First Look at Chizu

March 18, 2015 by 1 Comment

As a cheese lover / cheese addict, when Chizu, the west side new outpost of acclaimed cheesemonger Steve Cheese Jones opened, of course I had to be there on their first day. Ok, maybe his name is only Steve Jones – but in Portland every restaurant with a Steve’s Cheese Plate is from this one and only Steve. This location of Chizu at 1126 SW Alder Street is just right next door to Multnomah Whiskey Library. Unlike MWL which only has a door leading down a hallway to it’s whiskey library enclosed atmosphere, Chizu has huge tall windows up front and you can see the whole dining space.
Chizu at at 1126 SW Alder Street is right next door to Multnomah Whiskey Library Chizu has tall bright windows that let in a lot of light into the space, and there is a 6 top right by the window, the only official table in the place when I visited. The rest are all cheese bar seats

The dining area consists of one 6-top table by the front (the only official table and chair seating in the place) and then 12 seats at the cheese bar on high chairs. The space is tiny, 450 square feet, very intimate but not stuffy thanks to the 2 story height.

The seats at the cheese bar gives you only a narrow counter space for your table, but is also where you can also gaze at the beautiful wood and the cases of cheese, arranged like they were art pieces inside their glass enclosures. I did notice on one side of the wall there is a very small counter if needed for standing room but doesn’t seem like it could hold more than a beverage glass and maybe cocktail napkin with a wedge of cheese on it.
Chizu has tall bright windows that let in a lot of light into the space, and there is a 6 top right by the window, the only official table in the place when I visited. The rest are all cheese bar seats Chizu has tall bright windows that let in a lot of light into the space, and there is a 6 top right by the window, the only official table in the place when I visited. The rest are all cheese bar seats Chizu has tall bright windows that let in a lot of light into the space, and there is a 6 top right by the window, the only official table in the place when I visited. The rest are all cheese bar seats Whimsical Art hanging on the wall of Chizu in Portland

Chizu means cheese in Japanese. The concept of Chizu Bar is Japanese inspired, similar to that of a sushi/sashimi bar where you select your cheese a la carte on a paper card, or for your chosen price let yourself at the mercy of the cheese person for a cheese omakase, chef’s choice.
At Chizu, you can gaze at the artfully arranged cheeses in the cases at the cheese bar and order whatever cheese you'd like a la carte similar to sushi and sashimi At Chizu, you can gaze at the artfully arranged cheeses in the cases at the cheese bar and order whatever cheese you'd like a la carte similar to sushi and sashimi

You can also match your cheeses with wine, apertif/digestif, non-alcoholic beverages, beer or cider or sake that Steve has carefully curated to a list of half a dozen for the wines or beer, only a handful for the others. Meanwhile the cheese selections number 30, which Steve is planning to rotate every  month. Each cheese, besides its origin and type, also includes a few helpful adjectives to evoke a general idea of the cheese’s personality.
At Chizu, you can gaze at the artfully arranged cheeses in the cases at the cheese bar and order whatever cheese you'd like a la carte similar to sushi and sashimi

Examples: from the cheeses my friend and I ordered during our visit on that first day: my favorite on her plate was the Veigadarte
A cheese board at Chizu that includes Veigadarte, a goat cheese from Spain; Beaufort D'été, a raw cow cheese from France; Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk cow cheese from California

  • Veigadarte, a goat cheese from Spain: Fluffy Cheesecake, Lemon, Pepper
  • Beaufort D’été, a raw cow cheese from France: Floral, Buttery, Hazelnuts, Cream
  • Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk cow cheese from California: Decadent, Pungent, Bacon Fat

A cheese board at Chizu that includes Veigadarte, a goat cheese from Spain; Beaufort D'été, a raw cow cheese from France; Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk cow cheese from California

And here, my cheese selection that day. I really loved all three.
A cheese board at Chizu that includes Mountain Lodge's Wonderland, a raw goat cheese from Washington; Sternschnuppe, a raw cow's cheese from Germany; Westfield's Capri Classic Blue Log, a goat cheese from Massachusetts

  • Mountain Lodge’s Wonderland, a raw goat cheese from Washington: Pleasantly Goaty, Rustic, Apple Skin
  • Sternschnuppe, a raw cow’s cheese from Germany: Tonkotsu Ramen, Nutmeg, Seeded Bread
  • Westfield’s Capri Classic Blue Log, a goat cheese from Massachusetts: Fresh, Lactic, Egg Yolk

