Living Las Vegas

We recently went on vacation, our first without any companions, and we had a great time! Here are some of the restaurants in Las Vegas that we got to try. Craftsteak At MGM Grand

We ate here on our first night in Las Vegas. We chose the restaurant because the concierge at our hotel, the Four Seasons, within the Mandalay Bay complex, recommended the restaurant when I inquired about the best steak houses on the Strip. James and I were treating direk Chito Roño and our Los Angeles-based friend Tita Mary Ann Opena to dinner, and direk requested for steak.

The food was excellent. I opted for New York strip loin and James had rib eye. My only complaint was that they served us all at the same time, even though James and I ordered 20 minutes ahead of the rest of the dinner party who came in batches, and we specifically requested to be served early because we were catching the 10:30 p.m. show of Cirque de Soleil’s "KA." My displeasure at having waited for more than an hour before being served must have been quite evident because the manager approached us and said that our pre-ordered dishes were on the house.

I must make special mention of the sides. We ordered asparagus, whipped potatoes, and sweet kernel corn. The asparagus was huge, firm to the bite and perfectly cooked. The whipped potatoes tasted heavenly, with just the right amount of butter and cream. We ate the corn to the last kernel because it was the most delicious corn we’ve ever had. It was light yellow, so I was worried that it would be matabang. Wow! It was super sweet, exceptionally and remarkably so. The corn alone is worth another trip back to Craftsteak.

BOA Steakhouse At The Forum In Caesar’s Palace

James and I are meat lovers. Since we were in the Las Vegas, we decided to truly indulge. According to the Las Vegas visitors’ guide in our hotel room, BOA was voted 2005 Best New Restaurant. We had no reservations, but we took a chance after shopping at the Forum to have an early dinner (around 6:30 p.m.) at BOA. We were seated immediately, and the staff was very attentive and solicitous.

We split an order of Caesar salad to start our meal. American portions are huge, that’s why even for James, who is almost 6’3", a whole order is difficult to finish. The Caesar salad was made tableside, much like they do in Mario’s. I must rave! BOA’s Caesar salad is the best I’ve ever tasted. We were watching and listening attentively as our waiter explained the process of preparing the salad. What made the Caesar salad so delicious was the choice of the purest and freshest ingredients. What stood out in our recollection was the use of champagne vinegar and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Had we known it was that exceptional, we would have skipped the steak and had a full order each of the Caesar salad.

BOA also has the best in-house steak sauce. It’s quite similar to Heinz 57, which I’ve always been fond of, because it brings back happy Boston memories with my Dad who really liked it, but the BOA version is a bit sweeter and slightly more garlicky and peppery.

Prime beef goes through a complicated process of dry-aging, and I think that’s what makes the steak so delicious. I’ve tried Morton’s, Lawry’s, and Ruth’s Chris. They all have branches all over the States, and even in Hong Kong and Singapore, and steaks everywhere I’ve eaten have always been consistently delicious, but the appetizers and sides are what make a steakhouse stand out in my memory. If ever you go to Las Vegas and you are a meat lover, try these two and you won’t go wrong!

Benihana

A trip to the States for me will never be complete without a visit to Benihana. Again during our Boston years, birthdays would be celebrated at the misono table of Benihana. I love the familiarity of the onion soup with mushrooms, the salad with ginger dressing, the shrimp appetizer, the steak to be dipped in the mustard sauce and served with zucchini, all cooked at the table. This experience always helps me relive happy childhood memories.

Last year, James and I had dinner in Benihana with Boy Abunda and Bong Quintana at San Francisco. In Las Vegas, we at in Benihana with Archie, James’ friend, who kindly drove us around during our vacation. Our chef was originally from Laos, but lived in Hawaii for many years and had many Filipino friends. He was amusing and did a great job of entertaining us with his cooking antics.

PF Chang

Our last favorite restaurant is PF Chang’s Chinese Bistro. I learned about PF Chang’s from Zsa Zsa Padilla. I really don’t appreciate complicated cuisine; I’m happiest eating simple fare. If we’re having Chinese, I am super satisfied with sweet and sour pork, spare ribs, and fried rice. PF Chang’s is honestly Americanized Chinese food, but consistently pleasing. We ate at PF Chang’s twice: once in Los Angeles, at their branch located in Beverly Center, and once in Las Vegas, at the Aladdin. James and I are alike in that we look for rice after a couple of days without it. If ever you’re traveling and want comfort food, I highly recommend PF Chang’s. Their spare ribs are the best because they are sweet enough with just a hint of spice, and so tender that the meat really falls off the bone.

A vacation for me is special because I love room service. I start my day normally with an order of the continental breakfast. The Four Seasons has a terrific bakery basket. We stayed five nights, and breakfast was part of the package we’d booked. They had flaky, buttery croissants, both the plain and chocolate variants, exceptionally yummy fresh fruit Danish, flavorful blueberry and banana muffins, which were just the right size, and superior multi-grain toast. What a heavenly experience!