In the age of social media, the phrase “you eat with your eyes first” has never been truer. The more engaging and interactive the dish, the more love it receives on Instagram. Don’t you agree? You’ll be happy to know that Las Vegas is home to some of the most over-the-top dishes and drinks around. Take a culinary tour and hear from the creators behind some of the city’s most Instagrammable menu items.
Larger Than Life French Toast
Photo Credit: Kevin McCullough
Do brunch differently at Bardot Brasserie at Aria Resort & Casino. On the brunch menu of this highly-acclaimed French restaurant, you’ll find items like pastrami cured salmon, Nutella sticky bun, foie gras parfait and Maine lobster, but nothing beats the oversized brioche French toast with vanilla mascarpone, almond brittle and orgeat syrup, which looks and tastes good. “The French Toast happened totally by accident,” said Executive Chef Josh Smith “I told our pastry chef to cut the bread into three-centimeter slices and when I came back the next morning, three-inch slices were drying out. It was too late to go back, so we cooked them this way and the rest is history.” For an extra level of decadence, guests can add foie gras to the dish. “This dish is consistently our top selling item at brunch. Sometimes mistakes can be a good thing, especially in the kitchen.”
Art Imitates Life
Photo Credit: MGM Resorts International
Spago by Wolfgang Puck at Bellagio delights with innovative menu items such as the Spiked Lemon. Resembling a gold-dusted lemon, the gluten-free dessert is made with light and airy chiffon cake, Japanese yuzu cream and citrus mousse. “The Spiked Lemon is an intricate dessert and took me a few weeks and a few tastings to perfect,” said Bellagio Assistant Executive Pastry Chef Romain Cornu. “The dish was inspired by nature and the artistry of Spago’s menu and is by far the best selling dessert at the restaurant.” The Calamansi gel inside the cake is very sour and cuts the sweetness of the white chocolate mousse and the yuzu curd. The rich flavor of the cacao butter and chocolate gives it great texture and a delicious combination of flavors. “The Spiked Lemon is my signature dish and I’m very proud of what I created.”
A Cocktail Explosion for Four
Photo Credit: MGM Resorts International
Impress your Instagram followers with the Demarara Dry Float Explosion, a colorful cocktail topped with bird figures and fresh berries, available exclusively at NoMad Bar at NoMad Las Vegas. It’s so big that it’s the perfect cocktail for four guests to sip on. “The Demerara Dry Float is our take on a classic Don the Beach Comber cocktail of the same name,” said Leo Robitschek, bar director for NoMad Bar. According to Robitschek, it’s a tiki cocktail that uses a blend of rums, maraschino liqueur, lime and passion fruit, served in a signature cocktail explosion vessel. “We wanted to bring the fun and whimsical nature of tiki with the communal and social nature of a large-format cocktail,” he added.
Spicy Seafood Spectacular
Photo Credit: Audrey Ma
Best Friend by Roy Choi at Park MGM serves up the eye-catching Lobster Kung Pao— a spicy seafood spectacular. The centerpiece of the dish is a deep-fried lobster shell adorned with large morsels of juicy Maine Lobster, peanuts, chilis, and greens. “When designing the dish, we didn’t just want to do your typical lobster dish, we went through quite a few renditions before settling on its current form,” said Executive Chef Diego Echavarria. “Many changes were made based on flavor, presentation and consumption for the guest.” Chef Echavarria says the dish encompasses Vegas. “You have a decadent ingredient paired with an in-your-face flavor that you didn’t know you wanted, but leaves you wanting more.”
Foie Gras and Truffle Stuffed Chicken
Photo Credit: Dylan Jeni
For a dish as decadent as it is beautiful, look no further than the Roast Chicken from NoMad Restaurant—a mixture of foie gras, black truffle and brioche is stuffed beneath the skin, keeping the breast meat exceptionally juicy and flavorful while it roasts to a picture-perfect golden brown. The bird is presented with a bouquet of fresh herbs before being carved and served—white meat elegantly presented with brioche stuffing and skin; and dark meat with mushrooms, shallots and vin jaune hollandaise. “Here in Las Vegas, we’ve adapted it to be a family-style dish,” said Executive Chef Mike Rellergert. “We stuff the legs and serve it for the table in a cast-iron dish, compared to the New York iteration, where the breast is served on a composed plate and is accompanied by a dark meat fricassee. It’s a more theatrical presentation here in Las Vegas, which fits the energy of the Las Vegas Strip.”
Haute Cuisine
November 13, 2019Gucci Osteria Da Massimo Bottura Receives First Michelin Star
