I've now officially been a New Yorker for one week. I have found a job, a place to live, and a few decent places to eat. But I want to take this time to talk about the restaurants that I will be hard pressed to replace even here in the Big Apple. I will miss a few Las Vegas places immensely.
Settebello- New Yorkers think their pizza places trump all others. But in my book this Henderson based Neapolitan style pizza joint beats anything I've had here. With their wood fired oven and fresh toppings the pies here are smoky and earthy in a way coal fired and gas ovens just can't match. I may find something to match it here with a little searching, but I don't think I will find a place to beat it.
Aburiya Raku- Japanese restaurants are not exactly rare in New York City, but finding a place of this caliber with a price point to match will not happen here. This robata grill restaurant offers some of the best small plate options I've had anywhere and it does not break the bank. A party of two can easily get out of here full for under sixty dollars sans alcohol. This is the place you must go if you can get off the strip in Las Vegas.
Bluefin Sushi and Roll- Literally a mom and pop place, this standalone sushi place in a strip mall truly stands alone when it comes to quality and value. I can't count the number of times that I visited Bluefin, but it was more often than any other restaurant in Las Vegas. Before I found this tiny sushi bar about a year ago, I spent countless dollars in sub par establishments just trying to find that one place I could call my home away from home. I could probably pay my NYC rent for the next six months with all that dough. Flawless cuts of fish on well made rice and friendly service make this a can't miss local haunt.
Lotus of Siam- It seems there are Thai places on every other block in New York, but I haven't found one to compare to Lotus, yet. Even usually mundane dishes like Pad Thai are an experience not to be missed at this now large establishment in the same mall as the famous Green Door sex club. The service is spotty, but that cannot overshadow the sublime food and wonderful wine list. The execution and recipes here are top flight.
These four places are all Las Vegas Valley originals that are great at their respective cuisine. Sure, being on the East Coast means no In-n-Out, but we have Shake Shack and some other burger joints which are as good, albeit more expensive. There are other places I wish I could have brought with me, but the restaurants listed above are the best at what they do in Las Vegas and could compete with, if not beat, anything out here.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ichiza
If you've read my blog before you've heard of Raku, the beautifully sedate space on Spring Mountain just West of Decatur that serves amazing, refined Japanese bar food. If Raku is a 45-year-old Tokyo businessman with years of experience and the clothes and cars to show for it, then Ichiza is his 19-year-old, Tamagotchi playing, anime watching, punk rock listening, fauxhawk wearing nephew. I like to be around both of them, it just depends on my mood and who else is going to be around as to which one I prefer any given night.
Ichiza, located about a mile East of Raku on the second floor of one of the many Asian strip-malls on Spring Mountain, does everything I've tried amazingly well. From the simple but tasty beef tataki to the miso marinated cod, the boiled tripe in a tasty broth to the chicken katsu, everything is cooked wonderfully and has flavors good enough to make this critic swear off French cuisine for good (don't worry, I had my fingers crossed). This place makes me extra happy because they have lightly breaded, deep fried smelt, a hard to find favorite of mine. I even tried their fermented soybeans. Definitely an acquired taste. The deep fried quail eggs garnered what has been my only complaint about their food thus far, with the plastic-like outer part on a couple of the whites (this happens whenever you over fry an egg) of the otherwise delicious eggs.
So where does the contrast with Raku come in? Certainly both do a bang-up job in the food department, but it comes down to one thing: Style. While Raku is warm and inviting in a more sedate and refined way, Ichiza welcomes you with communal tables, a long bar, upbeat music barely audible over the more raucous crowd, and an English speaking waitstaff. The platings at Ichiza cannot touch the delicate grace of those at Raku, but they don't really need to. Ichiza does everything right with the food and has dead solid service so the more rudimentary platings won't bother anyone.
While Raku will probably remain my go-to spot with foreign dignitaries (friends and family) and heads of state (my girlfriend), Ichiza is my new favorite gritty locale for out-of-this-world late-night grub.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
Ichiza, located about a mile East of Raku on the second floor of one of the many Asian strip-malls on Spring Mountain, does everything I've tried amazingly well. From the simple but tasty beef tataki to the miso marinated cod, the boiled tripe in a tasty broth to the chicken katsu, everything is cooked wonderfully and has flavors good enough to make this critic swear off French cuisine for good (don't worry, I had my fingers crossed). This place makes me extra happy because they have lightly breaded, deep fried smelt, a hard to find favorite of mine. I even tried their fermented soybeans. Definitely an acquired taste. The deep fried quail eggs garnered what has been my only complaint about their food thus far, with the plastic-like outer part on a couple of the whites (this happens whenever you over fry an egg) of the otherwise delicious eggs.
