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| - While the service at Michael Mina was top notch, something about the dishes left me feeling like my experience was just so-so.
My friends and I came to Vegas and were planning to see Absinthe across the street so we decided on Michael Mina based on the high reviews and the relative distance from the show. Given the excellent variety that comes with the tasting menu at a decent price ($115), all of us decided to go with either the Seasonal or the Signature Tasting Menu.
I personally chose the Signature Tasting Menu which has a lot of great sounding options but ultimately I left slightly disappointed. Here is what was on the menu and thoughts:
Domestic Caviar Parfait: Delicately plated much like a parfait with a layer of salmon, caviar, and potato cake, this dish was a pretty knockout way to start the meal. The inherent richness of the salmon and saltiness of caviar balanced well against the potato cake and the creamy creme fraiche.
Tartare of Ahi Tuna: With solid blocks of ahi tuna mixed tableside with the sesame seed oil, the dish seemed a little one note to me. It helped to have the pieces of pear and pine nuts to add different flavor notes, but the sesame oil seemed a little heavy handed and that was the overwhelming taste that I experienced.
Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass: I really enjoyed this dish! Immediately when you put the fish in your mouth it was close to melt in your mouth goodness and you can definitely taste the miso glaze. The dashi broth was refreshing and the shellfish dumpling was a nice complement.
Lobster Pot Pie: The famed lobster pot pie was good but did not live up to the hype. It definitely comes out amazing with the pie crust a nice golden brown. The waiters came tableside to cut it open for us and you can see the steam wafting out and smell the wonderful aroma that comes from inside. Unfortunately, the content seemed a little too soupy. There was a good sized lobster pieces and some vegetables but it required a lot of slurping to get to it and it would have been better if it were a little tighter.
American Wagyu Beef Rossini: This was a solid beef dish that was done well but nothing amazing. The pinot noir reduction provided a nice balance of salty sweet and to pair it with the with the foie gras added a nice extra textural component. However, whether I would necessarily want to order this by itself, I am not sure.
Chocolate Mandarin Mousse: As a dessert, this was a let down. After dishes that were executed with such laser-like focus, chocolate mandarin mousse, a cookie, and a root beer float on a plate seemed like a throw away. It was nothing amazing or interesting and unfocused.
The service was amazing. Whenever we stepped away, the waiters would replace it with a new one on your table for you to use. Because we had a show to go to, they made arrangements to get us out on time even with our extensive tasting menu.
Overall, Michael Mina did have several highlight worth going for, but not all necessarily worth the high price tag.
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