Burgr – Las Vegas

February 21, 2015February 21, 2015Leave a comment

Our last meal in Vegas was in Planet Hollywood at the talked about Burgr by Gordon Ramsay.

Upon entering, his restaurant has the flames all set up on the glass window. Reminded me of Hell’s Kitchen.

He has a touch screen menu outside which you can scroll through while you wait in line. And yes, there is a line up, but it’s not very long. The funny thing is the restaurant isn’t even filled up when you enter. I guess they want to make it appear like there’s always long waits…

The interior is actually super casual. It’s almost like a sports bar. Burgr is probably one of the most casual and lower end restaurants of Gordon Ramsey’s. Burgers are all mostly under $20, which is pretty good in Vegas. Works for us since we already splurged the days before!

Just noticed that the G and R are in different colours to point out Gordon Ramsey. I guess he threw out the E in burger for a reason. How witty.

Opening up the menu, you get to see Gordon Ramsey’s face!

The server brings you an iPad, which has all the drinks on it.

Angry Orchard Hard Cider

We all went for the Angry Orchard Hard Cider. Light and crisp. Always love apple ciders!

Soba Noodle Chicken Salad

We decided to share a salad to start since we were starving. The Soba Noodle Chicken Salad features siracha chicken skewers, edamame, carrots, cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds, and a cilantro honey peanut dressing. Quite a big portion and could easily be an entree. The skewers brought some heat to the salad and was very delicious.

Fish & Crisp Sandwich

Then our burgers came. SK got the Fish & Crisp Sandwich, which had an awesome presentation. The ale battered cold was literally shaped like a fish and sat in a hot dog type bun. It came with salt & vinegar crisps, which were thinly cut and fresh dill tartar sauce. The fish was moist and delicious.

Hell’s Kitchen Burger

SP and I both got the Hell’s Kitchen Burger. All burgers are grilled over apple & alder wood and you can decide how well you want the meat cooked. The burger came with jalapeno cheese, roasted jalapeno peppers, avocado, and oven roasted tomato.

I chose medium rare for my burger and it was definitely cooked so. Reddish pink meat, although I would have now probably wanted medium for my burger next time. Felt like it was a little raw for a burger. The burger was slightly spicy because of the jalapeno, but I loved the oven roasted tomatoes inside.

Sweet Potato Fries

The burgers don’t come with any sides, so we ordered the Sweet Potato Fries to share. It ended up being such a large portion that we barely made a dent in it. It came with vanilla powdered sugar and a honey jalapeno mayo. I thought the powdered sugar was a little weird, but the fries were still crispy.

Overall, we were quite satisfied with Burgr. Reasonable prices for these gourmet burgers. Service is also friendly and attentive. Cool casual ambiance.

Pros:
– Great portions and reasonable prices
– You can decide on how well the meat is cooked

Cons:
– They make you wait in line even though there are seats
– Food comes out slightly slow

Price Range: $20-30

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Parking: N/A
Overall: 3.5

Wicked Spoon – Las Vegas (revisit)

February 19, 2015February 19, 2015Leave a comment

On Sunday morning, we decided to hit up the Wicked Spoon for some buffet at the Cosmopolitan. I ate here when they first opened and really enjoyed it, and I heard that it has kept up its standards, so it was time to do a revisit.

I heard there are always long line ups, but surprisingly, there was no line and we were seated right away. The buffet for brunch and lunch is around $38USD after tax, which is pretty reasonable for buffets in Las Vegas.

During their lunch buffet, they have a variety of items from different cuisines. Here, there is sushi.

Then they have some Thai curries and Chinese food. I love how everything comes in little pans and they even had Chinese take out boxes!

Then there’s your typical American food. Their pizzas had some pretty good toppings like smoked salmon. There’s also a variety of breakfast foods, a prime rib and other meats section, and a salad bar.

Then, there’s the dessert section. A variety of pastries. Probably one of the better buffets for dessert.

Red velvet cupcakes and cheesecakes were just some of the desserts.

So many choices for cakes!

Cakes are well presented.

