Las Vegas - Gordon Ramsey BurGR

Looks delicious doesn't it? Also looks small doesn't it? Well don't let that fool you. That sucker is meat-loaded. The patty was thick and we couldn't finish it. Our adventure on Friday finished off with Gordon Ramsey BurGR @ Planet Hollywood. We went to eat around 9 pm and it was about a 10 minute wait, although I overheard 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for larger parties. Dining as a party of two is usually easy.

I ordered my mom the Hell's Kitchen Burger which, according to their menu, has "asadero cheese, roasted jalapeno peppers, avocado, and an oven roasted tomato." We ordered the burger medium well and it came out perfectly medium well. That patty is thick, I mean really thick. We're not used to eating such thick burgers. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious and flavorful. I didn't eat a burger as I was still stuffed from eating beef for breakfast. Mom and I shared the Truffle Parmesan Fries.

I really recommend ordering to share. Even though you might get a little greedy upon first bite, you'll have a food baby if you don't share it. This came with homemade ketchup and truffle aioli. My goodness this was the star of the show. Mom hoarded the aioli, but that's fine with me because she was hurting after ingesting too much fat later (hehheh). The fries came out hot and crispy and well-seasoned. It had a hint of truffle but not too much to overpower the flavor of potatoes and the ketchup went very well with it. The aioli was delicious as well, but I got a little overwhelmed dipping deep fried food into pure fat. The ketchup created a nice balance.

I ordered the Soba Noodle Chicken Salad which came with two skewers of chicken marinated in sriracha. The noodles are tossed in a cilantro honey peanut dressing. This is by no means a light dish, but I really couldn't stomach a burger. I didn't finish this and had a little bit of the burger and shared this with my mom. This is a cold salad but it was quite satisfying. I forgot how unhungry I was after having my first bite. I loved the texture of the noodles and the dressing was right down my alley. What could be better than food smothered in peanut butter? Well, it wasn't exactly peanut butter, but it was very peanutty. This dish has a sweetness to it and the spicy savory chicken skewers balanced everything out. The vegetables were crunchy and refreshing. My mom surprisingly fell in love with this dish. She's not too fond of ordering Asian-themed foods at non-Asian restaurants, but she finished all of her portion of the noodles and left behind some of the burger! That's a first for her.

All in all, this was a great burger experience. Service was efficient and fast. Food came out fresh, hot, and flavorful. We really wanted to try his famous shakes that is topped off with pudding, but we were just too full. I'm still sad we didn't get to try it, but maybe next year. You can find Gordon Ramsey BurGR inside Planet Hollywood.

> Read more ...

Las Vegas - Carlo's Bake Shop and Vegas Uncork'd - Baking with the Boss

I went to Carlo's Bake Shop!!! Finally!!! This has been on my list ever since Cake Boss debuted on TV. I have to say, this was the most exciting event of my trip. I paid a good amount of money to attend this Vegas Uncork'd event, Baking with the Boss. As this was a surprise for my mom, I couldn't tell her why we kept hanging around Carlo's Bake Shop for such a long time. I could only pick up my tickets the hour before at his restaurant across from the bakery, Buddy V. Both of these are located in the Venetian upstairs. I really couldn't tell you exactly how to get there since the Venetian is a maze to me and it took me a whole hour to find my way out one year.

So we went to Carlo's Bake Shop around noon on Friday, the event was on 05/09. A line was already starting to form but it wasn't too bad yet. I got my ticket and was called within 20 - 25 minutes. While waiting, I watched the bakers cut up some goodies. I was hoping these would be for my event I was going to, but I think it was for their huge buffet later on at Caesar's Palace. =( I'll have to make it a priority to try his napoleons next year.

It was a little difficult to maneuver around since the space was crowded, but I ended up getting some of their signature items and cookies: lobster tail, mini cannoli, rainbow cookies, chocolate hazelnut biscottis, hazelnut tart, vanilla cream puff, vanilla hazelnut meringue cookie, wedding cookie.

OMG the lobster tail. It was absolutely delicious and remained crispy even the next day! The pastry cream filling was smooth and decadent and not at all too sweet. What I absolutely loved about all of the goodies was that nothing was overly sweet! It was just the perfect amount of sweetness and everything was so fresh. Nothing tasted artificial. The cannoli had good flavor and wasn't just a deep fried shell, it was crispy, not soggy and the ricotta cream was smooth and thick. My mom loved the rainbow cookies - it was the first time she ever had them and I think it's her new favorite cookie. I think I'll have to buy a pound of biscotti to take home with me next year. They're the perfect size and pretty generous on the hazelnuts. If you like the biscotti and hazelnuts, you'll probably like the hazelnut meringue cookie too, it's pretty crunchy but has a deep hazelnut aroma throughout.

