Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens area
25 Monday Nov 2013
Posted Art & Architecture, Las Vegas
in25 Monday Nov 2013
Posted Art & Architecture, Las Vegas
in24 Sunday Nov 2013
Posted Eating and Drinking by city, Las Vegas, Lotus of Siam
inTags
11/9/2013
Egg Roll
Mixed vegetables and bean thread noodle wrapped in a rice paper crepe, served with homemade sweet and sour sauce
NAM KAO TOD
Crispy rice mixed with sour minced pork sausages, green onions, fresh chilies,
ginger, peanuts and lime juice
TOM KAH KAI
soup with shrimp and coconut milk, straw mushrooms, galanga,
lemon grass and a touch of lime juice
PAD THAI
Stir-fried thin rice noodles with eggs, green onions, bean sprouts and chopped peanuts
CRISPY MUSSEL OMELET
Fried Thai mussel omelet to crispy on top of sautéed bean sprout and green onion and served with spicy sweet sauce
NUA SAO RENU
Sliced charbroiled beef served on bed of sliced cabbages, topped with tamarind sauce and fried dry chilies
KHAO SOI BRAISED SHORT RIB
Northern Thai egg noodle served in curry sauce, coconut cream
and braised short rib, garnished with sliced red onions, lime and pickled vegetables
We have been to Lotus of Siam many times in the past and for the most part we were always satisfied with the quality and the service. I called a couple of days prior to our dinner to make a reservation and I was told that they were fully booked, but we could come and line up prior to their opening. We got there about 10 minutes before opening and there must have been about 30 people standing in the line. Luckily we got in and were seated in the new area of the restaurant. My twin nieces are vegetarian and ordered the Egg Roll and seemed to enjoy it. My brother told the waiter that the twins would like to share a veggie Pad Thai. They brought two plates of Pad Thai and we assumed they split an order for the twins, since the portion looked too small to be a full portion. The Pad Thai looked OK and the kids were too full and took one bite each.
Now to our selection. We started with NAM KAO TOD and loved the crispy rice with the pork, chilies, peanuts, ginger and the lime juice. It was very spicy, but I could eat ten plates of this. My brother loves the TOM KAH KAI soup and always orders it. Since I don’t eat poultry I told him let’s get it with the shrimp. It was a flavorful soup but I don’t know if it was worth the $16.50 we were charged. Since we always get the same thing I decided we should try a couple of new items. The first one was the CRISPY MUSSEL OMELET. I liked the crispy part, but we didn’t care for the soft slimy part as my brother called it. The Mussels were an Ok quality and we only ate less than half of the omelet. I guess this was not a dish for us. Next was our usual NUA SAO RENU that was sliced charbroiled beef served on bed of sliced cabbages, topped with tamarind sauce and fried dry chilies. We always loved this dish because of the tamarind sauce and usually the beef was more tender. This time not so much. Our last dish was another new item and thankfully it did not disappoint. KHAO SOI BRAISED SHORT RIB was Northern Thai egg noodle served in curry sauce, coconut cream and braised short rib, garnished with sliced red onions, lime and pickled vegetables. By this time we were really full, but we each took a bite and enjoyed this flavorful dish. When we received our bill I noticed they charged us for two Pad Thai’s and even though my brother didn’t want to mention it, I told the wait staff that we only ordered one. They charged $8.95 for an unappetizing plate of noodles and a few charred tofu. After a while the waiter returned and informed us since we received two plates of Pad Thai we had to pay for it. I was amazed at their customer service. That dish didn’t cost them more than a dollar and at no time they apologized for their mistake. On top of that our party of five was charged 18% for their great service. So I guess we are done with this place. Dining is not just about food, service is a big part of it. As we left we saw all this people waiting outside to get in. Good luck to every one. There is much better places to discover.
22 Friday Nov 2013
Posted Art & Architecture, Las Vegas
in
Pipe Dream by Tim Bavington
Donald W. Reynolds by William Behrends
Steps of Faith by Miguel Rodriguez
Creative Artist Jennifer Main; Sculpture Artist Miguel Rodriguez
Artist – Albert Paley
Mayor Oscar B. Goodman by Benjamin Victor
Fred W. and Mary B. Smith by William Behrends
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts features outdoor and indoor sculptures, as well as other works of art throughout its 5-acre campus. We were really impressed with this place and can’t wait to explore it more on the future visits.
