Category: Chefs/Restaurants

Fried Prawns with Candied Walnuts, Inspired by Wing Lei-Las Vegas

Fried Prawns with Candied Walnuts, Inspired by Wing Lei🦐 Fried Prawns with Creamy Calamansi Sauce 🦐
Date Syrup Candied Walnuts with Chinese Five Spice

Wing Lei is the first Chinese restaurant in North America to earn a Michelin star – serving Cantonese, Shanghai and Szechuan flavors, and featuring tableside-carved Imperial Peking duck.

The meaning of the Chinese characters that represent Wing Lei, is twofold: not only does it mean “forever prosperous” but it also represents “Wynn” itself, the luxury Las Vegas resort and casino. All the menu items are priced ending in 88 cents. Representing prosperity and completeness, the number 88 is especially popular in Chinese culture because of the double eights but also because of its visual similarity to the sign for double happiness 囍.

Places are set with two sets of chopsticks per person. Black chopsticks are used to take food from mutual dishes to one’s plate. White ones are meant to carry food to one’s mouth.

We recently enjoyed an extraordinary meal at Wing Lei, celebrating my nephew’s 21st birthday. The service and ambiance were impeccable, the food sublime. One of our favorite dishes was Fried Prawns, I re-create my version here.

Fried Prawns with Candied Walnuts, Inspired by Wing Lei

Fried Prawns Recipe

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Simple Summer Swordfish

Simple Summer Swordfish

Grilled Swordfish
Creamy Tomato Cucumber Salad

How about a simple dinner that is summery, sustainable, super-easy, and super-tasty? Grilled swordfish with a creamy tomato cucumber salad fits the bill.

Grilled Swordfish

Certified sustainable wild-caught swordfish steaks from Whole Foods are excellent. The swordfish is caught in the pristine waters off the eastern shore of Nova Scotia where they work with fourth generation fishermen at a Marine Stewardship Council Certified Fishery. The fish are only caught during peak season, September through November, processed into 5 to 6 oz. portions, then frozen individually.

Place the frozen fish fillets in their packaging in an air-tight baggie. Submerge the baggie in cold water for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the fish from packaging. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Let fish come close to room temperature. Coat with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook on the grill over medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes per side.  The packaging says to cook to an internal temperature of 145°F, but many chefs recommend 135°F. Just be sure not to overcook the swordfish.

Creamy Tomato Cucumber Salad

The store-bought buttermilk ranch dressing from Trader Joe’s is perfectly creamy, dilly, and garlicky. No need to make the dressing from scratch when composing this easy-going summer meal!

  • cherry tomatoes – halved
  • persian cucumbers  – quartered lengthwise, then sliced bite-sized
  • red onion – thinly sliced
  • pitted kalamata olives – halved lengthwise
  • fresh dill, chopped
  • buttermilk ranch dressing
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine equal amounts of tomatoes and cucumber in a mixing bowl. Add a lesser amount of onion and olives. Sprinkle with dill. Dress liberally with buttermilk ranch dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Plate

Spoon tomato cucumber salad into shallow bowls. Top with a grilled swordfish fillet and garnish with a sprig of dill.

As Ina would say, “How easy is that?”

Update

Simple Summer Sea Bass here

Cod, Caviar, Champagne Sauce à la Joël Robuchon

Cod, Caviar, Champagne Sauce à la Joël Robuchon

Cod, Caviar, Champagne Sauce à la Joël Robuchon🌺 Cod, Caviar, Champagne Sauce 🌺
à la L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Sooner or later the question was bound to be asked, “What is your favorite restaurant in Las Vegas?” So many great chefs, so many fabulous restaurants… But after much consideration, I chose L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand for several reasons. With 31 stars, he is The Most Awarded Michelin-Star Chef in the World. 

But surprisingly far from being stuffy, L’Atelier is fun! As one would expect, the French-inspired dishes are second to none. Each one prepared with the exactness the Chef became known for, his relentless perfectionism; he famously said there is no such thing as the perfect meal – one can always do better.

