| rev:text
| - What to write for my 1600th review?
Sometimes, sage sayings can be contradictory. For example, the definition of intelligence is sometimes given as the ability to learn from one's past mistakes but it is also said that the definition of stupidity is repeating the same action again and again and expecting a different outcome!
With certain honourable exceptions such as Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, I tend to be wary of restaurants in hotels, regarding them as traps for hotel guests too lazy to leave the hotel in search of a top notch meal
However, when I booked to watch Ka at the MGM Grand, I was intrigued by the omakase tasting menu at Shibuya, the Japanese restaurant located in their restaurant row. With a line-up of ingredients including toro, wagyu, foie gras and lobster, it looked very promising though I knew that it would take a first rate Japanese meal to satisfy me as I was also dining at another local Japanese legend in Vegas and favourite amongst Yelpers on the same trip - Raku (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/raku-las-vegas#hrid:kQccGZ8GEw6cqZNBUqkwpQ)
I made my reservation via the hotel website and the only wrinkle in the evening was that my table wasn't ready at the time I booked
The restaurant is gargantuan, a definite contrast to the intimate Raku but I did appreciate the stylish surroundungs. There was a Vegas buzz of excitement to the place and despite the size of the operation, my food arrived quickly but the meal was well paced
1. Amuse of Kushi Oyster with Apple Momiji and Orange Ponzu
I usually like my oysters freshly shucked, briney and metallic from the sea but here, the citrus notes did enhance the meaty oyster
2. Trio of hamachi
This delicate fish was served in different preparations. Firstly as a sashimi with a hint of garlic, ginger and pepper. Then a tartar where the minced fish was mixed in with tobiko and garlic-infused ponzu. Lastly again as sashimi with wasabi, wasabi oil and Hawaiian red salt. A lovely contrast of 3 preparations
3. Sashimi duo
My first slice of sashimi was one of my favourite fish - chu toro (fatty part of the tuna belly), served with ginger soy sauce and spiced crunchy garlic. The other piece was kanpachi, yuzu juice and black truffle oil. Yummy sashimi
4. Tataki of Australian wagyu beef, lemon tamari soy, tarragon oil and garlic chips
The beef was almost sweet with freshness and the lemon lifted it with the nice contrast of crunchy garlic chips
5. Ezi Ebi
If I tell you that this dish was Australian lobster tail and day boat scallops in uni sake butter sauce and that it tasted every bit as magnificent as it sounds, I think I can rest my case
6. Niku
Braised Kobe-style short rib was served with sautéed foie gras and rounded off with sweet and spicy soy. The meat was meltingly tender and the sauce wasn't over-sweet. The umami hit from the foie gras was heavenly as usual
7. Maine Lobster Miso Soup, Green Onions, Shitake Mushrooms
No ordinary soup as you can tell from the ingredients!
8. Nigiri with freshly grated wasabi root
9. Dessert Tasting
Raspberry-Yuzu calpico pannacotta, choco-lychee mousse cake, and mochi ice cream proved a tasty, sweet and surprisingly light end to a magnificent meal
As you can tell just from reading the review (until Yelp invents smell-o-vision or taste-o-vision, I'm afraid my photos will have to do with helping me enhance my words), this was a legendary meal. Top class ingredients were treated sympahetically and allowed to sing with complementary sidekicks that enhanced and not take over. Recognisably Japanese but with a nod to western ingredients
As for restaurants in hotels, I'm very happy to eat my words provided the words are as delicious as the food at Shibuya!
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