I knew we would have goodies at the event, so it took all my willpower to not open that box and just kill it. Well, it paid off when we got to the event. Buddy had his baked goods out along with some savoury items from his restaurant. The meatballs were good and my mom said it's the best she's ever tasted. She's not typically into meatballs but she was ecstatic over these. The meat and cheeses were also excellent according to her. I didn't try too much savoury foods as I was still stuffed from Society Cafe that morning. But that didn't mean I couldn't eat sweets. We got a little of everything and it turned out to be most of the goods we bought at the bake shop.

Buddy had a little gift for everyone who attended the event and we each got mini red velvet cakes! I really couldn't wait. I think I like these little cakes more than cupcakes, it just makes it feel that much more special.

The cake was very moist and the cream cheese filling was not too sweet. I like how his frosting was not gritty with powdered sugar like a lot of places. It really hit the spot. The chocolate glaze was a nice topper on red velvet and I think I'll try that now on my red velvet cakes. My favorite is still Bobby Flay's red velvet cake recipe, but this was pretty darn good.

Buddy did a demonstration and decorated a prebaked cake. It was entertaining and he's hilarious, such a down-to-earth guy and really genuinely cares about his fans. I got to get my booked signed and a picture with him! He hugged each and every one of his fans and not just a little hug, a nice bear hug!

I am still star-struck. Seriously. My mom was super star-struck. I haven't seen her smile that big for a picture before. Not even when my niece was born.

You can find Carlo's Bake Shop and Buddy V's Ristorante right across from each other upstairs in the Venetian shops. I think it's right above the Bouchon Bakery that's out on the strip on the hotel's right side (your left facing the casino). There are signs everywhere. Make sure you get the lobster tail!

> Read more ...

Shepherd's Pie

Trying shepherd's pie in Vegas piqued my interest to cook it at home! I found a recipe by Ellie Krieger on Food Network (my favorite channel by the way) and adapted it to suit my preferences. Ellie Krieger healthifies a lot of recipes and she's always so creative in incorporating healthier ingredients. This particular recipe uses a mix of cauliflower and potatoes for the topping instead of straight potatoes, which came out delicious and I plan on making this version of mashed potatoes for the holidays this years. Let's see if I can trick my nephews. Since I was making this for lunch at work, the mix was also beneficial in that I would not get sleepy after eating too much potatoes. Potatoes are just a little too comforting during the work week and I need to stay awake!

First, scrub your potatoes clean and cut into 2" pieces, then add to a steam basket to soften.

Add your cauliflower after potatoes begin to soften. My steamer is small so I had to do an additional separate batch of just cauliflower.

Once they're tender, if you're angry, mash it up with a potato masher, and if you're feeling lazy, a hand mixer. If you like it really fine, you can put it in a blender.

Add the milk, butter, some salt n peppa.

Stir to a creamy consistency. You can't even tell by looking at it there's cauliflower! The mix of potato and cauliflower really is delicious and a little butter goes a long way. I am crossing my fingers I can trick my nephews this year with this. Muhahahaha.

Heat a large pan and add the ground beef and chicken breast.

Season with a little salt n peppa and cook through. Pour into a separate dish or bowl. I did not drain the fat here since I used ground chicken breast and it could use a little more flavor.

Heat the oil in the pan and add the onions and carrots; cover and cook until the mixture begins to soften.

Once the carrots and onion begin to soften, add the mushrooms, some salt, and dried thyme.

Occasionally stir and cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Did I mention how much I hate cleaning mushrooms? You really have to rinse down each and every single one. That little crunch when you don't? Yeah that's dirt. Or if you're really unfortunate, other brown stuff on the ground. Ewwww.

Add the meat back to the pan and sprinkle the flour over all of it and stir until well combined.

Measure out one cup of low/reduced sodium beef broth.

Pour the broth into the pan, stir, and cook until thickened.

Pour the mixture into a 9" x 11" baking dish. Or you can do individual ramekins - I should've done this.

Spread it out evenly in the dish.

Dump the potato-cauliflower mixture (or the fake mashed potatoes) on top.

Spread it evenly over the meat mixture.

Look at the awesome layer of meat mixture and potato mixture, looks delicious and comforting doesn't it? Don't eat it yet - bake it in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Then dig in!

This recipe makes 6 large servings. I was excited to eat this for lunch at work this week. I plan on making it again with ground turkey for variation. I think using all beef might be a little too rich for me. I also left out peas since I forgot to pick some up, although I'm sure it would taste even better with it.