A cheese board at Chizu that includes Mountain Lodge's Wonderland, a raw goat cheese from Washington; Sternschnuppe, a raw cow's cheese from Germany; Westfield's Capri Classic Blue Log, a goat cheese from Massachusetts

There are no hot dishes, all the cheese is pure uncooked form. But there are a few other accompaniments such as demi-baguette slices, pickles, hazelnut wasabi nuts, and charcuterie or this amazing Duck Board with smoked duck breast, duck salami and ginger pickles.
Duck Board with smoked duck breast, duck salami and ginger pickles at Steve's new cheese mecca on the West side, Chizu

Certainly, in putting together a cheese board of 3-4 one ounce servings of cheeses, you can probably expect to be paying about $4-5 for each cheese on the board, and then additional for a little bread or maybe some other accompaniment, which adds up to close to $20 without counting a drink yet. And this can’t be described as a filling dinner. This is a place for starters or a just a bite to eat, not a meal.

However, it must be noted that the selection of cheeses here is really impressive, with many cheeses that are carefully procured from all over the US or the world and that you won’t see possibly anywhere else in Portland. If you want to really pick out some artisan cheeses, this is the place for you. The room is small but will probably turning over quickly since it’s just a snack.
At Chizu, you can gaze at the artfully arranged cheeses in the cases at the cheese bar and order whatever cheese you'd like a la carte similar to sushi and sashimi

Since this was only their opening day, I don’t know what will happen yet for Chizu. Even with the rotating cheeses every month, I worry whether there’s enough fellow cheese lovers in Portland to keep Chizu consistently supported since it’s just cheese in its pure form, cut from the wheel to you to pop on your mouth. The space is too small for them to do retail, so it’s for tasting cheese only right now. I hope he gets a list of cheeses in rotation online as seeing certain cheeses would draw me in… Man I hope burrata makes it in.

In the future I wonder if Steve might entertain doing special cheese pairing events (similar to the progression I love to experience every year at the Beer and Cheese Festival I have covered multiple times in 2014, 2013, 2012…) but with the advantage of being seated. Or, maybe a cheese journey or cheese class where he crafts the progression for us along with telling tales from the cheese makers, all in a small special omakase night experience. But I’m projecting here, and I’m curious to see where Chizu where go. Steve is understandably a bit busy as not only has he just opened Chizu, but the Cheese Bar 2/Cheese Bar Annex will be the food service in the space within The Commons Brewery that is opening in a few week.  So maybe when both finally have their doors open we can start to see more what the cheese empire of Steve is going to expand with.

Are you a cheese addict like me? What are your favorite kinds of cheeses? I love very buttery cheeses, aged cheeses that might even crystalline crunch to them, cheeses that have gotten extra special flavorings added such as a rub in rosemary or espresso or beer, added cumin, have been smoked… or cheeses that are very fresh so I feel like I might have just eaten it out of the cheesemaker’s kitchen and it was made just earlier that day (like Ladysmith. Burrata. Only one day or two old homemade ricotta never kept in plastic). Have you been to Steve’s Cheese Bar?

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Drinking from a Skull at Rx Boiler Room, Las Vegas

March 17, 2015 by 8 Comments

Sadly, this post ends my Las Vegas travel post series from my last trip to Las Vegas. I sure did do a lot in my long weekend visit, and I would love to return to eat and drink and see more! But, time was limited, and so I will just have to put the rest on my Las Vegas wishlist for the future.

There is one more highlight I wanted to share before I’m done. I had mentioned previously we were staying by Mandalay Bay, and so very conveniently located to us was a restaurant which really looked different from anything else I had seen on the strip. This was Rx Boiler Room, a concept by celebrity chef Rick Moonen that combines the alchemy of food and drink and classic food meets creative science.

Part of the biggest draw for us to go to Rx Boiler Room is that the space is all Steampunk inspired. Steampunk, if you are not familiar, is a sub-genre of science fiction and fantasy combined where rather than computer chips, steam and gears and electricity are the main power behind technology. The aesthetic is a combination of the Wild West and Victorian Age, of both industrial art and functionality rolled into one.

I am utterly shocked there is a not a steampunk restaurant in Portland honestly, since I know PDX does have its steampunk stores, steampunk festivals and balls and conventions, and steampunk social groups. That has left my only experience to be movies like what is hinted with the devices in the recent Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Junior,  and Will Smith’s Wild Wild West movie (the latter was playing on one of the TVs inside Rx Boiler Room during my visit), Full Metal Alchemist anime, and two of my favorite videogames, Final Fantasy 6 & 7 and Bioshock series. I feel the geek in me peeking out here.

