Jaleo is the third place I have been to at the Cosmopolitan. I had been wanting to try it from the day it opened; the Iberico ham was calling my name!
My wife and I made our reservation through Opentable for Android and got right in at 630pm the day before Valentines. I immediately noticed that this was a "hipster" type of place with a modern feel; Wood floors and white tables without table clothes. The feeling was comfortable while retaining its coolness. If you are expecting a romantic, quiet, and private atmosphere this is not the spot for you.
The Menu is expansive and playful. Chef Andres' uses a nice sense of humor on his menu to get you to eat and drink! Most of the dishes are tapas style and this encourages sharing of course! We started with the Iberico Jamon bellota from the famous black footed pig! it's a little pricey at 22$ for five shaved slices, but go for it; you can't get this stuff in a supermarket.
Next, we ordered the Soupa De Ajo which is garlic soup with a 63degree Egg. They served it tableside and it was Soo garlicky and delicious! The croutons melted right in front of you as the hot soup hit them. The soup was soul satisfying!
Following the soup we had Dungeoness crab stuffed peppers. Tasty but not monumental. Then we got the foie gras and pork cannoli's in bechamel! Wow! Yummy! Topped with shaved black truffles this dish satisfies the biggest foodie! Rich and creamy and savory; everything you could want in a dish. We didn't think that our next dish of Veal cheeks could stand up, but the cheeks were out of this world! Luscious and tender you could eat them with your fork and served on the most wonderful olive oil potatoes you could ever want. The pork and the potatoes together were heavenly. This was our absolute favorite dish!
The night we were there the paella was made with Lobster. We went for it! As I said before, the chef is cute with his menu. So to me this seemed to be his signature dish. When you walk in to the restaurant you see a huge grill surrounded by UFO sized Paella pans. I figured if you go to Jaleo then you have to try this dish. They tell you the paella takes about 45 minutes so it actually came out after our veal cheeks. Perfectly cooked lobster rested on top of the rice. This dish was all about the rice and the seafood with a yummy garlic aioli on the side. My only problem with the dish was that the Lobster was still in the shell. I have a problem with a place that serves lobster in the shell. I don't want to wrestle the damn thing to eat it. but it was a lovely dish and very good.
Our two desserts were well done and tasty but the dessert menu is short; only about 8 choices. Save some room and share like the rest of menu!
The service was very attentive! Our water glasses were never empty and there was never a pile up of empty plates. The table remained clean and cleared throughout the dinner. Our waitress, Michelle, was helpful in selecting a nice Rose Cava that went very well with all the food. Even on a busy night they were really on top of the service.
Overall I would recommend Jaleo to anyone who is into good food. I would definitely return for more!