Las Vegas: Payard Patisserie & Bistro

Wow. That is all I can say about this place. Just wow. On Saturday (05/10/2014), we went to Payard Patisserie & Bistro @ Caesar's Palace. We've been to the bakery before to buy desserts and coffee, but had never tried their restaurant or any of the savory menu items. We STILL have not tried their crepes, but I aim to next year. After a hot walk from our hotel at Aria, which took a good 30 minutes or so, we only had to wait about 15 - 20 minutes. The dining room is intimate and small, I think their maximum occupancy sign stated somewhere between 40 - 50 people. The kitchen is set up in the center of the restaurant and the dining area sort of wraps around, a circular restaurant setting if you will. Looking in to the right are sofas up against the wall - we didn't get an opportunity to sit on that side and instead sat at the same table two days in a row. We ended up on the left where the window facing some of the shops were.

I already knew what I was ordering for mom before we got here since she LOVES lobster. And since Francois Payard is well-known for his pastries and buttery croissants, I ordered mom the Lobster Eggs Benedict on Croissant. It comes with generous chunks of lobster atop a buttery croissant split in half with two poached eggs slathered in hollandaise sauce. I had a bite and the first thing I noticed was how crispy the exterior of the croissant was, but not dry. The butter aroma was so fresh! I mean, I have never tasted a true butter croissant until that day. It was the perfect balance of slight sweetness, crispy but yet flaky crust, and moist but not soggy inside. The eggs of course were perfectly poached, whites were not runny and yolk was not overcooked. And the hollandaise! I haven't had really good hollandaise but this was not too overwhelming and complemented the dish very well. Especially with the chunks of fresh and succulent lobster which was cooked to just done and not rubbery. Can you see how happy mom is with her plate?

Unfortunately, I stuffed my face too much from the day before and did not end up ordering the lobster eggs benedict. I wanted to try their brioch french toast since it is one of their signature items, but I was too sugared and buttered out. Instead, I ordered oatmeal. I know it sounds boring, but after trying it with their sauteed berries, I was a super happy girl. The steel cut oats were cooked to a creamy consistency with the perfect bite. The portion was generous as you can see. The sauteed berries were a mixture of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I'm sure sugar was added and the berries were quickly sauteed to release the juices but maintain a slight bite and not turn into a pile of mush.

I absolutely loved this idea of sauteed berries over my oatmeal. I do have a bias towards oatmeal since I love it so much, but really, this was good even if you don't like oatmeal. We came here again on Sunday for Mother's Day! I had a feeling it would be booked, so I made reservations that morning and I'm so glad I did - I saw them turn away all those who did not have appointments. Annnnndddddd.... we ordered the same thing again lol.

Except this time I ordered the oatmeal with caramelized apples. The waitress then asked me if I had tried their sauteed berries... So when I did try the apples, I asked for the berries again! The apples were good, but I just like mine a little bit more tender and this didn't come out warm like the berries did. But I still ate both the apples and berries with my oatmeal. I'm still dreaming about the oatmeal and I'll need to force myself to order something else the next time I come back.

As per usual for breakfast, I ordered mom a cappuccino. I think Payard by far had the best cappuccino of all the restaurants we dined at in Vegas this year. The aroma was dark and bold, but not bitter or acidic. It had the light smoky flavor characteristic of a lot of french-style roasts. The milk was not overly foamed here, yielding a creamy consistency. I find some places over-foam their milk and the cappuccino ends up being dry. I had my oatmeal with coffee and was offered coffee to-go as well! Service here was excellent both days.

So I cannot just drop by Payard and not buy anything to take home. I browsed through their chocolate assortment and decided to buy this container of chocolate covered nougat. It was not cheap. But you get what you pay for.

I have a habit at looking of ingredients when buying anything, especially chocolate and sweets. I just really like to know I'm getting real chocolate and not PGPR or some kind of imitation. That's not something you really have to worry about with a lot of the french bakeries and chocolatiers, but I still like to look for my own entertainment (yes, I know I'm odd, leave me alone).

Enough babble about the ingredients - moving on to funner things - eating it! So I was a little taken by surprise when I bit into one. I thought it would be a soft nougat center, like the nougat I got from Jean Philippe. But it was crunchy with small pieces of nuts ground into it. It was still good mind you. The green ones were white chocolate and the brown ones were dark chocolate. This was a satisfying crunch of sweetness and I may be buying more of these types of chocolates as I find them. It's probably less unhealthy to get the crunch from an actual nut (like chocolate covered almonds), but that sugar rush from the crunchy sugar is just so much more fun. Not to mention it's got caramel notes to it.

All in all, my experience at Payard was amazing. Did I mention I saw Francois Payard on Sunday!? I am always starstruck when I see chefs. More so than when I see non-chef celebrities. Is that weird?

Anyway, you can find Payard Patisserie and Bistro inside Caesar's Palace. From the front lobby entrance, go towards the casino and go straight to the back. It is diagonally across from the buffet and directly across from Rao's. The bakery is obvious the but the restaurant is a little hidden - facing the bakery, go to your left and it's right next door. I recommend reservations as the restaurant is small.

> Read more ...

