For me, Raku's tofu alone is worth a flight to Las Vegas.

Fair enough, planning to do omakase at Raku next time we are in Las Vegas. Is it offered every night, or only on weekend?

Just checked it out. The cheese selection is geat, many of them I never heard of. Just like Cheese Board in Berkeley, you tell them what you like and they pick some for you to taste, and they are happy to cut a smaller piece for you. Definitely a step up from what we had locally.

I did not spend a lot of time browsing the other department, just noticed they have a dozen or so olive oils. That's another area I would like to explore.

I just made a short trip to Las Vegas to catch up with my cousin from Vancouver. While he is a die-hard meat eater, I am 90% pescetarian. We managed to share quite a few meals together and greatly enjoyed the company, without sharing much food :-)

Raku: This is the first time I am in Las Vegas with a car. I always wanted to eat at Raku, and dragged my cousin there on our first evening in Vegas. I wanted to start with sashimi, but was informed that I can get one of the daily special whole fish prepared 2-ways: half sashimi and half grilled. I chose that route and ordered an opal-eye from southern Japan. It was a small white fish, and had the texture between a snapper and bream, really nice. The next comes the half-and-half homemade tofu. It is a great hit, and I preferred it to Napa Morimoto’s version of tofu. Now that foie gras is banned in California, I am happy to get the satisfaction in Las Vegas. We debated as Raku has multiple preparations, and decided on the robata grilled version to share with my cousin. It was excellent and we both liked it. To round it up, I added a couple of skewers of vegetables (asparagus and mushroom), both nicely done. Meanwhile my cousin was having a lot of fun with different parts of kobe beef, and stole a few bites of tofu from me. We both agreed it is worth renting a car just to eat here.

Chada: In addition to Raku, we took the advantage of the car to eat at the new Thai place off strip in the early evening, this time dragged by my cousin. I never liked Thai food, even though I love the neighboring cuisines from China, Vietnam, Burma and India. This is the first time I enjoyed Thai food. The restaurant is still working on the license, but has a nice tea selection. I had 3 dishes to myself: the Shitake and Shimeji mushroom, lettuce wrap with crab, and sea bass tod krueng, all very tasty and balanced. Although it is marketed as small plates, the portion is quite generous.

RM Seafood: One night we decided to dine solo at different restaurants. You can only keep my cousin from a steak house for so long. While he eats at Mina’s Strip Steak, I went to Moonen’s RM downstairs. I started with a sample plate of 6 mixed oysters, 3 from west coast and 3 from east coast. They are carefully selected to provide a nice contrast of different characteristics. It was followed by one of the best composed fish dishes I ever had: Turbot with spaetzle in mustard sauce. As much as I like the food, the service is rather amateurish, albeit friendly. Upon seated, I was given a wine menu but not food menu. Only when the server turned up to take the order, she realized and remedied it immediately. However the situation was repeated for the table next to me a little later. Another issue is wine service. I has a crispy California Albarino with my oyster. It was pretty much gone when the turbot arrived but I was not asked for another wine. I had a bite of the fish and it begs for a nice burgundy. It took a while for me to make eye contact with the server to order a Chablis. The wine arrived when my fish is 50% finished, and it was too cold for my taste. It was actually a very good wine and I enjoyed it later after it warmed up to a nice temperature, but my fish has long gone by then. While I understand this is the more informal (although quite expensive) cousin of his upstairs fine dining room, I expect the staff to be better trained and not all white wines are stored in ice code condition.

Scarpetta: Scott Conrad now has restaurants on both coasts, but not in San Francisco nor Vancouver. For our final evening in Vegas, we took the opportunity to taste some of his signature dishes: polenta, foie gras ravioli, and spaghetti. The pasta dishes are very satisfying, and neither of us had room for secondi. Instead we shared a nice cheese plate to end the meal. For a hotel restaurant, it is quite intimate, a contrast to its neighbors Jaleo and Comme Ca that we walked by. If Chef Conrad expands his empire to San Francisco and maintains the same quality, I will be very happy.

Overall we really enjoyed the trip. I hope my cousin can write a report some day from the meat lover’s perspective.

Thanks for the feedback on the portion. We will keep it in mind and order carefully.

