April 2014

In Kid Friendly

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina: Pizza and Pasta in Vegas

April 13, 2014

Inside the The Shops at Crystals right beside Aria is Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina. My parents were raving about this place and how addictive their pasta was the day before. I was intrigued and I wanted to come here to see what they were talking about.

It has a warm and inviting atmosphere. Perfect for families. We came right when it opened and by 1pm, there was a good amount of people dining.

The other side of the restaurant, you can get a view of all the shops. Plus its great for people watching.

Shirley Temple was what my mom was craving. It is made using a mix of Grenadine syrup and soda. We were sad they didn’t use the recipe with orange juice.

Complimentary bread arrived at the table before the rest of the meal came. It is delicious rustic bread with a few pieces of butter on the side. The bread was really soft in the centre and crispy on the outside.

Prime Beef Carpaccio has roasted garlic aioli, crispy artichokes, goat cheese, and arugula. Oh man, this was addictive. Highly recommended.

Veal Ravioli has porcini mushrooms in a brown butter sauce and crisp sage on top. My sister thought it was a bit salty for her liking but the first few bites were good.

Rigatoncini is smothered in piemontese meat sauce, garlic, and parmesan reggiano. The sauce gets into the inside of the pasta so you get a good amount of sauce in each bite.

Spaghetti has tomatoes, basil, garlic with housemade meatballs. Very classic and simple dish. The meatballs were huge and it is very filling. My sister and my dad really liked this.

Wild Mushroom pizza has bechamel, fontina, thyme, and arugula on top. It has a thin crust and perfectly crisp all the way through.

Overall, the food was done pretty well and no complaints.

We Rate Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina:

Address:
3720 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV

Website:
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/53877

In Bakery

Bouchon Bakery: Croissants, Coffee and Macarons in Vegas

April 12, 2014

Bouchon Bakery is located in The Venetian and there are 3 locations inside. It is owned by world renowned chef – Thomas Keller. He is the man behind The French Laundry and Per Se. This was a major reason why my sister wanted to try out this bakery to see if it lived up to the hype.

We came in the early afternoon and sat outside on the patio for some snacks and sun.

The entrance to the Bouchon Bakery is through the inside of the hotel.

It isn’t large, so it more of a to go place, unless you sit outside on the patio.

There’s a bunch of pastries on the counter. From croissants to cookies.

In their display case, they have macarons, eclairs and sandwiches.

We grabbed a latte and a mocha. Both of them tasted horrible. The mocha was very sweet and we could not adjust the sweetness because they didn’t know what half sweet meant. We soon realized this was the case because their coffee comes out of a machine with a press of a button rather than made by hand like how its supposed to be.

Same goes with the latte, it didn’t have that personal touch from the barista. Came straight from the machine.

I expected a bit more from them especially with the name behind the bakery.

Ham and cheese croissant was baked in the oven for us after we ordered. It was burnt on the edges but was pretty good. Not as good as Beaucoup in Vancouver.

Chocolate eclair was small but it was pretty good. The coffee macaron was a disappointment. It didn’t have the right texture and it was really chewy.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in Bouchon Bakery. I can name a few places in Vancouver that are ten times better. Sigh, I had such high hopes. Perhaps I just have higher standards since Vancouver has some pretty amazing bakeries.

We rate Bouchon Bakery:

Address:
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

Website:
http://bouchonbakery.com/

In 24 hours

Earl of Sandwich: Where Everyone Goes To Eat Vegas

April 11, 2014

When I asked a few friends where I should eat in Vegas while I’m there, all of them said Earl of Sandwich. I thought it was kinda silly that there would be crazy hype over a sandwich. How good can this sandwich really be?

Earl of Sandwich is located inside Planet Hollywood and open 24 hours. The prices are reasonable too.

You line up at the counter and pay first before your meal. It took me a long time to figure out what to order since there are so many sandwiches.

Once you put in your order, you get a buzzer and it will alert you when your sandwich is ready to be picked up. Since we came during a busy time, it took about 5 mins for the sandwich to be put together.

The sandwich comes in a bag all wrapped up, but as we were eating there, we really didn’t need the bag.

The sandwich comes cut in half. This was perfect for us since my sister and I were sharing.

The Original 1762 was what I ordered. I thought I might as well order the classic sandwich. It has roasted beef, cheddar & horseradish sauce. It was pretty good. The meat was very tender and juicy which paired nicely with the cheddar and horseradish.