Las Vegas - Ice Pan

I love matcha green tea. It's one of my favorite flavors. Matcha lattes, matcha ice cream, matcha cake, it really goes with any kind of dessert. Matcha works really well in creamy-type desserts. In this case, it was a cross between frozen yogurt and frozen milk. Ice Pan offers made-to-order ice cream using a base mixed with your choice of soy, nonfat, lowfat, or whole milk and is flavored using real ingredients, no artificial flavorings. Once the mix is blended, it is dumped on a super cold and freezing ice pan, scraped, and slapped against the pan to incorporate air until it is the texture of ice cream. I was excited to try this being a froyo fan and it was pretty entertaining to watch the staff make ice cream before our very eyes! I ordered a soy green tea with mochi per their recommendations for the mix-in.

I felt bad for the staff that had to make it since it does look labor-intensive, but some seem to enjoy it and the older man, who I think is the owner, was very passionate about his product and how it is a healthy treat as opposed to ice cream. Once the ice cream starts to form, the staff added in the mochi and mixed it all together, scooping it into a cup (they also offer it in a waffle bowl). You have the option of adding chocolate of caramel syrup or of course for extra $, additional toppings or whipped cream. I didn't add anything else since the mochi itself would make this dessert sweeter and heavier mind you. Well, I gotta say, fresh low fat soy ice cream never tasted so good! The matcha flavor was deep and the texture was just like ice cream, soft but yet firm and melted in your mouth, but doesn't melt as quickly as froyo. It's not too sweet at all - just lightly sweetened - and no heavy sugar coating on the tongue after it's finished.

Mom got the red bean whole milk with mochi and caramel drizzle. I saw them blend fresh adzuki beans right into the mix and the flavor really shined! I find that the red bean flavor often gets lost in a lot of frozen desserts, but you could definitely taste it in Ice Pan's ice cream.

There was no artificial aftertaste and both options of milk yielded a creamy texture. I think nonfat would yield a creamy texture too - I'll have to try that next time.

Ice Pan is located in Harrah's on the strip; go all the way to the back and up the escalators and it'll be on your left. As of May 2014, they only accept cash but it's not too expensive, remember to tip them for all the actual physical labor they put in to making your frozen treat!

> Read more ...

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 ...

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 ...

Las Vegas - Society Cafe

This breakfast was so filling. I mean so filling to the point where I couldn't really eat dinner. I don't know if it's because I haven't had beef for so long or because it was beef for breakfast. We walked all the way down to Society Cafe inside Encore from our hotel at the Aria on Friday morning and it took a good 45 minutes or so. My mom is still recovering from a foot injury and adjusting to her orthotics, so it took a while. The only other restaurant I've tried at the Wynn resorts was the buffet and Terrace Point Cafe for breakfast and I fell in love with it, so decided on another Wynn restaurant for breakfast.

We did not have reservations and were seated promptly at around 10:30 am. The restaurant is really cute and chic and you'll feel like you're dining in someone's home. I ordered the Ultimate Steak and Egg Sliders for my mom with a side of potatoes.

The slider consists of a bacon cheddar muffin for the buns, a layer of scrambled eggs, filet mignon, and creamed spinach. Man oh man, this was a rich and decadent breakfast. I think it could've used a little more salt, but it was still delicious. The filet was tender and fresh and the eggs were fluffy. The creamed spinach was a little muted with the bacon in the muffin taking over and rounding out the flavor of the slider overall. One was a lot to finish; it looks small, but is actually very filling. I didn't try the potatoes but my mom never finishes her potatoes and she ate all of it. She said it was crispy and had a great aroma of fresh herbs. She had her breakfast with a cappuccino while I ordered mine with black coffee.

The cappuccino had a lot more air in the foam than I would've preferred. I only had a taste and their espresso has notes of caramel and was robust and dark. My coffee was delicious with smoky notes of caramel as well. It had low acidity and was lightly bitter, but in a good way.

I ordered short rib hash. It came with chunks of braised beef shortribs, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers, two poached eggs, and oiled toast. I think a buttered toast would've made it too decadent.

I shared half with my mom as she shared her sliders with me, this way we got a taste of everything. I really enjoyed soaking my bread in the juices. It reminds me a little of vietnamese bo kho, which is a type of beef stew. My mom loved this dish since it is reminiscent of bo kho. The beef was tender and perfectly seasoned. I really liked the chunks of potatoes in this dish, it was like eating stew. The fun part was breaking the poached eggs.

All the yolk that oozed out made it so much richer. It made a nice slurry with the juices of the hash to soak my bread in.

The chunks of beef did a have a bit more fat than I would've preferred. It was good, but I wish it was a little less oily. I couldn't tell exactly how much oil was in the pan since it was an uncoated cast iron pan. But I could taste it and I think the amount of fat in this dish had me full all the way past dinner. It was a shame I was so full because I went to a Vegas Uncork'd event later that afternoon and really could not eat much. I'll have an exciting post on that later.

You can find Society Cafe inside Encore in their main casino room (which is pretty small). If you're further down the strip, you'll definitely feel glad you walked a long ways to get here and enjoy some breakfast decadence.

> Read more ...