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| - For us Chinese the 80th Birthday is one of the most important milestones in a person's life, and it is the most important time for children to honor their parents. After looking at the venues and depth of menus at other restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, I chose PEARL at the MGM Grand to host my Dad's 80th Birthday. Beth Miller in Sales was beyond exceptional in conveying what I wanted to Chef Yau. But, it was Chef Yau's clean and delicate touch with the each dish that took the night. Among the traditional eight dishes ordered, we started with Chef's elegant spider prawns. They were deserving of the rave reviews online plus some. The prawns were ever-so lightly deep-fried that the batter crumbled and was a superb counter to the firm, meaty prawn. The Chinese five spice squab arrived lightly browned & perfectly seasoned so as not to overwhelm the tender bird. We were immediately reminded of past trips to Hong Kong just for squab! Chef prepared bell peppers with Mongolian beef that was tangy, colorful and had hints of a seasoning we went crazy, trying to decipher. The special Birthday whole lobster i-mein noodles were sinful and slurpy but neither soggy nor gooey. But, the stand-out was one Chef Yau specially-created for the birthday. He prepared a winter melon dish with Chinese black mushrooms and Virginia ham. It was presented in an unusual way, almost layered in a clear chicken broth. Light, fully reminiscent of Cantonese cooking. Everyone of us, gourmands from NYC to DC to SF to Honolulu, felt every dish stood on its own merits. And, my aunt--who taught Asian cuisine for 20 years at the California Culinary Academy--said simply that Chef had created a "well-balanced" banquet--the mark of an expert Chinese Chef. Finally, Pearl complimented the food with the perfect wait staff--warm and intuitive about what our guests needed without asking. Chef Yau and Pearl created a truly memorable experience for our Dad's 80th !
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