Overall, a decent sandwich and it is really nothing special. Nothing fancy, but just plain good.

We rate Earl of Sandwich:

Address:
3667 Las Vegas Boulevard S
Las Vegas, NV

Website:
http://www.earlofsandwichusa.com/

In Las Vegas

Pink’s Hot Dogs: Specialty Hot Dogs on The Strip

April 10, 2014

Pink’s Hot Dogs is located in Planet Hollywood and serves a huge variety of hot dogs with different toppings. Lots of people stop by to try their famous hot dogs. There’s a lot of hype over this place and I wanted to see how it compared to some of the other hot dog places around the world.

Just go inside and order at the counter. There’s a lot of food options.

You order your food inside and all the seating is outdoor on the patio.

The patio is perfect in the sunny afternoon. Great for people watching if you are into that.

You also get a nice view of across the street of the Cosmopolitan.

Mushroom Swiss Dog ($6.99) has grilled mushrooms, mayo, and a slice of swiss cheese. It was ok, it really wasn’t anything special. Granted that the abundance of toppings is really what attracts customers, when it comes down to the sausage, it was pretty bland. I couldn’t find anything gourmet about them.

Overall, I would try it once, but it really isn’t a great hot dog.

We Rate Pink’s Hot Dogs:

Address:
3667 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV

Website:
http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/restaurants/pinks-hot-dogs.html

In Cafe

Serendipity 3: Frozen Hot Chocolate in Vegas

April 9, 2014

A hot day in Vegas needs a nice cool drink. Ever since watching Serendipity and learning the meaning behind that word, I’ve always wanted to come try some of their frozen hot chocolate. I know it doesn’t even have any connection with the movie, but I just love the meaning of the word. “To discover things by accident”, kinda like really good food.

Serendipity 3 is located outside Ceasar’s Palace.

They have various food items and beverages. Most people have their eye on one thing… their frozen hot chocolate.

I didn’t want to sit down since I was only ordering one item, so I ordered from their take out window. I totally didn’t mind since I do enjoy walking.

They have outdoor seating and indoor seating. Since it’s usually a nice day in Vegas, people were enjoying it on the patio.

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate ($8.95) was pricey but it was delicious. It’s probably not very healthy but screw it since you’re in Vegas. I shared this with my sister and it was definitely enough for us two.

Overall, good stop for a beverage. It was my little reward for walking a lot that day up and down the strip.

We rate Serendipity 3:

Address:
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard S
Las Vegas, NV

Website:
http://www.serendipity3.com/

In Cafe

Coca-Cola Store Las Vegas: ‘Around the World’ Tastings

April 7, 2014

If you are a Coca-Cola lover and visiting Vegas, you can’t miss the opportunity to visit the Coca-Cola store on The Strip. It’s right across the street from Monte Carlo. It is two floors and has tons of Coca-Cola products to purchase. Also, there is a cafe on the second floor, so you can enjoy some different Coca-Cola drinks.

One reason why tourists come here is for their ‘Around the World’ taste test of the different Coca-Cola products around the world. You won’t find this anywhere else except here. $7 for 16 different samples.

Plus, there’s really cool mugs to buy.

The bottom floor has clothing, merchandise, and even take a picture with the Coca-Cola polar bear.

Upstairs, you have more of their vintage merchandising.

It’s a large area, so there’s lots of seats and so many things to buy.

They have Mexican Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Floats and a bunch of other Coca-Cola inspired items, but there was one item that catches everyones eyes…

Around the World Tray ($7) has 16 different flavours of Coca-Cola products from around the world.

Inca Kola (Peru)
Fanta Magic (Estonia)
Stoney Tangawizi (Tanzania)
Sprite Ice (Korea)
Vegitabeta (Japan)
Ciel Aquarius (Mexico)
Smart Watermelon (China)
Kinley Lemon (England)
Fanta Kolita (Costa Rica)
Thums Up (India)
Lift Manzana (Mexico)
Bibo Kiwi Mango (South Africa)
Sunfil Mint (Djibouti)
Smart Apple (China)
Beverly (Italy)
Mezzo Mix (Germany)

It comes on 2 trays. It’s huge. If you are going with a group of people, only order one….or else you will regret it. You only really need a sip since there are 14 flavours to try.

