| rev:text
| - Chinese food for the affluent located at none other than the world famous Bellagio Resort and Casino. Normally I wouldn't give a place like this a second thought with its suggested dress code and prices five times the norm, but when Lady Luck intervened I suddenly felt an urge to splurge.
The place is downright formal in its mannerisms. When I entered the restaurant and inquired about getting a table the hostess greeted me and asked for my last name. I was asked to take a seat at a small reception area opposite the bar while my table was being prepared. I found the experience quite interesting because from the moment the hostess wrote down my last name every staff person addressed me as Mr. Y.
The server, the waitress, a floor supervisor ... everybody addressed me as Mr. Y as if they had written my last name somewhere near my table for all to see.
Once inside the fancy dining room with its gigantic crystal chandeliers hanging down I was seated at a small table with a clear view looking out the huge glass windows where three times during my meal the fabulous fountains of the Bellagio performed their artistic magic. There I was enjoying this amazing spectacle from a most unique vantage point behind the fountains.
At Jasmine they pull your chair out when you go to sit down, they help to push your chair in once you are seated, they unfold your thick fabric napkin for you and they gently place it on your lap. I was often taught those steps to be used for a special lady, but I never imagined having a lady do those things for me.
Jasmine certainly has its service perfected, but how is their food?
I didn't select any extravagant selection here. In fact, my selections were downright homey. I'm pretty certain this type of restaurant can handle the fancy dishes well, but I was curious how well they could punctuate the more traditional dishes I might have at home.
Three Soup Tasting (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ZpMoI5EECS6Rm7KigN1gPg?select=CZ10iE9MQfGLqpLkyda3LQ) is a sampler of three popular soups, braised shark fin, chicken corn chowder and won ton soup. Since I had run a long race that morning I wanted something soothing, and for me that usually means hot soup.
The shark fin soup had lots of strands of crunchy, chewy shark fin in a slightly thickened soup. The soup lacked meat though. Most restaurants will serve this either with shards of chicken breast or pieces of Virginia ham. Jasmine didn't. Keeping in mind that this was only a sampler there was exactly one wonton in a perfectly seasoned broth. The wonton was plump with lean pork and a large chunk of shrimp. I would have liked more. Egg whites, corn kernels, corn starch and chicken breast bits made up the very standard chicken corn chowder.
Pineapple Fried Rice was served in a boat-like glass dish lined with a single lotus leaf. The first bowl was served to me (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ZpMoI5EECS6Rm7KigN1gPg?select=D2-2SonYOPnRw0FUCJ32EA), and I must have refilled my bowl three times in finishing the dish which combined white rice, egg yolks, shrimp, scallops and fresh grilled pineapple.
Ma Po Tofu (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ZpMoI5EECS6Rm7KigN1gPg?select=ulN8otZyPI6LQQgH69REeQ) was made with the silky tofu instead of the medium firm tofu I'm used to with this dish. I had no problem with that though as the dish was very good. It was mildly spicy just like the waitress suggested.
You can choose from five or six different green leafy vegetables for your Daily Greens side dish. You can even suggest how you would like it to be prepared. I chose the Choy Sum (young tender greens) and asked that it be sautéed. The vegetables (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ZpMoI5EECS6Rm7KigN1gPg?select=asVdBSNxFrPL8VSwyZ7j5g) were cooked perfectly with a nice shade of green. I enjoyed this simple dish very much.
The food is a good 3.5 stars and the service is definitely a 5. This meal left me nice and full, and the restaurant is a convenient two minute walk along the casino floor to the Cirque du Soleil's "O" Theatre.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)