The plan for dinner on Day 2 was to go to Joe's for stone crab, but it was crowded, with a long wait, and so Umama and Umami wandered upstairs in the Caesar's Forum shops. There are two restaurants there, Sushi Roku and Boa Steakhouse. Interestingly, they're sister restaurants, both operated by Innovative Dining Group, which also does Robata Bar in Santa Monica and Delphine in Hollywood. Sushi Roku was chosen on the theory that it had sushi and steak whereas Boa just had . . . steak.
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| Grilled Filet Mignon |
And, in fact, Umama opted for steak. Roku's Grilled Filet Mignon ($36) is served with a ginger teriyaki sauce, Japanese-style potatoes (whatever that means), and sauteed garlic green beans. It was nicely cooked and quite tasty, but, ultimately, it was teriyaki steak. And, to Umami, it's a shame to pour teriyaki sauce over a nice filet.
Umami was intrigued by the Omakase ($90), thinking it was like the sushi omakase at Sushi Sasabune, which was a essentially a series of sushi, sashimi and other small plates interspersed, chosen by the chef ("omakasu" derived from "makasu" meaning "to trust").
Roku's version, however, is more like a prix fixe tasting menu. Six courses . . .
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| "Three Small Things" |
First Course: "Three Small Things." It's not unusual to get some small dishes at the start of Japanese meal. These were like three small amuse bouche. From left to right: scallop with caviar, foie gras wrapped with chiso wrapped with ahi, Kobe beef tataki w ponzu. Beef with ponzu is a great taste combination, because the ponzu adds both salt and acid. The scallop was sweet. The foie gras was a complicated creation, the foie gras is exceedingly rich, then cut by the chiso, then the ahi finishes. Fascinating.
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| Albacore with Mizuna |
Salad Course: Albacore with Mizuna. The albacore is at the bottom of this mound of greens. Umami believes the dressing was yuzu citrus, but he doesn't remember at this date. Nice combination of fish, peppery mizuna, acid in the dressing.
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| Kampachi |
Sashimi Course: Kampachi with yuzu oil, dried miso, wasabi, radish sprouts. Beautiful pieces of fish, the dried miso functions as the salt. Umami really liked this.
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| Saikyo-yaki style Baked Cod |
Hot course: Miso Marinated Baked Cod - "Saikyo-yaki" style. If you know what misoyaki butterfish is, then you know what this is like. Umama loves misoyaki butterfish and, therefore, loved this. Umami loved it, too.
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| Sushi Course |
Sushi course: Katana Roll and assorted nigiri. The Katana Rolls are spicy ahi and shrimp tempura maki, topped with ahi. Nigiri from left to right: toro, something, and trout. The trout looks like salmon and even tastes somewhat like salmon. It was a first for Umami, who enjoyed it thoroughly.
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| Mini Chocolate Volcano |
Dessert course: Mini Chocolate Volcano with Vanilla Bean Cream. Really a rather elaborate presentation. But the Chocolate Volcano was the best version of a molten chocolate cake that Umami's ever had.
All in all, a great, great series of uniformly excellent dishes. Umami will put it on his "must visit again" list!
Caesar's Palace (Forum Shops, end closest to the Strip)
3500 Las Vegas Blvd S, Ste T18
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 733-7373
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