So where does the contrast with Raku come in? Certainly both do a bang-up job in the food department, but it comes down to one thing: Style. While Raku is warm and inviting in a more sedate and refined way, Ichiza welcomes you with communal tables, a long bar, upbeat music barely audible over the more raucous crowd, and an English speaking waitstaff. The platings at Ichiza cannot touch the delicate grace of those at Raku, but they don't really need to. Ichiza does everything right with the food and has dead solid service so the more rudimentary platings won't bother anyone.
While Raku will probably remain my go-to spot with foreign dignitaries (friends and family) and heads of state (my girlfriend), Ichiza is my new favorite gritty locale for out-of-this-world late-night grub.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
En Sushi and Robata Grill
Italian food here in Henderson is mediocre, Chinese is more of the same, Mexican tends to be just plain bad, French cuisine is not readily available, and the ubiquitous gaming bar/restaurant, well, we all know how that conversation goes. So that pretty much leaves one particular Mediterranean place, a few select Japanese, and one particular pizza place for me to eat at regularly. I just found what looks like it will become my favorite in the Japanese segment locally. En Sushi and Robata Grill just off Eastern on Anthem Village Drive has provided me with some of the better quality fish I've ever had and also throws in the "Robata" style grill which allows for smaller bites of grilled meats and veggies.
This is not the Henderson answer to Las Vegas' Raku. While it does offer some quality ingredients like homemade tofu, Kobe beef, and foie gras along with similar cooking styles, the menu is nowhere near the adventure you take at Raku. The grill selections are not the standouts that I wanted them to be at En, but they are tasty and certainly good enough considering it is the only thing like it in this part of the valley.
What this place does have, that Raku doesn't, is sushi; and that, for me, is a big plus. Especially with the quality of the sushi they put out here. The knife skills and composition on display reflect first-hand Japanese training rather than the second-rate second-hand training many "sushi chefs" receive here in the States. Or, at the very least, these men got much more out of their training than most I have sat in front of.
Each staff member individually speaks more english than the entirety of the staff at Raku, which is either a hit to En's authenticity or a huge benefit for those of us who don't speak Japanese. You choose. The service is friendly and accommodating and I hope this place lasts through the current economy with its not-so-good location. I'll do my part to keep it around.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
This is not the Henderson answer to Las Vegas' Raku. While it does offer some quality ingredients like homemade tofu, Kobe beef, and foie gras along with similar cooking styles, the menu is nowhere near the adventure you take at Raku. The grill selections are not the standouts that I wanted them to be at En, but they are tasty and certainly good enough considering it is the only thing like it in this part of the valley.
What this place does have, that Raku doesn't, is sushi; and that, for me, is a big plus. Especially with the quality of the sushi they put out here. The knife skills and composition on display reflect first-hand Japanese training rather than the second-rate second-hand training many "sushi chefs" receive here in the States. Or, at the very least, these men got much more out of their training than most I have sat in front of.
Each staff member individually speaks more english than the entirety of the staff at Raku, which is either a hit to En's authenticity or a huge benefit for those of us who don't speak Japanese. You choose. The service is friendly and accommodating and I hope this place lasts through the current economy with its not-so-good location. I'll do my part to keep it around.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Momo Sushi
Momo Sushi is a pretty good place for sushi. With atmosphere, staff, and fish better than many local sushi places, I'm glad Momo is ridiculously close (on Stephanie just south of Sunset Station in the Babies R Us Center) to my house. I've made numerous trips, and the fish is always fresh, and the speciality rolls are among the best I've had.
On my last visit I finally got some "regular" food. Their tempura is very good, and their teriyaki salmon is perfectly cooked with a more balanced teriyaki sauce than you usually see at this level. The miso soup and the salad were fairly typical and unexciting. But, I don't go to a sushi place for miso soup and salad. That's the good news here. The stuff that most people would come here for is solid, if not a cut above the norm.