My first round included a mix of food. Eggs bennedict, sausauges, bacon, mussels, bone marrow, fried chicken wings, pizza, and even takoyaki. I also liked how they had fresh juice in the salad bar. It was a strawberry kiwi juice and was very refreshing.

Second round included some smoked salmon, fresh fruits, and lamb curry.

S got some baked potatoes, gnocchi, bone marrow, kale salad, and eggs benedict.

Then came the desserts. I got the white chocolate mousse cone, white chocolate and orange mousse cake, pistachio eclair, coffee cake, and blood orange sorbet. They have a huge ice cream bar with a variety of flavours. One of my favourite parts of the buffet.

S got the chocolate dipped strawberries, cheesecake, molten lava cake and passion fruit sorbet. Their cheesecake is so good!

Overall, we were quite happy with Wicked Spoon. The price for lunch is quite reasonable, but if you’re looking for seafood, then it may not be the best for you. Great buffet if you like desserts though. They do a good job in plating everything and the ambiance is very modern.

Pros:
– Good variety of food
– Great dessert section

Cons:
– Some dishes are just average
– May have long waits during peak hours

Price Range: $40-50

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance: 4
Parking: N/A
Overall: 4

Mon Ami Gabi – Las Vegas

February 18, 2015February 18, 2015Leave a comment

Over the long weekend, I headed to Las Vegas for a girls’ trip. On the first night, we decided to try Mon Ami Gabi, which is located in the Paris Hotel. Right next to the Eiffel Tower.

The restaurant is famous for their patio, since you can people watch, but I had made reservations online, which was only for indoor seating. That was fine with us, since the patio seating would mean long waits. We were seated right away since we had reservations, so be sure to do so if you don’t mind indoor seating.

The restaurant is dimly lit with a bar on one side. Mon Ami Gabi specializes in classic French cuisine. Our server was very friendly and made me laugh with his enthusiasm and thick French accent.

Complimentary Bread and Carrot Salad

Dinner came with complimentary bread and a carrot salad. Bread was soft and fluffy, but the carrot salad was just average. Nothing too special.

Sangria

We decided to start the night off with a pitcher of Sangria to share. A mix of red and white wine with fruits, this was tasty and great for sharing. You get at least two glasses each for three people.

Chilled Seafood Platter

For appetizers, we decided to get the Chilled Seafood Platter to share. The great thing is that it’s one set price, and you can share it with everyone. Much better than what happens in Vancouver, where you need to order a minimum of two orders and the platter is made specifically for the number of people. Anyways, the platter came with a whole Maine lobster, jumbo shrimps with cocktail sauce, market oysters with mignonette and lemon, and salmon tartare with baguette chips. My favourite were probably the oysters and salmon tartare. The tartar was mixed with avocado and went great with the chips. The platter also came with some seaweed salad, which I enjoyed, but nothing too special. Overall, the seafood were decent, but I wouldn’t say they were extremely fresh compared to what you get in Vancouver.

Caramelized Sea Scallops

For entrees, SP got the Caramelized Sea Scallops. The scallops were cooked perfectly and were very fresh. However, we found them slightly too salty. It also came with a side of butternut squash puree and brussels sprouts, which SP loved.

Mussels Mariniere

For myself and SK, we both got the Mussels Mariniere. You can get half an order, but we got the full order for double the price. It ended up being a huge plate! The mussels were rather small, but they were still decent. It came with a white wine sauce with herbs. We both found the sauce slightly salty again. It seemed like everything in the States is just on the salty side.

Signature Hand-cut Fries

The full order of mussels also came with a side of Signature Hand-cut Fries. These were extremely thin-cut and very crispy. I loved dipping it into the white wine sauce. But again, way over salted.

Overall, Mon Ami Gabi had some pretty good dishes, but we found everything too salty. Service and ambiance was also pretty good. Prices are actually pretty reasonable for Las Vegas, but it can add up with all the drinks and appetizers.

