Umami Goes Vegas (2011): Day 2: Sushi Roku

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.

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 . . . 

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Sushi Roku
Caesar's Palace (Forum Shops, end closest to the Strip)
3500 Las Vegas Blvd S, Ste T18
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 733-7373

Umami Goes Vegas (2011): Day 2: Aloha Specialities

Umama always wants to eat at Aloha Specialties when she's in Las Vegas.  Who knows why . . . it's not as though she couldn't get a decent won ton min in Hawaii.

Won Ton Min

That being said, they do make a decent won ton min, though the won ton wrapper tends to the thicker, chewier side.  It's a good light lunch.

Aloha Specialties
California Hotel (Mezzanine, 2nd floor, near the sports book.)

12 E Ogden Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89101
(702) 382-0338

Blue Velvet Otto Cake

The C&D Stenos love them their Otto Cake, which are the best cheesecakes in Honolulu, though some would say anywhere.  So, when Ms. D said she wanted to order some for her family, Umami thought he'd pick one up for Administrative Professionals Day.  Umami later found out he was a week early.  He's not good with dates.  That's why he needs the assistance of Administrative Professionals.

Otto (there really is an Otto) told Ms. D that the current "hot" flavor is Blue Velvet.  Ms. D and Umami had heard about a Blue Velvet Cupcake by Camille (of Camille's on Wheels) but hadn't had a chance to try it, so when the chance came for a Blue Velvet Otto Cake came up, they went for it.

Blue Velvet Cheesecake

The Blue Velvet is blue.  Not the pale, delicate, high-sky blue of baseball in the summer, nor the deep azure ocean blue of Mike Sakamoto's "Fishing Tales!," but, rather, a blue so intensely Smurfy (as DawnT would say) that it provoked gasps of wonder when the Stenos first saw it .

A Superbly Balanced Dessert

Like all of Otto's Otto Cakes, the Blue Velvet is phenomenal, supercreamy, with vanilla, butter, cheese, and the Oreo cookie crust in a superbly balanced dessert.  Umami thinks there's a hint of fruit in the finish, but his sugar levels might just have been shot to hell.  Nomx4!

Otto Cake
1160 Smith Street (half block makai of Beretania)
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 834-6886

Umami Goes Vegas (2011): Day 1: Flavors

Flavors is the hotel buffet that is ubiquitous in Vegas:  a large processing and feeding plant for tourists with the variety of a cafeteria or food court but lacking the charm of either.  (Disclosure:  Umami doesn't like buffets.)

The only thing worth eating is the taco station, where you can make street tacos with a variety of fillings and pretty much every conceivable topping.  Umami liked the carne asada well enough . . .

Carne asada taco  

But, honestly, isn't that a little sad?

If you like buffets, then this might work for you.  But even if you do, you can do better.

Flavors
Harrah's Las Vegas
3475 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 800-214-9110

Umami Turns One!

The Birthday-Devourer-of-Worlds in a Light-Hearted Moment

Umami Knows Best turns one year old today!  Yes, it really was a year ago that Umami started the narcissistic indulgence that is this blog with a first person account of Sekiya's Hash Tempura, thereby proving two things right off the bat:  first, that Umami would eat damn near anything and, two, speaking of oneself in the third person is much more fun than "I" and "me" and "my."

This is post number 133.  3,845 all time page views, including 18 from Belize.  Umami would like to see Belize someday.

Umami thanks his seven followers, twenty Facebook friends, and anonymous lurking readers for being along for the ride . . . hope you had fun!

So cheers to one year in the books, and here's to looking forward to many more!  ~Umami

Aloha, Kafe Europa!

One of Umami's favorite places, Kafe Europa is closing in August!  A combination of new plans by the building landlord and new job opportunities for Europa's owners means that Umami will have to go elsewhere for Armenian styled foods like the Chicken Shawarma and Vegetarian Eggplant mix plate.