You get pieces of paper with the flavours so you know what you’re tasting. The Inca Kola and Fanta Pineapple were my favourites.

Tray #2 definitely tasted worse than Tray #1.

It was a good experience, but there were some good ones and lots of bad flavours. It’s not really tuned to our North American taste buds. This is something your try once…but you probably won’t order it again unless someone else wants it.

Website: http://www.coca-colastore.com/

Address:
3785 S Las Vegas Blvd,
Las Vegas, NV 89109

In Cafe

Starbucks in Las Vegas

April 6, 2014

When in Vegas, go to Starbucks. At least that’s what my sisters and I did. She’s really obsessed about getting those collectible Starbucks mugs from different cities around the world. While walking inside Caesars Palace, we found a Starbucks and needed a cool drink to refresh us.

The Starbucks in Caesars Palace is located to the left of the lobby.

The space is quite small, but there are these long long couches to rest for a bit and enjoy your beverage. It’s not a cafe where you can sit for a while.

Another huge difference are the prices. Most tall drinks are $6 and it has a crazy markup. I pay about half the price in Vancouver. My wallet hurt after coming here.

After going to this location, I started looking at the other location’s prices and it can vary from $5 to $6 for tall drinks.

Vanilla Macchiato was the drink that they are currently advertising. In Canada, they introduced the Maple Macchiato and in the states, they released the Vanilla Macchiato. How different right?

The Vanilla Macchiato is a multi-layered drink that has steamed milk, espresso, and the sweet drizzle made of brown sugar, butter, vanilla and some salt.

I got my drink in iced form since it was pretty hot outside. The drink was ok, but nothing special.

The other drinks we ordered were iced green tea and iced coffee. Pretty standard stuff. We spent over $20 of 4 tall drinks which sucks. But, it’s on The Strip, so always expect to pay more.

Website:
www.starbucks.com

Address:
3570 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109

In French

Mon Ami Gabi: French Cuisine on The Strip

April 5, 2014

On the Las Vegas Strip is the Paris Hotel. Beside it’s charming faux eiffel tower and beautiful building, it is home to one of Vegas’s most talked about restaurant – Mon Ami Gabi.

As you walk closer and close to Mon Ami Gabi, the faux eiffel tower is actually quite tall. There’s a restaurant up there too.

Mon Ami Gabi is on the first floor and they specialize in French cuisine. They have other locations in Chicago, Oak Brook, Reston and Bethesda in the United States. It was a busy lunch hour, but there is plenty of seating inside.

The patio was a popular spot and there was over an hour wait. It’s a great area to people watch while sipping on cocktails under the sun.

We decided to sit inside as there were no waits. It was packed!

They also have a bloody mary bar on Saturday and Sunday for $11. The waiter brings you the vodka and the glass, then you go to the bar and create your ultimate bloody mary.

Complimentary bread arrives at the table and it’s quite soft inside. Our family just ripped it apart with our hands.

The bread was quite good so we ate it quickly…

…until there were only crumbs left. You can also ask for additional bread for no charge at all.

When the food arrived, we were ready to dig in. The wait wasn’t that long either. We shared everything family-style because it more fun to try a little bit of everything.

Mussels Mariniere (Full order – $21.95) has white wine and herb sauce. It is also served with fries. The mussels were a bit on the small side, but I’m just being picky because I’m from the West Coast and we have some pretty stellar mussels.

Nonetheless, the broth that it was cooked in was delicious. Great for dipping the bread into.

The fries that come with it were crispy! Really addictive, but it was heavily salted.

Brie & Butternut Squash Quiche ($12.95) was alright. Nothing special.

Frisee, Kale & Warm Bacon Salad ($10.95) is topped with a soft-poached egg. It was a pretty good salad. The egg was really soft and added a delicious texture to the salad.

Steak Classique ($24.95) is served with a Maitre d’hotel butter and half a plate of fries. I’ve never had a stead look like that…it was very thin. The butter on the side went really well with the steak.

The service was friendly and they are very accommodating to dietary restrictions. They even have a gluten-free menu too. Overall, the food was good, but I do find some of their items a bit salty.

We Rate Mon Ami Gabi:

Address:
3655 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV

Website:
http://www.monamigabi.com/

In Airplane Meals

Allegiant Air: Bellingham to Las Vegas

April 4, 2014

Allegiant Air had a package deal to Las Vegas from Bellingham and it was time for a family vacation. A lot of people take advantage of their cheap packages. You pack a heck of a lot more if you fly out of Vancouver.