Well, Vegas let me venture into that steampunk world at least for a little bit in real life. Here’s a look at the atmosphere. The last two shots share the alchemist circle on the floor as you walk into the restaurant, and some of the chalk drawings on that same ceiling.
Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas - on the floor as you enter Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas - on the celing as you enter

After oohing and ahhing over the details of the decor, it was time to eat and drink. The eats are on a normal printed menu, but all the beverages are on a tablet.

For appetizers, we started off with a Rx Guacamole with Big Ass Chips, Chicken pot pie nuggets with natural jus with peas and carrots, and my favorite, the Bacon wrapped Bacon and Egg with brioche toast, tomato jam, and sunny side up quail egg.
Chicken pot pie nuggets with natural jus with peas and carrots at the Rx Boiler Room Chicken pot pie nuggets with natural jus with peas and carrots at the Rx Boiler Room Rx Guacamole with Big Ass Chips at Rx Boiler Room in Las Vegas Rx Boiler Room in Las Vegas, Bacon wrapped Bacon and Egg with brioche toast, tomato jam, and sunny side up quail egg

For a main, the standout was the Inside out French Onion Grilled Cheese. The Mac and Cheese x 5 with pinwheel pasta and blue, parmesan, brie, cheddar and blanc cheese was decent but I didn’t think anything special, and for me the Smoked salmon under glass with sea beans, bagel chips, and chive cream cheese was too salty in terms of how many sea beans they put in the dish, though the presentation was cool with them lifting a glass cover to let out the smoke.
Inside out French Onion Grilled Cheese from the Rx Boiler Room

 

The best best part? The drinks. For instance, you can’t beat the presentation of this Smoked Whiskey and Coke which pours out of a crystal skull with George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey, housemade cola syrup, bittercube cherrybark vanilla bitters, Fever Tree soda water and smoked cherrywood chips. The skull makes enough drinks for 2 – which you can share or just have 2 drinks, heh.

In terms of flavor though, the winner at our visit was the Poire Drakkar with Hennesy Black, Pimms #1 liqueur, curry-pear shrub, honey shrup, lemon juice, baked apple bitters, black walnut bitters, and black pepper. This savory drink with its complex layers of flavor was very unusual to give that curry flavor in the background with the sip. For something more refreshing rather than savory, try the Strawberry Switchblade with Belvedere Vodka, lemon/lime juice, strawberries, cucumber medallions, mint, goji berries, benedictine, bitermens, burlesque bitters, thyme syrup
Libation from the Rx Boiler Room of the Smoked Whiskey and Coke which comes in a crystal skull with George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey, housemade cola syrup, bittercube cherrybark vanilla bitters, Fever Tree soda water and smoked cherrywood chips Rx Boiler room libation of Poire Drakkar with Hennesy Black, Pimms #1 liqueur, curry-pear shrub, honey shrup, lemon juice, baked apple bitters, black walnut bitters, and black pepper. Fave drink with its complex layers of flavor of the night Rx Boiler room libation of Strawberry Switchblade with Belvedere Vodka, lemon/lime juice, strawberries, cucumber medallions, mint, goji berries, benedictine, bitermens, burlesque bitters, thyme syrup

Do you know anything about Steampunk, what do you think of the decor and the interesting take on food and drink here at Rx Boiler Room?

My Guide to the Free and the Food on the Las Vegas Strip

  • Las Vegas Hotels at the South End of Strip: Mandalay Bay, Delano, Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, and MGM Grand and what each offers in terms of feel
  • A look at some of the breakfast options at Della’s Kitchen in the Delano, including juice, Doughssant, bacon cheddar biscuits, and Pecan Raisin French Toast
  • Take a little trip to Europe with the offerings and recommendations for free stops in the Middle of the Las Vegas Strip like Paris, Caesar’s, and the Bellagio properties. Did I mention they are all free, and include the World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain?
  • Photos recapping my lunch at Giada Las Vegas inside the Cromwell, including the G signature cocktail, flatbread with pesto, burrata, grilled cheese, gelato
  • Art Walking Tour at The Shops at Crystals and Aria, Las Vegas, including Gallery Row with Richard MacDonald and Dale Chihuly to the various art in Crystals and Aria
  • The garnishes of the Bloody Marys at Todd English PUB in Las Vegas are outrageous, ranging from bacon, onions rings, sliders and corn dogs to chicken wing
  • My tour of The Wynn in Las Vegas, including details on The Lake of Dreams, Parasol Down, the Conservatory, Jeff Koons sculptures, and Le Reve The Dream show
  • Lunch at Beijing Noodle No 9, Caesar’s Las Vegas of Shanghai Wave cocktail, Sichuan Dan Dan Mein Spring Noodles, Shanghai Soup Dumplings, and Lamb Pancakes
  • A Steampunk restaurant of Rx Boiler Room by Mandalay Bay brings an opportunity for a cocktail from a crystal skull
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Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market