21 Thursday Nov 2013
11/9/2013
Passion Fruit and Dark Chocolate
Art of Flavors is a partnership between Felix Arellano, the owner of Viva Las Arepas next door, and Desyree Alberganti, a former pastry chef at Valentino. I had heard so much about this place and the expectations were high. Thankfully we were not disappointed. Most gelato shops use mostly sugar, paste and not much else. In this place they were not shy with their bold flavors. The Hazelnut was the best I have ever tried. My brother liked his Pera e Gorgonzola and Pistachio. My selection of Passion Fruit was really intense and tart and the Dark Chocolate was very bitter. Great place and we can’t wait to return for Christmas.
20 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted Balboa Island, Pictures by City
in18 Monday Nov 2013
Posted Eating and Drinking by city, Orange, Smokey Fred's BBQ
in11/3/2013
The BBQ master
Brisket
Rib Tips
Smokey Fred’s BBQ is a one man’s operation in the city of Orange and because of that you might have to wait a little bit, but it is worth it. We loved the Rib Tips. It had a great smoky flavor and was very delicious. Brisket on the other hand was a little fatty as you can see in the picture but it was very tender. Next time we will try the pulled pork. We finally have some delicious BBQ in OC.
14 Thursday Nov 2013
Posted Costa Mesa, Eating and Drinking by city, Marché Moderne
inTags
11/2/2013
Dungeness Crab
Mint, Thai basil, Tomato-lemon zest gelée, Cayenne-tomato mousseline, Avocado and pickled julienne vegetables
Roasted Spanish Octopus
Saffron emulsion, Celery, Potatoes, Shaved Chorizo, jus de Citron and Huile d’olive
Ahi Tuna Banh Mi
Lime mayo, Vietnamese mousseline, charred Padron Pepper, Daikon Radish, Pickled Carrot, Maui Onions Fresh Thai Basil, Cilantro, mint
We have been to Marché Moderne many times before through out the years. They used to have a nice Prix Fixe lunch deal, but as the years passed, the portions got smaller and the quality went down. Last time we had their lunch deal it was such a unpleasant experience that I swore I would never try it again.
I noticed their lunch prices have really gone up and they charge as much as some nice lunch spots in NYC like NoMad. Their appetizer section sounded more interesting than the main section. I had the very refreshing Dungeness Crab salad that came with Mint, Thai basil, Tomato-lemon zest gelée, Cayenne-tomato mousseline, Avocado and pickled julienne vegetables. It was a satisfying salad and had a nice balance between the crunchy veggies, soft crab and the gelée. My husband’s Roasted Spanish Octopus was very tasty and it came with Saffron emulsion, Celery, Potatoes, shaved Chorizo, jus de Citron and huile d’olive. The Octopus was very tender and flavorful. The chorizo added a nice spice to the dish and the potato and the saffron emulsion completed the dish. So far we were happy. Unfortunately our last dish was a letdown. We wanted a little something to snack on so we decided to give their Ahi tuna Banh Mi a try and at $16, it was a total failure. The baguette was very pale and lacked any flavor. The rest of the sandwich was very bland and the potato chips that came with it was salty. Skip this dish and stick to their flavorful appetizers.
13 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted Home cooking pictures
in07 Thursday Nov 2013
Posted Home cooking pictures
inTags
Sausage, Fennel and Spinach Lasagna
In order to enjoy Lasagna and not spike your blood sugar so much, I add lot’s of veggies to the sauce. In this dish I used Carrots, Fennel, Celery, Garlic, Pepper and Spinach. I usually add Mushrooms but I didn’t have any. All this veggies and Hot Italian Sausage are recipe for a delicious lighter Lasagna. I use Buffalo Mozz and Parmigiano Reggiano because I find Ricotta too bland. Buon Appetito!
06 Wednesday Nov 2013
10/26/2013
Chocolate Hazelnut Grand Marnier Cake
It was a tasty cake, but because of the hazelnuts not as moist
Pear and Blueberry Galette
It was fine, but a little boring
We got there around 1:00 p.m. and were surprised at their very limited selection. After talking to staff, they told us they had a big crowd earlier and almost everything was sold out.