Pros:
– Good French dishes
– Great ambiance and service

Cons:
– Dishes are on the salty side
– Seafood may not be the freshest compared to what we have in Vancouver

Price Range: $40-50

1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent

Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Parking: N/A
Overall: 4

Todai Sushi and Seafood Buffet

March 12, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

Todai Sushi Seafood Buffet

Caesar’s Salad, Crab Legs, Variety of Sushi, Mixture of Shellfish

Mussels, Squid, Ribs, Mushroom, Prawn Tempura, Udon

Variety of Desserts including Cream Puff, Tiramisu, Cheesecake, Matcha White Chocolate, Creme Brulee

Green Tea Soft Ice Cream and Banana Whipped Cream Crepe

So I found that you guys really enjoyed my post from the Wicked Spoon buffet, so I decided to upload the rest of my pictures from buffets. I didn’t think they were as great as the Wicked Spoon, but they were still really good! Another buffet I went to in Las Vegas was Todai: The Sushi and Seafood Buffet located inside Planet Hollywood. They had a larger variety of sushi and seafood to choose from including crab legs! I also really liked how they had a section where a chef would make you udon instantly and you could choose what you would like as ingredients. They also had a dessert section where a chef would serve you soft ice cream and also instantly make you crepes with different fillings you could choose from. The variety of desserts were also great! A little pricey for the buffet, compared to the Wicked Spoon, but I guess seafood is expensive! The wait was also very long (at least an hour), but I had this on Christmas and Las Vegas is famous for those long lineups at buffets! If you want seafood and sushi in Vegas, this is the place to go!

I’m going to keep posting other pictures of food I had from a few places I traveled to this past year, so be sure to check back often!

Wicked Spoon

March 11, 2011May 4, 2013Leave a comment

From Top Left (Clockwise): Potatoes in Creamy Sauce. Hash brown, Sausage, Scrambled Eggs. Stuffed Pasta in Cheddar Sauce. Pizza Flatbread.

Top: Assorted Desserts (marshmallow, chocolate dipped strawberry, chocolate macaroon)
Top Right: Passion Fruit Pudding/Jello
Bottom: Shiu Mai, Shanghai Dumplings, and Assorted Sushi

In Bowl: Mango Sorbet
The dessert that looks like an egg, is an egg shell coloured in silver, with mango pudding and a mango jelly in the center, which I’m guessing is supposed to represent the yolk. It’s topped with a purple macaroon! Delicious! My favourite dessert here.
Bottom: Orange Macaroon

More Desserts!

The Ice Cream Bar: Eggnog, Gingerbread Crunch, Biscotti, and Peanut Butter, just to name a few exotic flavours!

Candied Apples

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Assorted Chocolate and Marshmallows

Assorted Desserts

Assorted Desserts kept in Fridge

I’m a bit late, but I’ve finally uploaded my photos from my trip to Las Vegas over the Christmas break. Of course a trip to Las Vegas means splurging in those delicious buffets the hotels are famous for! Here are the pictures from my favourite buffet of the trip: The Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. Funny enough, we weren’t intending to eat at the Cosmopolitan, but those confusing connections between each hotel made us stumble into the wrong buffet! But I guess it was a good thing, because the food was the best out of all the buffets we had! The environment was really nice and service was quick. We actually were seated when breakfast was still happening, so I got to grab some breakfast food as well. I love how a lot of dishes came in little silver pots so that you didn’t have to scoop your own potatoes or pasta. They looked much more professional and each pot allowed the food to be still sizzling hot. I’m a dessert junkie, so of course I left my stomach empty for the sweets! The variety of desserts served were by far the most I’ve seen from the buffets I’ve gone to. Most of the desserts were also kept behind glass so you had to line up and ask the chef to bring the dessert out for you. I guess this way the desserts wouldn’t be ruined and allowed the desserts to be plated much more attractively in the fridge. Ice cream was also served by the chefs as well, and line ups were extremely efficient. I definitely recommend the Wicked Spoon if you are off to Las Vegas. The pricing was actually even cheaper than all the other buffets I had. The Cosmopolitan is located in the new City Center, so it is fairly new. Must try!

Every Day is a Food Day

Category: Las Vegas

Burgr – Las Vegas

Wicked Spoon – Las Vegas (revisit)

Mon Ami Gabi – Las Vegas

Todai Sushi and Seafood Buffet

Wicked Spoon