March 13, 2015 by 10 Comments

I covered in a previous post what Portland Dining month / March 2015 is and a few highlights from the amazing list of more than 100 restaurants in the Portland area offering the $29 3 course special. Today, I’m going to share my second Portland Dining Month 2015 meal. My first dinner was at Aviary, which I covered previously.

Laurelhurst Market is located in the Alberta District at 3155 E. Burnside in Southeast Portland and specializes as both a butcher shop and steakhouse-inspired restaurant that highlights meat and celebrates being a carnivore.
Laurelhurst Market in Portland Laurelhurst Market in Portland Laurelhurst Market in Portland Laurelhurst Market in Portland

Now without further ado, my Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market dinner photo recap.
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market menu and suggested beverages

First course

Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 first course of Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 first course of Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula

Second course

Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus.

As you would expect me, this dish is oh so tender and hearty and meaty. It’s a pretty representative Laurelhurst meat entree in which despite the addition of a single potato pancake, sides are extra. 

Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 second course of Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 second course of Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus

Third course

Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 third course of Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 third course of Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle
This dessert was the only miss for me with the 3 courses, as it was more anise-y then I like. I recommend a dessert beverage to balance it out.

Other

You should not go to Laurelhurst Market without for the love of all, getting the Smoke Signals cocktail. This is a famous cocktail of with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, and to top it all off, Smoked Ice. The smoky nutty whiskey drink is a must.
The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice

On the Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month menu, there was a suggested Portland Dining Month cocktail of the Salt & Pepper with Gin, Grapefruit, Lime, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar and Salt Rim. It was prettier than I imagined!
Laurelhurst Market suggested Portland Dining Month cocktail of the Salt & Pepper with Gin, Grapefruit, Lime, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar and Salt Rim

Did you know that there is an outdoor patio area right by the bar side of Laurelhurst Market? I didn’t – until I visited on a day where we were enjoying 70 degree weather and so the sunshine and light breeze and a cocktail were perfect. You can even see Kevin Ludwig to the right of the photo as he prepares to concoct the cocktail Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth
Bar at Laurelhurst Market opens up to a patio area. You can also see Bar Tender Kevin Ludwig to the right Laurelhurst Market specialty cocktail courtesy of Kevin Ludwig of the Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth Laurelhurst Market specialty cocktail courtesy of Kevin Ludwig of the Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth Laurelhurst Market specialty cocktail courtesy of Kevin Ludwig of the Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth

After the strong drink of the Pine Tar Incident, I really needed this additional order of this To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil. It is also useful for swabbing up any extra beef jus or aioli from the first two courses.
Laurelhurst Market To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil Laurelhurst Market To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil

Thanks G for being my date for this dinner.

What about you? What’s on your list from the Portland Dining Month website for the month of March, or where have you already dined and enjoyed?

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Portland Dining Month 2015 Aviary

March 11, 2015 by 16 Comments

I covered in a previous post what Portland Dining month / March 2015 is and a few highlights from the amazing list of more than 100 restaurants in the Portland area offering the $29 3 course special. Today, I’m going to share my first Portland Dining Month 2015 meal, which was at Aviary. Aviary is located in the Alberta District at 1733 NE Alberta Street and offers eclectic Northwest ingredients combined with Asian flavors fusion food.

This was not my first time at Aviary – but during dinner service (the only meal they serve), the restaurant has really dim romantic lighting which doesn’t do well with my regular camera-phone photos. This time though, I brought my backup camera so was able to absorb a little bit more light through the lens. Although there are no vegetarian options on the Portland Dining menu, the regular Aviary menu has almost half a dozen options to choose from.

You can make reservations online at OpenTable, and this is recommended because I’ve heard of others dropping in and them being full!