A lot of Vancouverites, just drive down to Bellingham to take a flight. Seriously, you save so much money.

The Bellingham International Airport is quite small, so you need to walk outside past the gate to enter the plane.

The plane ride was about 2.5 hours and you get some nice view of the mountains on the west coast. I don’t really know where I was since the plane didn’t have those digital maps on the plane.

The flight did not provide any complimentary snacks or beverages. All items, you will have to purchase with your credit card. They do not take cash. Don’t expect much from the Allegent Air. They are quite known for their delays and lack of service.

Luckily, when didn’t have any delays on our flight, but the plane before us had mechanical issues, so their flight was delayed 5 hours. Always make sure you have a buffer of time just in case something like that happens.

As the plane got close to Las Vegas, you can clearly see The Strip. The buildings are so huge, you can see them from so far away. Granted, the airport is only about 10 minutes away from The Strip.

Website: www.allegiantair.com

In Bellingham

Bellingham International Airport: Food Options

April 3, 2014

Bellingham International Airport is a usual site for Vancouverites who are traveling within the United States. Allegiant Air flies out of here and are known for their cheap flights. My family and I were flying out to Las Vegas via Allegiant Air.

The airport is really small, so there really are only 2 options for food before your flight. After the security gate, there is Halibut Henrys or Scotty Browns.

Halibut Henry’s has 2 locations inside the airport. One before security and one after. Nothing looked interesting here, so we decided to skip it.

Scotty Browns Social House looked awfully familiar to Browns Social House in Vancouver. Indeed they are owned by the same restaurant group. As it was 7am, we were not feeling up to having a full meal in the lounge.

We opted to pick up a few things from their express counter.

They have sandwiches, beverages, and other prepackaged items.

The food options here aren’t cheap.

The snack and drinks are expensive too.

Bacon Breakfast Sandwich ($7) has egg, cheddar cheese, and bacon between the grilled english muffin. It tasted alright.

Cheese and Fruit ($9.25) comes with cheddar cheese, grapes, baby bel cheese, fuji apples, and crackers.

It was expensive and the quality wasn’t great.

Yogurt Parfait ($5) was a decent item for the morning. It has vanilla yogurt, granola, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Overall, the options at Bellingham International Airport are limited but if you want a good experience, it is best to having a meal in the Scotty Browns Restaurant.

Address:
4255 Mitchell Way
Bellingham, WA

Website:
http://brownsrestaurantgroup.com/scottybrowns/category/locations/bli-airport/

In Cafe

JJ Bean: Chilling on the Weekend

April 2, 2014

KoreanGirl and I went to JJ Bean on the weekend to just chill. We do this quite often and it’s normal for us girls to do that. It was a rainy day too, so sitting next to the window pondering about life is perfect.

What I like about this location is that its structured nicely to optimize for real conversations rather than people on their laptops. You won’t find wifi here either.

They have great coffee and it’s certified organic. Everything is baked locally, which is great.

Double chocolate brownie cookie is huge and is soft and chewy. Plus it has huge dark chocolate chunks.

Small Cappuccino tasted great. It was a good strong cappuccino.

Overall, not a bad place to spend a weekend on a rainy day.

We Rate JJ Bean:

Address:
1188 Alberni Street
Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.jjbeancoffee.com/

In Bakery

Faubourg: Coffees and Pastries

April 1, 2014

Another rainy Vancouver day and hanging out with the girls means we indulge on coffee and pastries. Typical womenly behaviours of me and my friends.

As we were in the Kerrisdale area, we decided to go to Faubourg. It was a busy Saturday afternoon and all the seats were occupied at 3pm. They always have great coffee and pastries.

Small Cappuccino was what I like to relax with. Surprising since caffeine is a stimulant. It was a good cappuccino.

Tiramisu is made up of ladyfingers, Mascarpone cream, and blackout cake as a base. It was alright, but I wasn’t too impressed.

Chocolate Eclair is baked to perfection and filled the French way, with chocolate pastry cream and finished with chocolate fondant for a bit of added sweetness. It’s a decent size and pairs nicely with coffee.

Overall, good Saturday spent with friends indulging on treats and sipping on coffee.

We Rate Faubourg: