Gastro Monkey // 美食家

Eggslut. Los Angeles Famous, now available in Las Vegas. Super hyped and widely talked about - it had a lot to live up to.  Located in the Cosmopolitan hotel with a ton of other great restaurants, Eggslut is easy to find. Just follow the long line of people. I got there in the afternoon, maybe around 1:00pm. The line wrapped around the corner past the bathroom. As I waited, I could hear people get discouraged and walk away to eat somewhere else. If you hate lines, go later in the afternoon around dinner time when it dies down. If you want a normal breakfast, lunch, or brunch time meal here, be prepared for a wait.  Here is my "gaucho" - a seared wagyu tri-tip steak, cage-free over medium egg, chimichurri, red onions, with arugula on a brioche bun. The meat could stand to be thinner (to make it easier to bite without chunks falling out - the quantity is perfect), and cooked a bit more rare for my taste. The egg, arugula, and chimichurri were a great combination. L

Normally, I do most of the restaurant selection. This trip however, The Boyfriend did. Milos was one of his top picks because of the octopus. We are both partial to octopus because it's one of those things that are hard to come by, and labor intensive (have you seen those videos of guys slamming it against rocks to tenderize it?!).  The location and timing worked fantastically as it is located in the Cosmopolitan - same as the Emil Chau concert we were headed to that same night. I wasn't sure how busy they would be at 5pm on a Saturday, but I figured it couldn't hurt. We arrived a little early for the reservation, and the place was mostly empty. Staff was welcoming and friendly. Upon being seated, the waitress/server explained the menu and how the seafood selections are made. Food is served family style, so be prepared to share. She was helpful too, in letting us know if we were ordering too much, or not enough. We selected the octopus right off the bat, along with a Gre

Every time I get caught up, I manage to fall behind again. I went to Dumpling Kitchen early on this year. I don't even remember why I was in SF, and how we ended up here. Maybe it was CAAM? I honestly don't remember anymore. Luckily, I do remember the food. After parking a few blocks away (parking can be tricky on the weekends in this neighborhood), I had a feeling of deja vu. It had been a while since I went to Shanghai Dumpling King, but the walk there, the road, the trolley, and the facade of the restaurant were very similar (yes, I know, the signs are different colors). It had been over a year so I started to question if I had actually been here before. Both restaurants have Shanghainese style food, but when the food came out, Dumpling Kitchen really stood out to me for the pork belly, and the pan fried dumplings.  "Braised Pork Belly With Preserved Vegetable" - super tender, and definitely recommend trying if you're in the neighborhood! "

If you haven't noticed by now, I like trying places that Bourdain recommends. While I don't take his word for gospel, he does recommend quite a few good places. If you're interested in watching the episode, it's from Season 3, episode 2 of Parts Unknown .  Raku is located in Chinatown in a tiny strip mall. The parking lot was pretty full when I got there (around 10:30-11pm). Also, there are two Raku restaurants in the plaza - one is a dessert bar, the other, further back, is the grill. It is super dark and warm in there. We had no reservation, but it didn't take long to get seated. The menu is simple, the way I like it. While perusing the menu, they also bring out the specials menu. They also let you know  break your heart with which items are already sold out for the evening. 俺の豆腐 Raku’s Tofu I would like to try coming back again earlier in the evening to try more things (the teba wings sounded delicious). But, as it were, some of these items pret