Now without further ado, my Portland Dining Month 2015 Aviary menu selections, with my choice being in the bold.

First, the complimentary bread service at Aviary is wonderful as instead of just bread with butter, they offered a bagna cauda (butter, garlic, anchovies) for dipping the bread. Obviously because this has anchovies it’s not vegetarian so if that’s important to you, you’ll have to pass on the dip. One of the two breads on the plate was an olive bread.
complimentary bread service at Aviary is wonderful as instead of just bread with butter, they offered a bagna cauda (butter, garlic, anchovies) for dipping the bread. Obviously because this has anchovies it's not vegetarian so if that's important to you, you'll have to pass on the dip. One of the two breads on the plate was an olive bread.

First course (choose one)

Dungeness crab chawanmushi with bone marrow, sea urchin, Asian pear, snap peas and truffle vinaigrette
-OR-
Warm vegetable salad with romanesco, pumpkin, Brussels sprouts, lime-pickle vinaigrette and black garlic
Aviary first course of Dungeness crab chawanmushi with bone marrow, sea urchin, Asian pear, snap peas and truffle vinaigrette for Portland Dining Month 2015 Aviary first course of Dungeness crab chawanmushi with bone marrow, sea urchin, Asian pear, snap peas and truffle vinaigrette for Portland Dining Month 2015
Seriously, this dish alone is worth a visit. I was sitting at the Chef’s Counter facing the open kitchen and man, chef Sarah Pliner was a BOSS whipping these out with somehow being able to pick up bowls of the chawanmushi from the steamy water pan just with tongs, and then flame on with a fiery torch. My favorite course.

Second course (choose one)

Miso braised beef short rib with taro root, yuzukoshō slaw, and shitake mushroom
-OR-
Pan-seared salmon with cauliflower, saffron, green apple, trout roe and American caviar
Aviary first course of Miso braised beef short rib with taro root, yuzukoshō slaw, and shitake mushroom for Portland Dining Month 2015

Third course (choose one)

Brown Butter Cake with whipped ricotta and rhubarb and basil Note this is different than what is listed on the Portland Dining Month website which listed a strudel, but I think the brown butter cake is even better.
-OR-
Chocolate budino with butterscotch ice cream and sour cherry
Aviary third course of Brown Butter Cake with whipped ricotta and rhubarb and basil for Portland Dining Month 2015 Aviary third course of Brown Butter Cake with whipped ricotta and rhubarb and basil for Portland Dining Month 2015

Extras

Since I was passing on the salad, I thought I might need a little bit more vegetable. And it’s March = St Patrick’s is this month. So I rationalized the Aviary cocktail of the Canicule with Bombay Sapphire East Gin, Ransom Dry Vermouth, Sauvignon Blanc, Pineapple Shrub, Cilantro, and Jalapeno. Because it’s green. It’s not a spicy drink, despite the presence of jalapeno somewhere – it was much more on the cilantro side. If you like cilantro, this is the drink for you. I didn’t know it at the time I ordered it, but this was the cocktail highlighted by Portland Monthly in their Best Bars 2014 article and most recently in their list of The 10 Most Interesting Cocktails in PDX Right Now in their March 2015 issue!
Aviary cocktail of the Canicule with Bombay Sapphire East Gin, Ransom Dry Vermouth, Sauvignon Blanc, Pineapple Shrub, Cilantro, Jalapeno

Also you must order this Crispy Pig Ear with coconut rice, chinese sausage, and avocado. I was dining alone because veggie F is not too keen on the idea of pig ear (and I knew dining alone pretty much guaranteed a seat at the Chef’s Counter – I and several other ladies dining alone or in twos chatted a bit). So ordering this, I knew this meant I would have leftovers, because the 3 courses are already more than enough for dinner.  But I’ve taken back this dish more than once and I love having it as a leftover the next day, even though the crispyness of the dish of will be gone (I nibble on as much of the crispyness as possible at the restaurant). I always get this dish,  it is one of the Aviary signature dishes and I urge you to get it too.
Aviary dish of Crispy Pig Ear with coconut rice, chinese sausage, avocado

Aviary on Urbanspoon

Next on my Portland Dining Month list is Laurelhurst Market, which I’ll share on Friday!

Where have you dined or are planning to dine this month for Portland Dining Month? 

