Special Guest Review: Gordon Ramsay Steak

A few months ago, the dude went to Vegas for his best friend's bachelor party and when he told me that he was taking the boys to Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant, you can imagine how jealous I was! First of all, we were both obsessed with Master Chef (Team Christine!) and watched Hell's Kitchen this season, so for him to go to the famous Chef Ramsay's establishment WITHOUT me was just plain mean. Secondly, the dude could have an opportunity to meet Gordon himself and/or HK's winner! He was living out my dream and every foodie's dream. 

To make it up to me, he promised me an epic review with photos... and he's no doubt a man of his word. Get ready, your eyes will be drooling by the end of this one!

Gordon Ramsay Steak by The Dude

Going to Gordon Ramsay Steak was a happy accident. As we were driving down the strip, I noticed a blatantly conspicuous sign for GR Steak out in front of Paris and I exclaimed, "YES! WE'RE GOING HERE!" Everyone agreed immediately. I called for two days to make a reservation (please note that they don't open until 5pm) and once we got the reservation, we almost missed it. I had to call to push our reservation from 5pm to 10pm. The anticipation of going to Gordon Ramsay Steak was unbearable. Out of the five in the bachelor party, four made it. As corny as it is, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Except for this review, which I felt obligated to share with the world. 

The decor was great, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. My one and only focus here is on the Prime Rib.

The dude said if you stood directly underneath this and looked up, you see Ramsay's face.

Hell's Kitchen in real life.

Midnight Snack: Tea Station Las Vegas

Revisiting my crazy reunion in Las Vegas on MLK weekend, this was the first stop on the foodie train for my fellow Loveboat friends and I, Tea Station!  And how appropriate, as most of the items we ordered were popular snacks and desserts that we had devoured the summer of 2006 in Taiwan where we first met.  For those that don't know about Taiwan's "Loveboat" summer abroad program, it is basically a chance for teens/young adults (16-27 years young from N. America) with Chinese/Taiwanese heritage to explore their cultural background by traveling all over Taiwan, taking classes to learn or improve Chinese, and meeting fellow North American Asians that are in the same boat!  So what's with the nickname Loveboat?  If you don't care, by all means, skip the next paragraph to continue my review for Tea Station.  Really, I won't be offended. 


I only heard this during the end of the trip, and was told that some parents send their children to Taiwan's yearly summer camp to meet an Asian American boy or girl to court (and then marry).  Say what?  Well, not every parent knows what shenanigans go on during these trips, in fact, my parents thought it was going to be cultural experience for me and at a great bargain too ($500 for one month)!  And it was.  We did take Chinese classes every morning, do Chinese homework at night, learn songs on the buses, practice singing/dancing before performing as a group, explore all Taiwan had to offer, eat Taiwanese meals every day, enjoy the night markets, go clubbing in Taipei, AND started friendships that have lasted 5+ years so far!  And that's why it's called Loveboat.

Now back to the review for Tea Station!  So after getting off the plane around 11pm and getting settled in my hotel room close to midnight, my Loveboaters and I decided to feed our hungry bellies and catch up on life since summer of 2006.  This cafe is a great hang out spot for people who like to drink bubble tea (or any other Asian drinks/tea) and order small plates while catching up/chatting with friends.  Since it is in an Asian shopping center, it shouldn't be a surprise that to see this cafe, well, full of Asians!  But don't let that stop you from trying their delicious drinks and snacks.  

NOM NOM NOM like we're in Asia! 
(except we're in Vegas' "Chinatown")

Spicy Fried Chicken 

(way better than KFC!)

Fried Squid Balls

(basically fried fish balls)

Red Mung Bean Shaved Ice- 红豆刨冰
(much better than Rita's Italian water ice)

Green Mung Bean Shaved Ice- 绿豆刨冰

(My favorite, and healthy too!)

I don't remember what this was but it was yummy.

When deciding what to order to drink, a friend (JB) was having a hard time choosing a good tea from the "Hot Traditional Chinese Tea" list to drink.  He told me he had been eating a lot of  热气 (yeet hei, a Cantonese term literally translates to "hot air" and basically means inflammatory) foods and asked me what teas would help cool/calm his body down.  I'm not an expert in teas, but I do know that herbal and green teas are the best things to drink if you're stressed, feel 热气 inside your body, or have been eating a lot of unhealthy foods.  I told him to pick any herbal tea (亮茶) or a decaf green tea, since it is packed with antioxidants that can cleanse your body from the inside and lower the temperature so it is more balanced.  So after my tea lesson, he asked me again, "What should I get?"  To which I replied, "I don't know, my dad always chooses the right tea for me.  Try Jasmine Blossom, that's a green tea."  So he did.

"The flower is going to open! Watch!"

"Still blooming..."

"It's beautiful!" 

Meet JB and his Jasmine Blossom! 

(Adorable!!)

The main reason we came here was for their bubble tea 珍珠奶茶.  Gee, who lives in Las Vegas, told us this place has really good bubble tea, but we were disappointed to hear that they had no more Tapioca pearls that night.  Milk tea is just not the same without the pearls, so I ordered a Mango Jelly Ice.  It was the size of my head, but oh so delicious!