Not your local style mix plate

Chicken Shawarma is the spit-roasted chicken here served with a yogurt and sour cream sauce.  The vegetarian eggplant is an Armenian style eggplant stew.  Europa's version is heavy on the garlic.  Served on rice, with a nice small tossed salad, an exceptionally good hummus and a piece of pita bread, it's a tasty and healthy lunch.  Umami will miss it!

Ms. D and Makizushi, on the other hand, are more apt to miss Magarit's Napoleon, or "a little piece of heaven," as Ms. D would put it.

Umami and his Neighbor Totoro contemplate the wonder that is Europa's Napoleon

These are absurdly light pastries, airy layers of phyllo and just sweet enough creams, so light that you'll check the box to be sure they're really inside.  So good!

They'll be gone in August, so the time to binge is now.  Umami will see you there!


Kafe Europa
Tardus Financial Plaza (aka Queen's Plaza)
801 Alakea St., No. 101, at Queen Street
230-9941

Richo

Richo is a fairly new restaurant in the old Momomo site on Waialae Avenue.  It's interesting because it's Korean food, as interpreted by a Japanese restaurant chain, definitely not the typical Korean BBQ!

Homemade Kim Chee . . . not free . . . 

For example, Kim Chee is not gratis at Richo, but will cost you $3.  It is nice and spicy, but it's odd to have to pay for it.

Bulkogi Salad

Bulkogi Salad ($7) was flavorful, slightly on the sweet side, but did not have a lot of beef.

Seafood Leek Chijimi

Seafood Leek Chijimi ($8 for half order, pictured) is basically Korean okonomiyaki . . . frittata . . . quiche . . . omelette.

Good stuff!

Regardless of the name, it was tasty, familiar, comfort food.  Half order is plenty, but a whole order would be tempting.

Korean Style Ahi Sashimi

Korean Style Ahi Sashimi ($9 for half order, $14 for full) requires you to wrap the ahi in nori, and top it with the various toppings provided.

Richo Nabe/Chigae

Richo does an interesting cross Japanese Nabe and Korean Chigae.  All the ingredients are presented in a low dish, broth is added and seasoning added to taste.  Be advised that extra garlic is, well, extra.  You can also order extra meats and/or vegetables.  The dish comes as a tower of bean sprouts, with the proteins in a ring at the base, crowned with green onions and kim chee.

Cooking

It's cooked tableside.  Umami would have preferred more meat and less bean sprouts, but can't argue that it's a tasty dish, with heat, that goes really well on a bowl of rice (extra $, course).

In sum, Richo is a bit of a pricey adventure, but the food is well done and worth trying.

Richo Korean Cuisine
3008 Waialae Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 734-2222
www.richo.asia

Quick Pics: Yuki Lunchwagon Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

Ms. D went up to Yuki Lunchwagon the other day and decided on the Hot Roast Beef Sandwich ($6).

Umami would never, ever, eat such a thing!

Not for the faint of heart, this is roast pork on a hamburger bun, drowned in gravy.  It's perhaps the ultimate Brown and White Food, Sandwich Division.  If it had gravy on the potato-macaroni salad, it would have been just about perfect!  Interesting because, for once, there was enough salt (i.e., just shy of salt lick) on the meat and in the gravy.  Tasty.  Om Nomx3. 


Yuki Lunchwagon
Lauhala Street between Queen's Hospital and Board of Water Supply, on the Ewa side of the street.  It's the one closest to the street.

Umami Goes Vegas (2011): Day 1: Lagasse's Stadium

Lagasse's Stadium is the sports bar and book in the Palazzo, featuring food from Chef Emeril Lagasse.  You have to love a sports joint that's named after a chef, rather than a jock!  But it makes sense . . . wouldn't you rather eat at Lagasse's Stadium instead of, oh, Brett Favre's Steakhouse (just to pick a random spot)?  Of course you would!  Umami had to wander in there to check on the odds for Ms. D's Cowboys to win the Super Bowl.  That is, assuming the NFL Owners and NFLPA come to their senses, resolve their labor issues, and have a season!  (Odds for the 'Boys ranged from 12:1 to 8:1 . . . yes, seriously 8:1 (at Aria)).

Not in the HNL, yet.

Umami was amused to see that Fat Tire Amber Ale on the menu.  Kammy has been bemoaning how difficult it is to find in HNL (no distribution here).  But it was all over the place in Vegas!  Slightly sweet and chocolate-y to Umami . . . good beer!

For food, Umami went for the French Dip ($16).  Understand that this is a sports bar, so the menu is nothing wild, mostly riffs on tried and true sports bar food like Buffalo Chicken Wings ($15), Cheese Pizza ($15) and Fries ($5) and Beer-Battered Onion Rings ($5).

French Dip - Kicked up a (small) Notch!

That being the said, the food is "kicked up a (small) notch!"  The French Dip is a generous amount of slow roasted and shaved prime rib, with caramelized onions, provolone cheese and truffle mushroom aioli French bread.  It's a hearty sandwich and, be advised, the truffle mushroom aioli is pungent indeed! Comes with fries.  Good stuff.

The place is huge, with televisions everywhere, including a monster in the center, with amphitheater seating!  So it would be a great place to catch a game, and it's a good way to sample Emeril's cooking.  It's less expensive than Emeril's New Orleans Fish House (at the MGM Grand), Delmonico Steak House (Venetian) or Table 10 (the Palazzo).  Umami likes ENOFH and really likes Table 10.  And wants to try Delmonico . . . maybe when he goes Vegas in 2012??

Lagasse's Stadium

The Palazzo
3325 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 607-2665 

Quick Pic: Goma Tei Chicken Tatsutaage

Chicken Tatsutaage

Goma Tei is primarily a ramen shop, but does have some nice sides, including Chicken Tatsutaage (about $7).  Chicken is marinated in shoyu, mirin, sake, ginger juice, various other spices, then coated with potato starch and deep fried.  So . . . fried marinated chicken.  According to Maki-chan, it's different from Chicken Karaage, but Umami's research is thus far inconclusive.  More research will be required!

Goma Tei (two locations)

Ala Moana Center 

1450 Ala Moana Blvd.

Honolulu, HI 96814

808-947-9188

Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 591-9188

Umami Goes Vegas (2010): The Guide

Day 1

Aloha Specialties (California Hotel) (added 8/21)

Bouchon (The Venetian) (added 9/4)

Concert:  Blue Oyster Cult (Fremont Street Experience) (added 8/26)

Day 2

Aloha Specialties (California Hotel) (added 8/28)

Triple Seven Brew Pub (Main Street Station) (added 9/5)

Pasta Pirate (California Hotel) (added 9/6)

Day 3

Carson Street Cafe (Golden Nugget) (added 9/7)
Noodles (Bellagio) (added (8/23)

Joe's Seafood Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Caesar's Palace) (added 8/20)

Day 4

Bouchon (The Venetian) (added 9/11)

Serendipity 3 (Caesar's Palace) (added 10/6)

Concert:  Sgt. Pepper Live featuring Cheap Trick (Paris) (added 8/26)

Day 5

Mon Ami Gabi (Paris) (added 4/3/2011)

Umami Goes Vegas (2010): Day 5: Mon Ami Gabi

Embarassing, but here's the last post for Umami Goes Vegas (2010):

Breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi

Mon Ami Gabi ("My Friend, Gabi?" or "My Talkative Friend?") is the "Classic French bistro" in the Paris; the one with outdoor seating on The Strip.  Hoping for a cheaper version of Bouchon, Umama and Umami ducked into Mon Ami Gabi for a quick breakfast before returning home.

Not surprisingly . . . it's not a cheaper Bouchon, at least not for breakfast.