Been to Bartolotta and loved it, but want to try something new. Scarpetta was in the plan the last time we were in NYC but somehow it did not work out.

We will be visiting Vegas, and try to focus on new places since our last visit 2 years ago. Interested in Scarpetta and curious about the portion size. When we dined at B&B, I enjoyed antipasto + pasta + fish secondi (without dessert) and it comes out just the right amount. How does Scarpetta compare? Not a dessert person so there is no need to save room. Some Italian restaurants have huge pasta dish and there is no way to even attempt, let alone enjoy main dish. We would like to sample as many dishes as we can, but do not want to be stuffed.

Quince is sometimes characterized as "frenchfied italian". Our recent experience (3months ago) is that the main dishes outshines pasta. We had a great Dover Sole for two.

The best antidote of fine dining is something rustic yet light. Asian food usually works great.

Thanks, 8 plates went perfectly for 3 of us when we dined at Ubuntu. My guess is the portion size would be similar.

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Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio
1140 Main Street, Napa, CA 94558

We have a reservation later this week at Plum for 3 of us. The menu is simply divided to "To Start", "Vegetables" and "Animal" sections. Are they roughly small-plate portions? If each of us orders a starter and a vegetable (probably their strength), do we still have room to share 1 or 2 animal plates?

Good to hear the overwelmingly positive endorsement. We have made the reservation, along with Lemeac and Le Filet.

My wife and I will be visiting Montreal and Quebec City in October from San Francisco. After the first couple of hours' browsing this board, APdC comes up frequently as the most unique Montreal restaurant. My question is whether it appeals exclusively for meat lovers. These days we eat very little meat, and my wife does not eat pork at all. Their menu does include poisson du jour. Would that be a "wasted restaurant meal" if we do not order what it is best known for?

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Au Pied de Cochon
536 Av Duluth E, Montreal, QC H2L1A9, CA

Can I have some idea how much earlier one should make dinner reservation for the likes of The Chairman, Tim's Kitchen and Yan Toh Heen?

Do we need to make reservation for dim sum lunch (say FLM)? We will be in HK on weekdays.

Is there a particular reason the IFC location is singled out for Lei Garden? Better food, or better for a couple?

I will keep the fish advice in mind. There is no need for us to seek something rare and exotic for long time HK residents. We will be more interested in fish that is relatively common in HK (and hence likely to be prepared well), but hard to find in San Francisco,

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Lei Garden
IFC Mall, Hong Kong , HK

Thanks for the great ideas, and I will definitely look into private kitchens. Do they require reservation many days in advance?

My wife and I will be visiting HK in October, after many years’ absence. We are looking forward to the trip, and started browsing this board to get familiar with the current dining landscape. In the past we always dine out with a big group, but this time it will be just 2 of us. These days we avoid eating Chinese food unless there are at least 4 persons to order enough variety of food. I am seeking advice on dining ideas (other than Dim sum and noodles) with a small party of two. I am wondering if some of the favorites on this board (such as Lei Garden, and Fu Sing) is suitable for 2 of us. I would love to hear suggestions.

Two days before we leave HK, a friend will arrive from Japan to join us. While not a Chinese descendant, he is nevertheless a passionate fish lover. We shared many meals in sushi bars, and he also loves Chinese style steamed fish. He did some research and asked us to arrange 2 evening meals:

• A high-end restaurant with good view (his first time in HK) and good food. His initial proposal is Man Wah in Mandarin Orient, with set menu. I am not convinced set menu is the best way, as HK is not omakase kind of place. The online menu does look enticing, but can we do better by asking the restaurant to design a “tasting menu” within a budget? Is Yan Toh Heen a better venue for this purpose?
• A restaurant specializing in fish, preferably steamed. I know steamed fish is on the menu everywhere, but I want to satisfy a fish connoisseur. Any suggestion? At this point I assume money is no object and ambience irrelevant. Just best ingredient and precise execution.

Thanks.

I can think of one more event: when the big earthquake hit in 1989, people stop going to restaurant in SF. Otherwise I am with you.

Great review! What are part of the prix fixe lunch menu, and what are your supplement?