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Northern Chinese lunch at Beijing Noodle No 9, Caesars Las Vegas

March 10, 2015 by 7 Comments

Once in a while I just get a craving, and on Sunday I didn’t want to deal with brunch madness – I wanted dim sum. Specifically some of the hand pulled noodles that I had seen walking around the previous day at Caesar’s Palace. So it came to be I went for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Beijing Noodle No. 9.

I was pleased that there was no wait at all when I arrived. The entrance of Beijing Noodle No. 9 includes a little hallway full of tanks of goldfish. Don’t worry, those goldfish are all for show, not for eating.  The entrance also has a small bar area where you can watch the hand pulled noodles being made and pulled.

Time for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. The entrance includes a little hallway full of tanks of goldfish (they are all for show, not for eating!) Time for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. The entrance includes a little hallway full of tanks of goldfish (they are all for show, not for eating!) Time for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. The entrance includes a small bar where you can watch the hand pulled noodles being made and pulled Time for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. The entrance includes a little hallway full of tanks of goldfish (they are all for show, not for eating!)

There’s just something so baller walking down that corridor of goldfish, where you then enter into the main area of the restaurant. The interior here is all white flowery swirls like you are on the inside of a white paper cut art piece and in a fish bowl yourself at the same time.
Time for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. The inside is full of these white flowery swirls essentially from floor to ceiling like the cellophone wrap of a bouquet was all around me Time for some Northern Chinese on Sunday lunch at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. The inside is full of these white flowery swirls essentially from floor to ceiling like the cellophone wrap of a bouquet was all around me

I started off with a cocktail because I’m in Vegas and after the bloody marys at Todd English PUB the day before I needed a break from my standard breakfast/brunch drink. So I went with the Shanghai Wave cocktail, which was probably one of the best things I had here at this restaurant.
Shanghai Wave cocktail at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9.

The first thing to come out was the Sichuan Dan Dan Mein with Spring Noodle. Every time I got a little bit of the meat I got a little pop of flavor, but there wasn’t a lot of that meat go go around. All the ground meat is right there in the picture on tip- the rest was just noodles plopped in the bowl.

I still believe the noodles were freshly made that day  given the man in the window at the entrance pulling noodles.

But these noodles were too soft and overcooked. Maybe I should have sat in front of the noodle man.
Sichuan Dan Dan Mein with Spring Noodle, at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9 Sichuan Dan Dan Mein with Spring Noodle, at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9 Sichuan Dan Dan Mein with Spring Noodle, at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9

The Shanghai soup dumplings were adequate, but not outstanding. If you don’t know, the way to eat these is with your chopstick to hold it gently and rock it back and forth until it comes off the steamed paper/bamboo so that you don’t break the soup out of those dumplings until they are in your mouth.

I suppose the version I got here really do taste like something you might get in the streets from a vendor… but not the vendor that has a line of people backed up for their dumplings. The dumplings needed more seasoning inside, in my opinion – it shouldn’t need sauce.
Shanghai Soup Dumplings at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. Shanghai Soup Dumplings at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9. Shanghai Soup Dumplings at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9.

It turns out the best thing I ate was this dish of Lamb Pancakes that had moist flavorful lamb inside and a crisped up skin on the outside pancake. I was warned that they make this fresh so it might take 20 minutes until the dish came, but I thought it was worth the wait. The flavors here were what I was expecting, given my previous visits to Beijing before.
Shanghai Soup Dumplings at Caesar's Palace at Beijing Noodle No. 9.

With other restaurants of the calibur of Rao’s and Guy Savoy and Nobu and Bobby Flay’s Nobu Grill, it’s a shame that this restaurant is so average. Clearly, I should have gone to Chinatown (just a mile away from the strip), and followed the advice of blogger friend Meagan that she shared in her own Las Vegas guide

I don’t usually write this kind of review as I like to give the benefit of the doubt with another try, but in a tourist city and directly on the Las Vegas Strip like Beijing Noodle No 9 is, you don’t want to waste your limited vacation time and dollars so I wanted to still share my single experience anyway. Caesars actually has numerous good foodie options… This is just not one of them given that the signature Noodle dish was overcooked on a not very busy seating and the toppings so stingy on top. Maybe I’m extra picky because I have spent time in Beijing before (I lived there for almost 2 months in college). I really wanted to reward keeping up the history and artisan skills of pulled noodles too 🙁

I do admit this is the cleanest Chinese restaurant I have EVER been in.

Beijing Noodle No. 9 on Urbanspoon

My Guide to the Free and the Food on the Las Vegas Strip

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