I recommend looking at the specials on the wall behind the sushi bar, often there are rare items available for the more adventurous diner. I don't recommend speaking Japanese to the staff though, as most are not Japanese.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
On my last visit I finally got some "regular" food. Their tempura is very good, and their teriyaki salmon is perfectly cooked with a more balanced teriyaki sauce than you usually see at this level. The miso soup and the salad were fairly typical and unexciting. But, I don't go to a sushi place for miso soup and salad. That's the good news here. The stuff that most people would come here for is solid, if not a cut above the norm.
I recommend looking at the specials on the wall behind the sushi bar, often there are rare items available for the more adventurous diner. I don't recommend speaking Japanese to the staff though, as most are not Japanese.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Raku
I have known for some time that I needed to get to Raku, a small, dark Japanese restaurant in a forgotten mini-strip mall on the north side of Spring Mountain Road just past Decatur. I finally tried to get there a couple weeks ago, a disappointing event well chronicled in one of my previous posts. I finally got in the door last night.
Have you ever gone to a movie, show, or meal that you so badly wanted to be amazing, after hearing everyone rave about it, and had it live up to every last bit of praise you heard before and even surpass your own lofty expectations? For me there are Braveheart, Avenue Q, and now, Raku which all fit that mold.
I am by no means an expert on Japanese food or restaurants so I cannot say first hand that this is a truly authentic Japanese restaurant. I can, however, say that at one point during my visit there were ten guests in the restaurant and only three of us were not native Japanese speakers. Among the guests was the sushi chef who has probably made me more sushi than anyone else, and later, purported frequent Raku diner and praise-singer Chef Paul Bartolotta came in to partake.
I tried to order a good mix of the more "mundane" dishes and the more "bizarre" dishes. Among the "mundane" were a delicate house-made tofu, a nice-but-didn't-knock-my-socks-off oysters three ways, a perfectly grilled salmon served with roe, and a tasty grilled rice ball. The "bizarre" were Kobe beef liver sashimi which, not surprisingly, tasted like liver, a strange-to-me-although-not-really-that-strange dried tatami sardine salad, and a delightfully tender perfectly grilled Kurobota pork cheek.
This is a place that I could go to every day, and never tire of the food. The service is very friendly, although only one of the two servers understood at least half of what I said. Any previous complaints I had read about food taking too long have either been rectified, or those people are just too impatient.
Raku will probably survive in its current location because it is a destination kind of place where location can help but won't really hurt, but I need everyone to go there and tell them they need to move to the East side of town or at least open a second outlet there so I can get there more frequently.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
Have you ever gone to a movie, show, or meal that you so badly wanted to be amazing, after hearing everyone rave about it, and had it live up to every last bit of praise you heard before and even surpass your own lofty expectations? For me there are Braveheart, Avenue Q, and now, Raku which all fit that mold.
I am by no means an expert on Japanese food or restaurants so I cannot say first hand that this is a truly authentic Japanese restaurant. I can, however, say that at one point during my visit there were ten guests in the restaurant and only three of us were not native Japanese speakers. Among the guests was the sushi chef who has probably made me more sushi than anyone else, and later, purported frequent Raku diner and praise-singer Chef Paul Bartolotta came in to partake.
I tried to order a good mix of the more "mundane" dishes and the more "bizarre" dishes. Among the "mundane" were a delicate house-made tofu, a nice-but-didn't-knock-my-socks-off oysters three ways, a perfectly grilled salmon served with roe, and a tasty grilled rice ball. The "bizarre" were Kobe beef liver sashimi which, not surprisingly, tasted like liver, a strange-to-me-although-not-really-that-strange dried tatami sardine salad, and a delightfully tender perfectly grilled Kurobota pork cheek.
This is a place that I could go to every day, and never tire of the food. The service is very friendly, although only one of the two servers understood at least half of what I said. Any previous complaints I had read about food taking too long have either been rectified, or those people are just too impatient.
Raku will probably survive in its current location because it is a destination kind of place where location can help but won't really hurt, but I need everyone to go there and tell them they need to move to the East side of town or at least open a second outlet there so I can get there more frequently.
Brian William Waddell is a foodie, beer geek, and author. His numerous blog posts range from food to politics. He also has a book of poetry, Fractured Prose, available here, and is ready to publish his second poetic endeavor.
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