Could it be a reaction to the super-size portion of typical American restaurant? It’s interesting many have mentioned Asian dining culture. I live in San Francisco Bay Area and frequently host guests from Asia. Most of the time, they would request me to take them to the old fashioned American steak house, and share a steak. I do not blame them as the portion is overwhelming in this type of establishments. We have reached a point not to visit this type of restaurant ourselves. When American visit France for the first time, they probably want to sample the traditional French restaurant. But the reputation of rich French food precedes it…

Last time we were in Paris, we dined with an Asian friend who happens to visit France at the same time. She told us she was pleasantly surprised the French restaurants offer more sensible portions, and she can actually finish enjoy a 3-course meal. Well, I suppose she did not go to Chez Denise 

I understand Ledoyen has a "specialty" menu of E199, with the chef's classic signature dishes. I assume it cannot be split either. Can one of us order the specialty menu, and the other order prix fixe lunch (if we go for lunch)? The number of courses will not match.

May I hijack the thread to query about traditional restaurants with strong seafood offerings? We went to La Grille last trip based on recommendation in this board and had a great time. That was before it changed hand (and apparently not for better). I was under the impression the board favorites for traditional restaurants (such as Josephine, Chez Denise) and bistos (CAJ, Regalade) are best for meat lovers.

Per their website: $160, or $245 with wine pairing.

I am visiting my daughter who is attending college in LA, and planning to take her to Providence. The online menu looks great, and I am debating between ordering a la carte vs tasting menu.

• The tasting menu gives us a chance to try many different dishes. But I read from this board that it has too much food. Do you know if we can do 9-course for one, and 5-course for the other? Also can we substitute course? 1 meal dish is too many for me, although my daughter would welcome a taste of meat by that point.
• Another option is to go a la carte. Turbot for 2 is enticing. Last time I had Turbot was in Southern France many years ago. Anyone experience that at Providence? We can follow that with a dessert tasting.

Thanks.

I am planning to celebrate our 25th anniversary with the family (wife and I, plus 2 college-aged daughters). For this special occasion, we are looking for somewhere quiet, relaxed, and of course with great food. We are currently debating between the Dining Room and La Folie.

Like many on this board, I think the strength of Bay Area dining is the mid-range places. Among the board favorites, we like Piperade, La Ciccia, Bar Crudo, Koi Palace, Sakae, and Ubuntu. However Aziza, Incanto, Zuni, Slanted Door and Boulevard just did not work for us. My wife and I have only been to a couple of fine dinging places in the Bay Area, and we have never been to either the Dining Room or La Folie. I have a hard time to decide between the two.

• Our daughter’s colleges have different winter break dates. The only overlapping period when both are with us will be between Dec. 20 and Jan 2. Is it a good time to go? Is either chef likely to be in the kitchen during the holiday?
• I understand the Dining Room does a parallel tasting menu. This seems to be a great format for 4 of us (and a great introduction to fine dining for the girls). However we could not find it on their web site. Are they continuing this practice?
* La Folie is known for large portions. If each of us orders 4 courses, there will be 16 between us. It's actually a customized tasting menu. Are the dishes conducive to sharing?

Thanks in advance, I know the toppic hascome up numerous times.

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Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio
1140 Main Street, Napa, CA 94558

Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Koi Palace Restaurant
365 Gellert Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015

La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131

La Folie
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109

Piperade
1015 Battery St., San Francisco, CA 94111

Bar Crudo
655 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117

If you like raw seafood, try Swell on Bush near Stockton.

Oh, that is no incident. We were steered that way, by you and others whose opinion I respect.

Just to clarify, I do like Picasso. It's just that I expect more inspiration from Julian Serrano. It's probably difficult for him to do, when Picasso is so popular. It makes me appreciate Charlie Trotter more, who can still offer a unique experience in the remote Las Vegas, after decades at top of his game.

