Gastro Monkey // 美食家

Here is my final post from my recent Vegas trips. Thanks to my friend and his AMEX travel card, we were able to have $150 to spend within a few restaurants in the Bellagio. Due to time constraints, this was our best option. While the line was long, it moved fairly quickly and we were able to squeeze in a lunch before heading off to the airport.  The food was as expected - good, but nothing amazing. But when something is free, it tends to taste just a bit better, right?  Tiger shrimp cocktail 10 oz. Boneless rib-eye steak NY Steak and Eggs - 6 oz New York Steak with three eggs and hash browns. Probably the best deal out of the three steaks we had. 8 oz Filet Mignon Chocolate Brownie with Caramel Sauce and Ice Cream Located inside the Bellagio Hotel 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 Yelp Website

After trying Joe's in Chicago for my birthday one year, I was hooked. Their stone crab, freshly flown in from Florida, is (for lack of a better word) incredibly fresh and sweet. It's perfect plain, or with some lemon. They also have their own aioli that goes with it, if you prefer. Service was impeccable, the vibe so classic and mellow - it's one of my favorite restaurants. If you can't make it to Chicago and you live on the West Coast, then Vegas is a great option! The best stone crab. Best. Key. Lime. Pie. I am forever grateful to the server at the Joe's in Chicago for giving me my first one for free after ordering a different pie that I can't even remember anymore. Perfectly crafted Old Fashioned. Lots of fancy goodies in front of us (Pappy, Whistle Pig) Located inside Caesar's Palace (Forum Shops) 3500 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 If you go later at night like we did, you won't need reservations. However, if you ...

I felt so out of the loop when it came to the In-n-out vs. Shake Shack conversation. I have been meaning to get back out to the East Coast; it just has been lower priority than making my annual trip to Taiwan. Luckily, Vegas has everything, including Shake Shack. So, I was finally able to give it a try.  We weren't hungry, so we shared one burger, fries, and a shake. As seen below, it is pricy! Even so, it was a great burger. I don't know that I would want to pay that much again, but it was good, nonetheless. The meat was grilled and had that nice little crispiness to the edge of the bun, too. The fries were better than In-N-Out. I don't know what the disagreement can be, because hands down, this is much  better than In-N-Out. Of course, if you're looking for it, it's on the Strip at New York, New York. Fitting. This Christmas Cookie Shake was good, but I was only able to get through a tiny bit before I had to give up or die of diabetes. A...

Since today is Tuesday, I thought it would be fitting to post about one of the best tacos I have had the pleasure of devouring. People have told me that if I ever am in San Diego, I need to eat at Tacos El Gordo. So, while I haven't been able to make it to San Diego in a while, I did notice that there are now three locations in Las Vegas.  Would it be as good as the San Diego locations? I guess without having been, I would know. At least this way, when I finally try the ones in San Diego, I'll have a baseline for the taste! Luckily, it wasn't too hot of a day so we walked the long Vegas blocks down from the Bellagio. Good thing we did, because they make things the right way... with LARD! P.S. Be prepared for a wait as the food is good, and it's cheap! We thought we ordered too much, but we easily demolished the lengua and al pastor tacos. Might I add - those lengua tacos, man. Those lengua tacos. I don't even want fries anymore, just these lengua fr...

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...

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...