Our dinner party wanted to indulge in a great dinner meal for the evening. Our VIP host was able to book us a six person table-top amidst a booked and busy Saturday night. She introduced us to the Executive chef (not Jose Andres) and asked that he present his recommended plates / menu for the evening.
Before I dive into the food, I'll speak of the restaurant itself. Jaleo is located on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan hotel. It's a restaurant that faces and opens up to Cosmo's restaurant collection (including Scarpetta, STK, Milos, D.O.C.G., etc.). The energy on the third floor is always buzzing with a plethora of night-goers preparing for a long evening. The energy at Jaleo is no different. In fact, you are immersed with the crowd given that half of the restaurant is completely open. I personally loved the high energy. However, go elsewhere if you are looking for an intimate dinner.
The food itself... not memorable. In fact, I don't recall any of the names of the items we had. While the presentation of the dishes were creative and beautiful in design, the flavors and taste were nothing out of the ordinary. Given the prices, I expected much more. I wanted to be wowed with big bold flavors and an experience much different than your normal tapas affair. Unfortunately it wasn't. I've had better dishes for half the price and unfortunately my review reflects that.