My wife and I visited Las Vegas last week to celebrate our anniversary. We stayed away from buffets and absent celebrity chefs. In the end, we went to three destination restaurants:

1) Bar Charlie: Charlie Trotter is not in LV, but Chef Hiro can more than hold his own. The restaurant went through a recent change to “down size” its offerings. I have reported the experience in a separate thread.
2) Bartolotta: Unlike other restaurants in Wynn/Encore, Bartolotta serves “Taste of Wynn” menu all evening on weekdays. That was what we had in mind, until we saw the family style tasting menu served on the next table. We could not resist the temptation, and ordered the lower priced version of the tasting menu. It was a feast, starting with excellent Oliver oil for bread, 5 antipasti plates (anchovies, scallops, octopus salad, artichoke salad, and tiger shrimp), 3 pastas (seafood risotto, ricotta ravioli, and seafood penne), and followed by a whole Orata (sea bream) accompanied by zucchini. The sommelier proposed a glass of very good Italian white wine (Tocai?) that went perfectly with seafood antipasti, and a glass of Sicilian red that went well with heartier pasta and fish. The dishes are simply but expertly prepared. It does not suffer the common problem of over-salting in many Italian restaurants. We were not big eaters, and were initially concerned whether it would be too much food. Fast forward, we finished everything other than the Anchovy, which is quite salty (not a criticism as it is supposed to be salty). But when desert came, we were stuffed and can only recall a plate of gelatos, the most memorable being a pear gelato. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable.
3) Sinatra: A beautiful restaurant, with special occasion written all over it. One of us had “Taste of Wynn” menu, with beet salad, Ossobuco and Tiramisu. It is a great value, and the “house sparkling wine” that came with it was very nice. The other ordered a la carte with a soup, and Turbot. The food is more Italian American than Italian. Their butter is better than their Oliver oil. The food is well executed. The beet salad can be found all over the country these days, but Sinatra version is the best we ever had. The ossobuco is on the salty side though, but that is probably because our taste leans more toward more delicate fare.

Between our big meals, we had some nice, more casual experiences:

• Stopped at Julian Serrano twice to have a drink at the bar, and a couple of tapas to share. The menu is extensive, and we did not even scratch the surface. We really liked what we had (a potato, and a stuffed pepper), and will definitely go back in our next trip. Serrano introduced us to fine dining many years ago when we celebrated our first anniversary in San Francisco, before he moved to Las Vegas. A few years ago we dined at Picasso, and the food was unfortunately less memorable than the deco. Perhaps the chef is constrained by the corporation to stay on the conservative side? I hope he can shine in eponymous eatery.
• Daily coffee and pastry at Bouchon bakery. What a way to start the day.
• We eat a lot of Asian food in San Francisco Bay Area. It never fails to counter balance the rich Euro-American fine dinging. This time we had dim sum at Cathay House, pho at Saigon 8, dumpling and noodle at China Mama, and porridge at Sam Woo. The quality is very good, even for us used to the excellent Asian cooking in Bay Area. We do need out rental car to explore these off-strip places.

Thanks for the contributors of this board to give us so many great ideas. Our trip is a resounding success.

The supplement costs $60, shared by two of us.

I had the pleasure to dine at Bar Charlie in 2008, and it instantly became my all-time favorite. One and half year later, I revisited it with my wife (her first time). It recently switched to a down-sized schedule of opening only on Friday and Saturday. We made the reservation for 7:30pm on Friday. When we were seated, the hostess handed us a menu with a single 10-course offering for $175. She informed us that the restaurant now is “more focused”, and stopped offering 5 / 8 / 14 course Kaiseki menu, although a couple of supplements are “possible”. I inquired about splitting 20 courses that I read about, and was told it could not be accommodated. My guess is that the restaurant is cutting cost by stocking only limited amount / variety of those expensive and highly perishable ingredients.

The good news is that Chef Hiro is behind the counter all evening, and the food is as good as ever (Corollary: do not expecting his cooking on weekends in the main dining room). He is a true artist. On top of the 10-course Kaiseki menu, we shared the Japanese A5 beef as a supplement course, as I still have the fond memory of Ohmi beef from my 14-course meal in 2008. To my surprise, this time it was cooked by the kitchen, and Chef Hiro was not personally involved. Neither of us was impressed by the result, and it was the only miss of the night.

When we walked in, there was just a solo diner in the bar. Throughout our meal, a couple came in, had a drink while browsing the menu, and moved on to the main dining room. It is still very quiet, and I should be glad it is still in operation. We chatted with Chef Hiro, and he is helping in the kitchen on weekdays when Bar Charlie is closed. He said he would move to NYC when Bar Charlie opens there. I believe he will be a great success in New York, and I wish him good luck, although it would a loss for us who live in the west coast.