Recipe (adapted from Ellie Krieger on Food Network)

• 8 oz (227 g) 90% lean grass-fed beef
• 8 oz (227 g) ground chicken breast
• 1 tsp (5 g) olive oil
• 3 cups (480 g) chopped yellow onion
• 1.5 cups (200 g) chopped carrots
• 8 oz (227 g) sliced white button mushrooms
• 1 tsp (5g) dried thyme
• 2 tbsp (20 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (8 oz/236 ml) low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tsp salt  (5 g) + more based on your preferences
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 20 oz (567 g) gold potatoes, cut into 2" pieces
• 24 oz (680 g) cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2/3 cup (5.2 oz/156 ml) fat-free milk, warmed
• 1 tbsp (12 g) unsalted butter

Add the potatoes to a steamer basket and cook for 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower and cook an additional 15 minutes or until tender. Mash the mixture with a potato masher or hand mixer and add the warm milk, butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and dash of pepper. Stir until combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large non-stick skillet, add the ground beef and chicken and lightly season, cook over medium-hight heat. Once cooked through, transfer the meat to a bowl or plate and set aside.

In the same skillet on medium heat, heat the oil and add the onions and carrots.  Cover and cook for about 8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and thyme and stirring occasionally, cook until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the meat back to the pan with the vegetables and sprinkle the flour on top, stirring to distribute the flour throughout evenly. Stir in the broth, remaining salt, and a pinch of pepper and simmer until thickened.  Pour the mixture in a 9" x 11" pan and top with the potato-cauliflower mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes and serve.

Printer Friendly

> Read more ...

Las Vegas - Wicked Spoon Buffet

This is the last year we are doing buffets. Not that it was bad, I'm just tired of it. We had originally decided to dine at the Bellagio Buffet, however on our United flight to Las Vegas, the flight attendant passed out little packets of Cosmopolitan coupons before our descent. It included a couple BOGO cocktails and a Wicked Spoon BOGO. That's about $40 off right there for dinner! We loved Wicked Spoon last time so we decided to forego Bellagio Buffet in favor of this one. I arrived on Saturday evening at 6:30 and surprisingly there was no line. The first time we went on a weekend, we arrived at 7 pm and waited for 2.5 HOURS. So we were absolutely thrilled there was no line this time. I'm sure Bacchanal at Caesar's Palace has stolen some of their business (which I think is way overrated, oversalted, and underflavored... and not vegetarian friendly at all).

Dinner started off at the salad bar, which included a cobb salad, kale salad with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, some bread crisp, tomato salad, goat cheese panna cotta, and asparagus mousse. I really liked the asparagus mousse, it was infused with curry powder and unique. The goat cheese with the mandarin oranges was refreshing, reminded me of ambrosia.

This was my first time in Vegas eating meat so I got to try a lot more. I skipped the carvery section - it really just looked too much. They had a seafood paella that was really good and generous with jumbo shrimp! Their pork tacos were a bit oily, I took one bite and and put it down. Shrimp and grits - well the grist were overcooked and dry, like it had been sitting under the lamp for awhile. It was also salty. One thing I've always wanted to try is shepherd's pie, so I was thrilled when I saw it. For some reason, I always thought shepherd's pie had chunks of beef, not ground. It took me by surprise. I didn't really like it - it was super beefy for someone who really hasn't had beef in a while.

My last savory plate included crab and basil fried rice, tandoori chicken, papaya salad, sushi, and takoyaki!!! I've been curious about takoyaki and it was my favorite dish of the night! It's got a great soft texture, a little like mochi but softer and addictive! I also liked the fried rice - you can taste the crab and the basil/green curry seasoning added another dimension that's not typical of fried rice. Their sushi was not really good, the fish was really fishy. When I go to buffets, the star for me is usually the desserts section. I think that's the only reason I go to buffets - how can you mess up dessert?

Wicked Spoon always has gigantic chocolate covered strawberries rolled in Oreo cookie crumbs or my favorite, Heath bar crumbs. This is a genius idea and I'll probably make these for a holiday this year. They also have macarons but for some reason, I suspect they are not using almond flour but diluting it down with regular flour or something cheaper. I did not really taste much almonds in the cassis (purple) one nor the orange one. The one I did like was the chocolate and banana one. This is pretty unique and it had a good texture. The others were too soft. The top center dessert was some kind of REALLY strong rum dessert and custard. I couldn't eat it. The center green one was pistachio and chocolate mousse which was good. The other little rectangle between the pistachio dessert and strawberries was some kind of coffee dessert, in between an opera cake and tiramisu. This was by far my favorite. I also got a choux pastry with custard inside, white chocolate mousse in a cone, and sugar free panna cotta. The panna cotta was more like runny pudding.