With that black & red decor, intentionally designed to be the opposite of old-style French white & gold, the atmosphere is striking and modern. The service is simultaneously easy-going and top-notch. Wines are meticulously paired to elevate the entire dining experience. A seat at the counter often results in a genial and lively evening. Strangers become friends, there is a gregariousness in shared appreciation of the late Chef’s vision of stellar dishes, prepared in view of the guests, offered in a spirit of conviviality.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

In 2003, the first L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon opened its doors in Paris, in the 7th arrondissement, and simultaneously in Tokyo. The success of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris encouraged Joël Robuchon to develop its concept all over the world. The Las Vegas restaurant opened in 2005, followed by New York, London and Hong Kong, Taipei and many more.

Here, I re-create an exquisite dish and table setting from our most recent meal at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Cod with Caviar and Champagne Sauce.

Cod, Caviar, Champagne Sauce à la Joël Robuchon

Cod, Caviar, Champagne Sauce à la Joël Robuchon

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Las Vegas

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Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace🐖 Grilled Pork Chop 🐖
🍒 Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Demi-Glace 🍒
🥬 Baby Bok Choy 🥬

The inspiration for this dish came from a new restaurant in my old stompin’ grounds. If I were still living in LA, I would definitely be dining down at the Port of Los Angeles regularly as Chef Dustin Trani’s food is fabulous!

Trani’s Dockside Station posted a mouthwatering image of their “Tomahawk Pork Chop with a Cherry Demi-Glaze” on Instagram. Having pork chops in the refrigerator, it took but a second to decide to make my own version here in Las Vegas. I also had a jar of Luxardo Maraschino Cherries and bottle of Luxardo Liqueur in my bar, and veal demi-glace in the pantry.

Luxardo Maraschino is a liqueur distilled in Italy from the leaves, pits, stems and skins of sour marasca cherries. It is not overly sweet and has an almond-like, subtly bitter complex cherry flavor. Luxardo Cherries are candied cherries soaked in Luxardo marasca cherry syrup, and they are sweet. I add a small amount of all three of these components to veal demi-glace just before serving to make an intriguing sauce for the smoky tender pork chops. And the no-brainer pairing for this dish was a merlot, seductive & velvety, iconic Duckhorn Merlot.

The meal was delightful. Thanks for the inspiration, Chef! Best wishes for super success with your new place!

(Read more about the Chef and my interpretation of another of his wonderful dishes exactly a decade ago, “Truffle Scented Tortellini, Veal Reduction” here).

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace Recipe

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Picasso’s Scallop, Potato Mousseline, Jus de Veau

Still Life with Fruit Dish and Yellow Vase by Pablo Picasso
The Original Still Life with Fruit Dish and Yellow Vase at The Bellagio by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Re-Creating Picasso Restaurant
At The Bellagio, Las Vegas

If you’ve been following Taste With The Eyes for a while, you know that I love to re-create dishes. Not just the food but the entire experience, including the ambience right down to the china, glass, and silver.

One of my most cherished creative outlets is to re-create historical events through food. The most popular by far is the re-enactment of Julia Child’s first meal in France in 1948 including her recipe for Sole Meunière.

Another favorite is the reimagining Julia’s kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts where we sneak a peek at her kitchen table with husband Paul as they enjoy a light supper that begins with Vichyssoise on a hot August night.

Our evening at Picasso Restaurant by Chef Julian Serrano in Las Vegas was worthy of re-creating. We had a fantastic meal where we enjoyed several fabulous courses, were awed by the ambiance and artwork, and thoroughly impressed by the service.

The Chef’s menu is drawn from his own background in the regional cuisines of Spain and France, and in honor of Pablo Picasso’s Spanish heritage and years the master artist spent living in France.

The Day Boat Scallop, Potato Mousseline, Jus de Veau course was especially captivating for its diminutive yet powerful presentation, combination of flavors and textures, and quality. If a restaurant is serving only one scallop, it had better be perfect!

Picasso's Scallop, Potato Mousseline, Jus de Veau
Taste With The Eyes Re-Creation of Picasso’s Scallop Course

icasso Restaurant, Bellagio, Las Vegas

Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio, Las VegasPicasso’s Scallop Recipe

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