An excellent drink for hot summer days!

No joke, it's the same size as my big head!

4355 Spring Mt. Rd. 

Las Vegas, NV 89119
$
Overall Group Grade: A

Great hang out spot for young adults who love Asian drinks & snacks.

Do you & your friends have a regular hang out spot?  Where & how often do you get together there?

Vegas Lunch: Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina

Even before I stepped onto the plane for Las Vegas, I was already daydreaming about eating at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant.  I just knew it would be amazing, no matter what I order or which of his wonderful establishments I visit.  And I was right.  I call myself a foodie and enjoy blogging about food, but now I can officially call myself a food snob after being spoiled by the infamous Wolfgang Puck!  We went for lunch on Sunday (my last full day in Vegas) after an epic night of dancing at Rain in Palms Hotel/Casino.  Some friends suggested a local diner or Hash House A Go Go, but the wait for Sunday brunch was about 45 minutes, and we were starving!  I couldn't give up my dream, so I took the liberty of looking up information for WP's Pizzeria & Cucina and called immediately.  Just our luck, there was no wait and it was not a far walk to Crystals at CityCenter from our hotel on a nice Sunday morning!

When we first got to Crystals at CityCenter, I got distracted by luxury brands calling my name to spend $$$$ on materialistic items that I don't need, but the group's stomachs brought me back to reality.  Food comes first, naturally.  Shopping can wait.  We were extremely lucky to have been seated at a long round table that was located off to the side, isolated from the rest of the restaurant and bar area.  No reservations, yet we got our very own private dining area to enjoy a fabulous lunch.  Again, we're just a lucky bunch.  The service was superb, waiter looked out for each and every one of us, the food was amazing, and even the bathrooms were a wonderful experience!

For starters, we ordered...

*Calamari "Fritto", Garlic Aioli, Lemon, Paprika

*Tomato Bruschetta, Basil, Parmesan

*Steamed Mussels, Chorizo, Marjoram, Grilled Ciabatta

I highly recommend all three appetizers, best of each I've ever had.  The calamari was lightly battered/fried, not greasy by any means, nor chewy/tough.  So what happens when you dip the perfect calamari in the most delightful garlic aoili?  You get a match made in heaven.  If you've ever had a bad calamari experience, this will convert you.  I always hesitate when ordering bruschetta because in previous experiences, they've been too small, bread rock hard, too few chunks of mushy tomatoes... but what I've captured (above) obviously shows the opposite.  The tomato bruschetta was lightly toasted and adorned with loads of tomato chunks & cheese in every bite!  As for the mussels, no words can really describe how the meat just melted in our mouths.  It was lovely.  Everyone loved the sauce at the bottom of the pan as well, great for dipping complimentary bread!

Next are the salads for those who eat lightly.  The Caprese and Asparagus salads were both beautiful (sucker for presentation) and delicious.  I ordered the Caprese salad and as a tomato lover, my tastebuds almost jumped onto the plate when I saw how big they were!  The heirloom tomatoes were large enough to share, were so juicy & flavorful, and couldn't have been complete without the soft mozzarella that sat on top.  The Asparagus salad seemed more like a starter than an actual meal, even for lunch, not too much food on the plate.

 Caprese Salad

*Asparagus Salad, Parmesan Panna Cotta, Proscuitto

The rest of the group ordered various pizzas for everyone to have a little taste.  They were more satisfying for the stomach compared to the salads (above) and were just the perfect amount for sharing (swapping pizza slices).  My favorite had to be the Mushroom, but I'm biased since I enjoy eating fungus.  The Duck Confit was a close second favorite as the taste was very unique, a special surprise unlike the other classic pizzas on the table.  Having said that, I do wish the other pizzas had more unique flavors, but maybe some people like to stick with the classics.  To each their own.

Duck Confit Pizza

Mushroom Pizza (*Bechamel, Fontina Cheese, Thyme, Arugula)

Proscuitto Pizza (*Basil Pesto, Kalamata Olives, Parmesan)

Margherita Pizza (*Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, Basil, Parmesan )

Finally, we arrive at the sweetest part of this dining experience, the desserts.  Of course, I shouted tiramisu when I saw it on the menu before we even ordered the main meal!  Sadly, it was not real tiramisu, but a modern version of it with chocolate chips mixed in.  It was a different twist on tiramisu, but in a good way.  The Italian Doughnuts were little bites of absolute goodness!  The insides of each were so fluffy and warm, but once it is dipped in the caramel & gelato, your tastebuds will go insane because of the warm, cold, sweet, salty explosion in your mouth!  If you dine here with a party of six, and only choose one dessert (not possible but let's pretend), these doughnuts are perfect as you each get one.  And then there was the Hazelnut Mousse, which was not too memorable compared to the first two. 

Tiramisu

*Italian Doughnuts "Zeppole", Caramel Dipping Sauce, Vanilla Gelato

*Chocolate Glazed Hazelnut Mousse, Frangelico Cream, Chocolate Shortbread

3720 Las Vegas Blvd

Las Vegas, NV

$$

Overall Group Grade: A-
The average rating among my gluttonous friends on this wonderful Sunday lunch in Vegas 

*Descriptions taken from Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina's website