A lot of people worship at the altar of Jose Andres. Not me. I'd eaten at Jaleo in DC before and was underwhelmed, so his much-heralded arrival in Vegas was greeted with a bit of a shrug from me.
I had no interest in going to the western outpost of Jaleo (when there are so many better tapas options in town) but I was intrigued by the concept of China Poblano. And it did not disappoint.
Joined by two friends, we ordered a sampling of dishes from both sides of the menu - but the thing that sticks in my mind the most is the cocktail I ordered, the "lemon drop soup." Vodka, citrus and noodles. Yes, noodles. In a drink. The "salt air" margarita was no less creative, and the "cold tea" of green tea, tequila and beer is just out there.
The absolute best dish I ordered here was the guacamole - it's $15 for an order (served with warm, fresh corn tortillas) but OH EMM GEE it's good. Special trip good. Take out window late at night good. And they'll make it as spicy as you want - always a plus for me.
Of all the dishes I've had, the only one I didn't love was the rainbow congee. Aside from that, pure unadulterated awesomesauce. The Mongolian beef is a New York strip. The sui mai dumplings contain gold leaf. The mole poblano tacos are morsels of joy.
But mostly that guacamole.