Try Wicked Spoon at least once, even if you're not a fan of buffets. Vegas buffets are different story and they do have quality food and use quality ingredients. If anything, go for the dessert!

> Read more ...

Las Vegas - Jean Philippe Patisserie

One of my absolute favorite foods. Sweet crepes! And only at the best place in the world - Jean Philippe - located in both the Aria and Bellagio. I have tried a variety of their crepes and opted for something new this time. Pictured above is their berries crepe, which contains marinated berries with fresh raspberries and whipped cream over their sweet crepe. This is a refreshing "light" crepe, but I don't really like my strawberries cooked. I think next time I will ask for their berries crepe with raw berries instead. The crepe batter yields a slightly chewy, flavorful, and thin crepe.

I ordered the passion crepe for my mom with marinated exotic fruit which includes mango and I think pineapple. This one does not come with whipped cream and instead comes with coconut sorbet. Their coconut sorbet is really good - not too sweet and has little pieces of dessicated coconut. I've yet to try any of their other gelato flavors but plan to the next time I'm there.

In the past I've ordered their chocolate crepe which includes brownie pieces, chocolate shavings, and chocolate syrup. I was absolutely obsessed with this variation for the longest time! It really is decadent. Their apple and pecan crepe is also a favorite too, but it's just too sweet. In the past, we've ordered their bananas foster and it's the one crepe I would not recommend. The bananas are way too mushy and overcooked. If you like bananas foster, head over to Mon Ami Gabi at Paris and order it there. You can see a picture of it and read the review here. They also offer any of their crepes as a souffle crepe, which is really just a crepe with pastry cream folded inside. It's really rich and I would recommend sharing it if you opt for the souffle crepe.

If you try their candies here, you must try their nougat. Especially their chocolate nougat. It's surprisingly not too sweet and is loaded with hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios. I've tried their plain vanilla, but it's not nearly as chewy as their chocolate. It's light on the chocolate flavor but adds another dimension to the nougat overall. It's addictive. I brought some back for my friends at the gym and they thought it was amazing. I have bought a lot of nougat brands in search for something comparable to Jean Philippe's nougat and nothing comes close.

This year, I noticed another nougat flavor. They had a raspberry one which I did not get, but I'm a sucker for pistachio anything. Especially when the ingredients contain pistachio paste. It's a bit more expensive than the bar, but I just had to try it! Oh and it's better portion control I guess (I can eat the whole bar in one sitting, really). It definitely has a good pistachio aroma and Jean Philippe is always generous with the nuts in any of his candies that contain it. I found that I preferred the chewiness of the chocolate nougat bar over this. Now if he can get the texture of the chocolate nougat bar and the pistachio flavor in one, that would be like a dream come true.

Since I stopped being vegetarian, I tried some gourmet marshmallows! I never bought them before because of the gelatin, but I was happy to try them now. I tried all of the flavors, which were vanilla, lemon, tangerine, and raspberry. My favorite is the raspberry. The vanilla tastes like those valentine heart candies for some reason. Not really vanilla-y. I like how the powdered sugar outside of the marshmallow creates a crust. When you bite into it, it's a lot softer than commercially-made marshmallows and moist. It's a lot more airy too. As good as it tasted, I think I prefer my vegetarian marshmallows over this. But now that I'm allowing myself gelatin, I'll have to try making a traditional marshmallow - I'm thinking coffee flavor.

Jean Philippe Patisserie has more than just sweets. Besides their dessert case and baked goods, they offer sandwiches. I also noticed that they offer omelettes now, cooked on their crepe machine. I always order the smoked salmon sandwich here. It is soooooo good. It comes on a dill infused bread and some kind of dill mayo with sprouts, onion, boiled egg, and of course smoked salmon. Their bread is so fresh and the dill really stands out. I wouldn't get it if you're not a fan of dill. The onions are pickled it seemed, or at least marinated in some kind of vinegar mixture. I always get this sandwich to go to eat at the airport on the flight home, although just keep in mind the onions in this sandwich. I don't know about eating it on the plane and make sure you have some gum handy. He doesn't skimp on the onions, but the amount in this sandwich pairs well with everything else going on.

You can find Jean Philippe Patisserie inside the Aria - as you walk in from main entrance near the check-in counter, walk down on the right towards the back across from their gift shop - and in the Bellagio - as you walk in from front entrance, go past the check-in area and garden area, stay on the left and go down the hall, it is across from the gift shop.

> Read more ...