Sichuan Cuisine Coming To Its Own in Las Vegas

** Unassuming Chinese restaurant serving great Sichuan food. Try their Lamb Pot or one of their tasty noodle dishes.**

No longer can native Chinese poo-poo at Las Vegas and their lack of good authentic Chinese food. Sichuan food is coming to its own in our humble valley. In just the last year we've seen three great start ups: Yunnan Tasty Garden ( self-serve hot pot), the famous Chengdu Taste (sister store in Alhambra) and Yunnan Cuisine.  

The Sichuan food explosion, unfortunately, is not being talked about amongst critics. Which is a shame, because Sichuan food is the most exciting, dangerous, and tantalizing food in the world (maybe only second to Indian). It mixes spicy, bitter, numb, sweet and salty to create a flavor explosion in the mouth. And, sometimes, later on the toilet. :-)  Well, no pain, no gain, that's how I see it. 

Every wannabe-Jonathan-Gold fluky is going to flock to Chengdu Taste, while one little assuming restaurant is getting no press at all. And that is Yunnan Cuisine; a little mom and pop place off of Sahara, located in a small strip mall hidden behind a Chinese bank. But everyone should be flocking to it, because as Michael K points out in his review, they are doing the best version of Sichuan food in Las Vegas. 

Everything I've had here is good. Everything was balanced, perfectly seasoned, and not overpoweringly spicy, but not bland either. Some of my favorites were the STEAMED FISH WITH GREEN PEPPERS, delicate pieces of white fish (Tilapia or catfish?) in a delicate broth and topped with green peppers. The fish was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

I also enjoyed the LAMB POT, served hot pot style, but not immersed in soup as hot pot is. The lamb was tender and flavorful and the spices were just right, not too spicy or numbing. There were a good helping of vegetables underneath the flavorful lamb. 

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup that wasn't spicy

Their NOODLE DISHES are excellent too and fairly priced. I ordered their SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP, but there was a mix-up in the order and it came out zero spicy (I blame it on the gringo bf). However the zero spicy was delicious, with garlic (powder?) being the prominent flavor profile. 

Chongquin Noodle

Another dish we gobbled up was the CHONGQING NOODLE, a spicy, more-watery version of dan-dan mein. This dish was delicious, with lots of fragrant flavors such as chile, cilantro, mushroom, and chili oil, which complimented the flour noodles nicely. 

Fish Stock Soup

Lastly we got FISH STOCK SOUP, which was a rather large pot filled with tofu, fish and pickled greens. This was my least favorite dish even though it was very good. The soup base was slightly sour from the mustard greens. The fish was flaky and tender and the broth was great for sipping. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant and look forward to putting it into my rotation of regular places I eat. The prices are more than fair (especially with the groupon) and the decor is comfortable and unassuming. It's a winner all-around!

Vegas Burger Stop #2 - BurGR

**My favorite burger place in Las Vegas. Every burger I've tried has been fabulous. Fries and shake are awesome too.**

VEGAS BURGER STOP #2

Pub 1842 may be my favorite burger in town, but BurGR is my favorite burger place in town, simply put, everything here is OUTSTANDING! Not one bad thing on the menu.

Chanterelle Burger

Where do I start? So far I've tried four of the burgers and they've all hit it out of the park. My favorite is the FARM BURGER (duck breast + bacon + English sharp cheddar + fried egg). Delicious. I was hesitant at first because it was rare duck, but the duck breast comes out so tender and flavorful, it's the only way to eat it. Duck is so much better than beef or chicken.  
My second favorite is the CHANTERELLE BURGER (chanterelle mushrooms + arugula + figgy-onion jam).  t's one of the best mushroom burgers I've ever had, it is dripping with umami, 

I've also tried their American Burger burger and the Hell's Kitchen Burger burger and they were both great. I'm going to go on a limb and say that every burger here tastes fantastic. I can't wait to try them all.  

Truffle Parmesan Fries

Of course I have to rave about their thick cut fries. I'm in love with these fries, they're thick and they have a crisp outside and a nice soft inside. Chips (as they would call them in England) would be a better description than french fries, which are usually skinnier and more crispy. I had the Truffle Parmesan Fries, topped with Parmesan, truffle salt and truffle aioli and they were the best. A must have whenever I eat here.  

Shake #1

I've also tried their Shake #1 ( caramel pudding + chocolate shake+ toffee cookie). It was decadent and delicious. Great if you have a sweet tooth but it was a bit overkill for me, especially with the burger and fries.

Overall I was impressed with this place. Gordon Ramsey may be one mean, cranky bastard but he knows his burgers! Highly recommend!

Burger Stop #1: Pub 1842 @ the MGM Grand

 ** Gastropub in its purest form, Pub 1842 is a casual dining option serving up gourmet pub fare. Decent beer selection. Food was great but prices are inflated due to being inside the MGM hotel.**

1842 Burger served with side of fries

1842 Burger ($17): caramelized onions, mushrooms, truffle aioli. I don't know if my brain went into overload from all the tofu cakes I've been feeding it,  but damn, this was the best burger I've ever had. Bun was buttery, patty was juicy, plenty of mushrooms and onions. It was great. It was served with BBQ flavored fries, which I thought was overkill, next time I'll ask for fries without the BBQ seasoning. You need the fries to cut the salt and grease of the burger.  

Cross section of 1842 Burger

Brian got the DOUBLE SMOKED BACON ($18): smoked gouda, American cheese, lettuce, secret sauce, bacon & bacon. It was really greasy. It tasted good but it was not for me. The double bacon and double cheese was too much and the delicious patty got lost in all the grease. I can't imagine the salt content of this dish with the fries, yuck.

17.5 glass of Guinness cost $10. Ouch.

Overall, I really liked this place, it's a creative menu and my favorite burger in Las Vegas. I want to come back and try all their burgers, such as the Peanut Butter burger and their Korean Salmon burger. Being on the Strip makes it a drag for locals but it could be a convenient stop before a show.