19: 25 Second Bizcocho
The next course was prepared with a microwave in 25 seconds. They loaded a paper cone with batter, set the oven, and let it do it's thing. The result was a light cone of chocolate cake.
Course 20: Chocolates
The final course was a small book box of saffron milk chocolate and chocolate air topped with sea salt.

At the end of this fantastic meal, we all signed into a book to document our wonderful experience, and we said our goodbyes to the chefs and staff involved. I must say that the meal at é was truly unforgettable. The journey through all the flavors and tastes as well as the wonderful back and forth with my fellow diners and chefs made it all the more worthwhile.