I have enjoyed Michael Mina's food from his days of Aqua in sf, to Nobhill in MGM. I was honored once again to dine at one of his fine establishments.
Dining at Joel Rubuchon just last month, it really upsets me that I paid 5x as much for a meal I didn't enjoy as much. The signature tasting menu for $115 was incredible. The six courses will not leave you disappointed nor hungry at the end.
Dishes included:
- Caviar parfait included a base of shallot-potato cake, Alder wood smoked salmon, creme fraiche, topped with, of course caviar. I'm not a real caviar fan but this was exquisite.
- Ahi tuna tartare is basically a Hawaiian poke. Fresh ahi mixed with sesame oil. Pine nuts and fresh pear was a nice twist to hawaii's poke.
- Chilean sea bass. For those of you familiar with miso black cod or butterfish, this was a nice take on this loved dish. It was flakey with a great miso flavor hinted with a smokey taste. It included a wonton in a lightly salted soup base.
- Lobster pot pie. This was the mini version of his famous pot pie. Nice large chunks of lobster, mini carrots, potatoes and onion. It was cover in a light flakey crust which the cut off table side. The sauce was a bisque-like flavor, creamy and delicious.
- Wagyu ribeye. Perfectly season ribeye cooked to medrare perfection. The HV foie gras put this simple protein, over the edge.
- Dessert - you finally end the magnificent meal with a Trio of simple American favorites. A peanut butter chocolate bar, a chocolate chip cookie and a mini root beer float.
I honestly never had a tasting menu in which in truly loved ALL the dishes. This was the Exception. The restaurant was smaller then I expected, which made it more intimate.
Service was top notch. We are fast eaters so usually with fine dining tasting menus there can be a long wait between dishes. Not here, they immediately caught on to the pace we ate our dishes and the next dishes took no more than a few minutes. A nice touch.
This establishment deserves more than one Michelin star. I believe I have found my new favorite restaurant in LV. This was a great way to start off this Vegas trip. The restaurants I visits in the next four days will have a very tough act to follow.