Umama ordered the Croque Madame, thinking it might be like Bouchon's absurdly rich version (toasted ham and cheese on brioche, with a sunny side egg and mornay sauce).  Gabi's version ($12.75) is a little more modest:

Croque Madame

Basically, an open face ham and cheese sandwich, with an egg.  Which is a perfectly good breakfast, as long as you're not expecting something greater.

Umami opted for the Egg White Omelette ($10.95) with sauce vert and roasted tomatoes.

Egg White Omelette

Sauce Vert, in this case, tended more to a pesto than a salsa verde or chimichurri.  Made for a tasty variation on an omelette.  Umami's only issue is that the plate lacks eye-appeal.  The green of the sauce and the red of the tomato are complementary colors and therefore vibrant, but the (too) white-ness of the omelette is a little off-putting.  But, again, a perfectly good breakfast.

So, it's not Bouchon, but, then, there are not many restaurants that could meet that standard.  Mon Ami Gabi has a beautiful space, and adequate food, and that's okay too.

Au Revoir

And so Umami Goes Vegas (2010) comes to end.  "Au Revoir" . . . "Until we meet again!"

P.S.  Mon Ami Gabi is "My friend, Gabi" and "Gabi" refers to the restaurant's owner, Gabino Sotelino.  Whether he's "gabby," is unknown.  ;-)

Mon Ami Gabi
Paris Las Vegas
3655 Las Vegas Blvd So.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Reservation: 877-796-2096
Hotel Main: 800-722-5597 (toll free), 702-946-7000

Umami Goes Vegas (2011): Day 1: Cafe at Harrah's

In hindsight, it's laughable that Umami would try to eat in a somewhat healthy manner while in Vegas.  But, after flying in early on Day 1, he tried.  The Cafe at Harrah's is a routine Vegas cafe, nothing spectacular at all.  But it did have a "Healthy Start Breakfast" ($12.99) which consisted of scrambled egg substitute, turkey sausage, a bowl of fruits, and whole wheat toast.

Healthy Start Breakfast

With a couple of cups of hot coffee, a perfectly adequate way to start the day.  But not really fun, so this would be the last "healthy" anything for five days!

Cafe at Harrah's
Harrah's Las Vegas
3475 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Hotel Phone: 800-214-9110

Cheese is the Word: Melt

Umami finally had a chance to try Melt when the lunchwagon was fortuitously parked across the street from Honolulu Hale!  It had somehow managed to scoop the prime location from the Simply Ono Lunchwagon, which had, in turn, managed to scoop the prime location from Nicky Lunchwagon.  It's a regular lunchwagon war on Punchbowl!

That's Honolulu Hale in the background

Melt is a lunchwagon that basically does variations on grilled cheese sandwiches.  It's like years and years ago when Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina (before the Jimmy Buffet Lawsuit) basically did variations of cheesburgers.  Including one without the burger.  Which they helpfully identified as "just a grilled cheese sandwich."  Ah, to be back in the day, when you could get a cold beer and a cheeseburger and look out over Front Street, and start a pool on when Buffet would sue.  (If you guessed "1997," you win!) 

Anyway, Umami was saying just the other day that a grilled cheese sandwich can really only be Kraft American singles on grilled white bread.

Wrong.

At Melt, it can be Gouda, Gruyere and Cheddar on Sourdough!

Not Umami's Basic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Umami, though, is partial to Reubens and, therefore, was compelled to order the Pastrami Melt, which is essentially a carnivore's Reuben (i.e., no sauerkraut).

Pastrami Melt

Like the menu says, it's Gruyere, pastrami, deli mustard on grilled rye . . . and it's a tasty, gooey, mess!  Though if it had sauerkraut . . . whew!

NOM x 4 !

Melt moves around from place to place, so the best way to find them is to check their website (http://www.melthonolulu.com/) or follow them on Twitter (@meltHNL).  Umami will, and when he finds them, he's ordering that Melt of Shame!  (Don't tell Dr. Beth or Dr. Lois, they wouldn't understand!)